Round 3 Report: Rookie Reeve takes Maiden Win, McConkey takes round Win!

MAIDEN WIN FOR REEVE AND ANOTHER ROUND WIN FOR MCCONKEY AT PUKEKOHE!

Round three of the 2014-15 NZ Formula First Championship saw the drivers back at Pukekohe Park Raceway for the Thunder in the Park meeting and once again the class wouldn’t disappoint providing the best action of the weekend with the now typical close racing we have come to expect providing different leaders nearly every lap. The field was reduced to 17 cars this round with class regulars Ian & Liam Foster missing this round due to family commitments, Craig Greenwood absent and Chris Symon and Nick Pervan missing due to engine issues.

Qualifying on Saturday morning was again close with Jacob Smith and Elliot Andrew setting quick times early in the session but the latter would prove to be too good, Brody McConkey would come close in the closing laps as drafting saw times fall each lap but when the session ended the Flouro Orange ScorpionRaceCars machine of Elliot Andrew would claim it and its drivers maiden pole position with a 1.21.671! Second was McConkey followed by Shepherd, Hellier, Smith & Brooke Reeve rounding out the top six the group covered by only 0.7 of a second!

Race one saw the front group of 8 cars pull a gap on the main pack and provide exciting nose to tail slipstreaming action, three and four car wide runs through turn one a sight to behold with many a heart in the mouth moment for both spectators and crews alike. Michael Shepherd led the early laps as the group behind jostled and wrestled for any advantage they could find.

McConkey made a pass that would stick though on lap 4 and managed to hold the lead to the line as the pack swarmed around him in pursuit the gap at the finish though only 0.019 to Shepherd who was followed closely by Bramwell King who had a great drive from seventh to take the final podium spot, next was Elliot Andrew followed by Hellier, Reeve, Crighton and Smith. The pack some 20 seconds back was headed by Dave Scammell, Bob Dillow & Robert Steven all covered by meters after a race long battle, Amy Smith was next followed by Paul Butler, Matt Podjursky then a popular face from two seasons ago that of David Russell back from Australia long enough to climb into a Sabre for the weekend, he was followed home by young Alex Hawley having his rookie drive in the series and improving with each outing.

Fastest lap went to Brooke Reeve.

Race two was another cracker with the same cast of drivers providing the up-front action. Elliot Andrew made a better start from pole this time but it was Shepherd that led the screaming pack of the leading 8 cars that crested the hill and crossed the line at the end of the first lap spectator’s heads straining to see if they all made it through turn one in one piece again three & four cars wide! Elliot Andrew then led briefly as did Brody McConkey and as the last lap board was shown it looked like another win for the kid from Paraparaumu but it was another youngster that would steal the show as the cars came into view over the mountain for the final run down to the line, Speedsport Scholarship winner Brooke Reeve would pull out of the draft to claim his maiden victory by 0.017 of a second, a popular win from McConkey, Bramwell King, Elliot Andrew, Ryan Hellier, Jacob Smith, a recovery Michael Shepherd who had an incident at the chicane on the final lap and Aaron Crighton rounding out the top eight this group was never more than a couple of seconds from first to eighth! Bob Dillow led home the pack from Robert Steven, Ron Carter, Amy Smith, Dave Scammell, Matt Podjursky, Paul Butler, David Russell and Alex Hawley.

Fastest lap went to Brooke Reeve.

Race 3 promised more of the same intense action and the crowd weren’t to be disappointed. The cars rolled up into their grid positions but Matt Podjursky was missing, a spark plug blown out of the head a cruel way to end his weekend. Lights out and another mad sprint into turn one, dust rising and gasps from the crowd but everyone made it through and down the back straight. Across the line at the end of lap one in a blur were Shepherd, Andrew, McConkey, Hellier, Smith, King, Reeve & Crighton followed by Amy Smith, Dave Scammell, Ron Carter, Robert Steven, Paul Butler, a struggling Bob Dillow who would drive the entire race one handed the other holding the car in gear as he struggled with gear selection issues, David Russell and Alex Hawley.

Shepherd would also lead lap two before Brody McConkey took the lead, Bramwell King and Jacob Smith ran two and three for a time before the freight train down the back straight mixed it up again. As the closing laps approached the front group again eased away from the chasing pack by some 16 seconds but the excitement wasn’t over yet as down the home straight to take the last lap board Bramwell King led Elliot Andrew, McConkey, Reeve, Hellier, Shepherd, Smith & Crighton but as everyone made attempts to control the last lap in the run through the turn one sweeper onto the back straight McConkey was squeezed into a high speed spin narrowly avoided by several cars including a closely following Jacob Smith who dropped back as a result, Brody lucky to avoid a nasty accident was able to recover to finish eighth such was the gap to the chasing pack. Meanwhile up front more wheel banging and off track grass cutting down the back straight made the outcome a lottery but it was the experience of seasoned driver Ryan Hellier that would see him claim the final win of the weekend from Elliot Andrew, Brook Reeve, Bramwell King, Michael Shepherd, Aaron Crighton and Jacob Smith, Brody McConkey some sixteen seconds back and dragging his floor pan under the car would just beat home Dave Scammell for eighth followed closely by Robert Steven, Amy Smith, Paul Butler, Ron Carter, Bob Dillow, David Russell and young Alex Hawley.

Fastest lap went to Michael Shepherd.

Brody McConkey takes a 22 point Championship lead into the Christmas break from Michael Shepherd and Bramwell King another 15 points back in third, the top three are now starting to get a slight gap to the chasing group in places 4th to 7th who are covered by just 62 points.

The Formula First Drivers & teams will do battle again in the New Year at Hampton Downs in the Waikato on the weekend of the 31st of January so be sure to get along and watch some of the closest most exciting motorsport around.