SHEPHERD DOMINANT @ ROUND 2 OF NZ FFIRST CHAMPIONSHIP

This past weekend, the ‘summer of thunder’ tour powered into the middle of the north island, to Taupo Motorsport Park for round two of the Weldwell NZ Formula First championship.

Race one saw a decent battle between the top three championship contenders, with Michael Shepherd, Kyle George and Ryan Hellier pulling away from the rest of the field. It would be Shepherd who would hold out George on the last lap to take the first win of the round.

Sunday’s first race brought drama and possibly major championship title implications, as one lap into the event, Kyle George pitted with a slipping clutch and fell one lap down, leaving Shepherd and Hellier fill the top two positions, with Dave Ruthven getting on the podium for the first time in his Formula First career in third place.

The final race of the day saw Shepherd dominate with Hellier just behind, as George would have to fight back through the field to third place, as an issue off the line would send him from second to at least eighth overall by the first corner.

With two rounds of the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First championship down, the circus heads to the country’s newest circuit, Hampton Downs in a matter of weeks.Be sure to check back to FormulaFirst.co.nz for updates and a more in-depth round 2 report later this week.