SHEPHERD SHINES @ HAMPTON SHOWDOWN

2012 Rookie of the year contender in the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First championship, Rowan Shepherd took out the latest round of series at Hampton Downs - claiming the weekend by taking pole position and all three races.

The Palmerston North local was the class of the field. In a weekend that included races finishing with the top three averaging 0.3 apart at the line, Shepherd stuck to his plan and carried out a mature performance, surely impressing brother and the G.O.A.T, Michael. The team Shepherd racing member has now closed the gap to the first position to only 58 points with two rounds remaining.

The battle for second place round honours was one that went down to the final race of the day. Championship leader and driver of the Juiced Magazine 23 - Matt Higham would have another weekend of consistency, keeping his fellow rivals within range throughout all three races despite ongoing illness.

Fourth place for the round would be the final result for the North Shore local, after finishing race 3 in the fourth position.

Te Puke’s Michael Scott, who was on double duty with the latest round of the NZ Formula Ford championship held that same weekend, was showing the extra experience was paying off – hanging in with the championship contenders all weekend. With fourth, second and third place finishes, Scott would take out third for the round.

Second place in the championship and runner up for the round, Ryan Hellier continues to slowly claw back points on his championship rival. With second in race one, fourth in race two – it was the second position in the final race of the round that sealed his spot for the weekend.

The battle for fifth overall was as good as the lead bunch, as Speedsport Scholarship winner Malcolm Finch and fellow sabre chassis runner Oliver Gordon would battle it out with David Ruthven during race one, then Waiuku’s Cory Holmes throughout races two and three.

It would be the blue beast of Finch that would take the honours by a mere three points infront of Gordon, with Ruthven claiming seventh infront of Holmes by seven points.

The 3nz Vortex Racewear/Dateline imports/Tri Star machine of Kyle George struggled throughout the weekend with the unique chassis and setup changes, but managed a top ten performance nevertheless. Just infront of George was the green machine of Taylor Cockerton. Another one steadily improving throughout the season, Cockerton could be one of the competitors to watch for the remainder of the championship.

A duel between the master and the grasshopper commenced for the P11 spot, as Dave Scammell in ‘Black Sunshine’ and Jason Carter fought it out all weekend long. This time round, it was the grasshopper that would come out on top, as Carter defeated Scammell two to one.

Making her Weldwell New Zealand Formula First debut, Sabre Motorsport’s Tennille Hancock impressed many throughout the weekend, shaving over half a second in lap time in just three races on her way to P13 for the weekend. With rapid improvement such as that, it seems anything could be possible for this Hamilton racer.

Seasoned veteran Dom Kalasih filled in for the legendary Bryan McConkey this round. Unfortunately for Kalasih, engine issues plagued the 71 machine all weekend long; giving little opportunity for Dom to perform like many know is possible.

In just his second round of motorsport action ever, Robert ‘Bob Dylan’ Dillow continues to increase his racing experience lap after lap. The 99 machine tied up with Wellington’s David Russell, both on the circuit and in points – sharing the final points spot. Round seven should be a thriller for both competitors.

The 25th/26th of February sees the Weldwell Formula First circus return to Feilding and Manfeild Park. With a 47 point advantage, Matt Higham will look to continue his championship title chase, while both Ryan Hellier and Rowan Shepherd will try to remove the Juiced machine from its throne before the races run out.

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