HELLIER DOMINATION LEADS TO 99 POINT ADVANTAGE AFTER ROUND 2

After a frantic opening to the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First Championship at Manfeild Autocourse, in more ways than one, the field headed to Taupo MotorsportPark for round two.

Going into the round with an already healthy advantage, Ryan Hellier set out to keep the championship leading form going. The Aucklander claimed pole position over Palmerston North’s Rowan Shepherd, with Aaron Marr taking out the third position.

Round two also saw the return of a Formula First champion by the name of Mark Russ, filling in for the absent Taylor Cockerton. Russ would continue to build pace through practice and eventually scored a top ten qualifying spot.

The inaugural race of round two saw both Hellier and Shepherd clear the field after a few laps, giving them the chance to fight it out for the victory. Meanwhile a duel was on for third place, with Oliver Gordon and David Ruthven battling it out, mano-a-mano.

In the end it would come down to a braking duel at the end of the back straight on the final lap, with Ruthven taking out third overall. While up front Shepherd would push Hellier to the limit, but it wouldn’t be enough as the NZ2 machine would hold on for the race one victory.

When the drivers woke up Sunday morning, things couldn’t have been any more different. The bright sunlight and the refreshing breeze had been replaced with nothing but “relatively cold” rain and wind. If the Taupo circuit wasn’t renowned enough as a driver’s circuit in dry conditions, wet racing at the track makes it the ultimate challenge for the future stars of New Zealand motorsport.

With the aforementioned rain slightly clearing for the second race, it would be Mark Russ who would get the launch off the line, powering his way from seventh to fourth out of turn one – eventually running in the top three to the end. It was Ryan Hellier asserting his domination on the field though, clearing away during the initial laps, despite title rival Shepherd’s best efforts.

Another to make a storming start was Waiuku’s Cory Holmes. Son of a New Zealand rallying legend, Holmes can now be set in as a ‘sure thing’ to be competitive during wet races, showing race leading pace throughout. Holmes was making waves through the field, until a combination of unfortunate circumstances would see both Holmes and third-place-at-the-time Oliver Gordon fly off the circuit at the A1 turn.

Holmes would manage to drive away, but it wasn’t so easy for Gordon, crabbing his way back to pitlane with rear damage. The Feilding local and driver in second overall going into the round would see his first DNF of the season.

Meanwhile upfront, it was all Hellier, slowly gaining time on second place every lap until the end, eventually easing his was to his second victory of the weekend, ahead of Shepherd and Mark Russ.

The final race of the round saw the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First class bear the brunt of the afternoon weather, with rain plummeting down throughout. As the lights went out, it would almost be a repeat of the earlier race, as Shepherd, Hellier and Russ would make mega starts.

The trio would manage to pull away from the field, with Russ and Shepherd fighting it out for second through the race. Their battling would see Hellier drive into the mist, once again gaining increments of time per lap.

As the chequered flag went out, it was Hellier who would take his third win of the weekend, ahead of Shepherd and Russ – giving Hellier a dominant ninety-nine point advantage in the championship chase, ahead of Shepherd, who moved four places into second overall. Russ would complete a successful return, finishing third.

With over a month until the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First class heads back to Manfeild Autocourse, teams will be looking at ways to hunt down the current championship leader, Ryan Hellier. With at least 99 points to find, they’ve got a decent task on their hands.

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