DRAMA ALPENTY @ RD6 - FFIRST REPORT

HOLMES RECOVERS WELL WITH DRIVE OF THE RACE / SHEPHERD TAKES WIN Race One Round 6 Manfeild. It was almost 30 degrees as the field headed out onto the grid with the rain that was forecast staying away. The racing was once again very close with the top 13 cars running in a massive freight train for the first several laps. Fantastic to watch! Cory Holmes was the man on the move initially and would find himself leading the race from lap 2. He was sitting pretty in first until he lost it coming out of Higgins on the 4th lap and dropped back to seventh. At the time he looked dead and buried but he put his head down and climbed his way through the traffic to sit behind Rowan Shepherd going into the final lap. Come the last straight Holmes was not quite able to get by and would take a fine second place behind the championship leader. Oliver Gordon started the race in 6th spot and drove a great race to pip Ryan Hellier for the final podium spot 1.6 seconds behind Holmes. Taylor Cockerton was running as high as 3rd and was looking racey as he started from grid 7. However he went off exiting the hairpin late in the race and would recover to finish 5th. Ian Foster started the race from grid 10 and drove well to get up to finish 6th ahead of first rookie home Chris Symon in 7th. David Ruthven was looking strong during qualifying but was not showing the sort of pace that we are use to seeing. Ruthven finished 8th and will be hoping that changes made overnight brings the car back into the sweet spot. Jacob Smith started from the second row but was quickly shuffled back during the opening laps and from the back of the front pack was not really able to claw his way back. He would finish 9th. James Webb was cleaned out during the qualifying session and suffered a puncture. He started from grid 13. Webb managed to move up 3 spots to round out the top 10. Faine Kahia was having issues hooking 3rd gear and it showed with the #55 machine dropping back slowly to finish 11th. Bob Dillow and Ron Carter had a fantastic battle with Dillow this time managing to take the spoils. Arran Crighton had a spin at turn one on the second lap and would loose some time. He would finish 14th just ahead of Dave Scammell and Liam Foster. Unfortunately for Brody McConkey the young rookie driver went off trying to avoid Arran Crighton on lap 2 and was forced to retire with minor front end damage. Fastest lap of the race went to Oliver Gordon with a 1.25.095

SHEPHERD TAKES WIN IN RACE 2 It was another typical Formula First battle with Rowan Shepherd, Cory Holmes, Taylor Cockerton, Ryan Hellier and Oliver Gordon battling for the podium. With a massive head wind on the back straight it was obvious that who ever was in second place with one to go would take the win. In the end it would be Shepherd in the ideal position to draft by Holmes to take the win. Cory Holmes was perhaps somewhat hard done by with officials handing him a 6 second penalty for practice starts just before the beginning of the race. This would drop him to 9th spot officially. Promoted to second place was Ryan Hellier with Taylor Cockerton 3rd. Oliver Gordon managed to stay in the draft for the entire race and would take some more solid points home for 4th place. James Webb drove a great race and came in 5th just ahead of David Ruthven who had a moment coming out of Higgins and lost time. Brody McConkey was 7th ahead of Ian Foster and Aaran Crighton in 10th Tim Fox was showing a good turn of speed in the fast improving Scorpion chassis with a fine drive from the back of the gird to finish 11th. Chris Symon and Jacob Smith had a coming together at Higgins on the last lap with Symon losing a few places and recovering to finish 12th. Faine Kahia was just ahead of Ron Carter and damaged Jacob Smith. Bob Dillow would hold out Liam foster for 16th spot with Dave Scammell in 18th. Fastest lap went to Taylor Cockerton with 1.24.303 - Enough to see him start from grid 2 for the final race.

HOLMES TAKES WIN AS MASSIVE CRASH OF SMITHS STOPS RACE It was lap 5 and Jacob smith was just about to start lap 6 as he was tagged from behind and sent straight into the wall. The car hit hard both front and rear with the Allison built machine badly damaged. Jacob seemed initially okay but the track marshals and medics did a great job and took all precautions in getting him out and off to the Palmerston North Hospital for a checkup. On behalf of all the Formula First community we wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the track soon. After a 20 minute delay the race was to start under the saftey car with 3 laps to go. The order went Holmes, Hellier, Shepherd, Cockerton and Gordon and in the end it would finish that way with the top 5 cars battling very close indeed. David Ruthven would take 6th spot ahead of James Webb and Ian Foster. Chris Symon stayed ahead of Brody McConkey to extend his rookie points lead with Arran Crighton finishing 11th. Faine Kahia was 12th with Ron Carter and Tim Fox close behind. Bob Dillow, Dave Scammell and Liam Foster would round out the field. A great win for Cory Holmes after a disappointing race 2, but all thoughts were with the Smith family who will be returning to Auckland with one very badly damaged car and a bruised driver. Fastest lap went to Brody McConkey with a 1.25.019