Round 6 Report: King Claims 3/3 and takes Series lead!

CLEAN SWEEP FOR KING AS FORMULA FIRST LIGHTS UP THE MANAWATU, THE CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE TAKES ON A NEW LOOK AFTER DRAMA AT ROUND 6

After only a week’s turn around the championship returned to the scene of Round fives hot action at Manfeild with many teams choosing to leave cars and gear in Feilding during the week.

Noticeable omissions this round would be Alex Hawley with school commitments, Chris Symon who wasn’t able to turn around engine issues from a week earlier and both Arran Crighton and Paul Butler who both suffered engine failures at Hampton Downs two rounds ago. Also a late omission from Qualifying and ultimately the round would be Elliot Andrew and the ScorpionRaceCars team after the teams tow vehicle suffered a mechanical breakdown on the Desert Road early on Saturday morning en route to Manfeild for the weekends racing a stroke of bad luck that may cruelly end this year’s close Rookie title battle prematurely.

Qualifying on Saturday morning would again take on a familiar look at the top as drivers played the game of chess we know and love as Formula First qualifying.

After the 15 minute period ended though it was local boy Palmerston North’s Bramwell King that would top the time sheets with a 1:23:722 from another local star and multiple time class Champion Michael Shepherd in second place, third was Ryan Hellier from Sabre Scholarship driver Brook Reeve in 4th then Brody McConkey, Jacob Smith, Ian Foster, Fielding’s Bob Dillow in eighth then Craig Greenwood, Dave Scammell, Ron Carter, Nik Pervan, Liam Foster, Robert Steven, Amy Smith and Matt Podjursky.

Race 1

With clouds looming the cars rolled around on their warmup lap for race 1 on Saturday afternoon. The early lead was swapped between Michael Shepherd and Bramwell King while the following pack followed closely behind, the front group consisting of Shepherd, King, Reeve, Hellier, McConkey, Ian Foster, Jacob Smith and local rising star Bob Dillow pulled a gap from the main pack led by Dave Scammell from Ron Carter, Robert Stevens, Nik Pervan, Liam Foster, Craig Greenwood, Matt Podjursky and Amy Smith.

There was to be drama on lap three though as Brody McConkey running in the top group locked up his brakes into turn one and ran off through the gravel trap into the tire wall resulting in a safety car that bunched the field up for a lap as Brody’s car was retrieved, the driver was fine but the car suffered a front beam failure that would result in an early retirement from the round and alter the look of the points table for the top 6 drivers at least.

The restart resulted in an exciting few laps as King edged a slight gap over Michael Shepherd as he resisted the tightly bunched pack around him. In the race to the line it would be King from Shepherd, Hellier, Reeve, Ian Foster, Jacob Smith and Bob Dillow then a ten second gap back to the chasing pack led by Dave Scammell in 8th ahead of Craig Greenwood, Robert Stevens, Liam Foster, Nik Pervan, Ron Carter, Matt Podjursky and Amy Smith.

DNF Brody McConkey (Accident).

Fastest lap would go to Ian Foster with a 1:23:724

Saturday evening saw a get together for the club members at Bob & Karin Dillows. The evening was a lot of fun and allowed drivers and supporters alike to socialise with each other away from the pressures of race day. A few hilarious races of a different kind were also held on the Dillows spacious front lawn, videos of which appeared on Facebook pages the following day!

Race 2

Sunday morning saw hangovers and early cloud clearing to reveal a beautifully hot Manawatu day and the promise of two exciting races to follow.

Ian Foster would start Race 2 from pole by virtue of his fastest lap from race 1. At lights out the field all screamed down the front straight into Toyota and through Splash two and three cars wide as the initial running order was established.

Lap 1 was led by Bramwell King from Michael Shepherd, Ian Foster, Ryan Hellier, Brook Reeve, Bob Dillow and Jacob Smith then a slight gap back to Dave Scammell, Robert Stevens, Nik Pervan, Ron Carter, Liam Foster, Matt Podjursky, Amy Smith and Craig Greenwood.

As the leaders streamed through Splash on lap two drama unfolded behind them when Liam Fosters throttle jammed wide open at the end of the straight sending him off at high speed across the gravel trap and into the tire wall at turn one, it looked nasty to begin with but luckily Liam emerged from the car with nothing more than seatbelt stiffness and an increased heart rate and adrenaline level, his car though had suffered a little more damage with left front suspension damage and a seized engine due to an unknown RPM being reached before Liam was able to shut it down, an unfortunate and sad end to Liam’s weekend.

Behind the safety car again for the third time in as many races the drivers waited for the lights to go out and the car to speed away down pit lane before the engine revs climbed and the field roared past the pits in a blur again King still leading Shepherd and the pack closely behind. There would be several changes in position behind as cars advanced through the pack but down the back straight for the final time Bramwell King had eased a slight lead over the chasing bunch consisting of Hellier, Reeve, Jacob Smith and Michael Shepherd this group four wide into Pepsi Max sweeper, in the end though King would take his second win of the weekend from Brook Reeve, Michael Shepherd, Ryan Hellier & Jacob Smith the leading 5 covered by 1.061 seconds, not too far behind and continuing to impress was Bob Dillow with another top 10 finish in 6th just ahead of former series Champion Ian Foster in 7th, Dave Scammell was next followed by Craig Greenwood then a hard charging Amy Smith setting a good time after an early spin and a climb back through the field to a well-deserved 10th place finish. Next was Ron Carter followed by Nik Pervan, Matt Podjursky and Robert Stevens.

DNS Brody McConkey

DNF Liam Foster (Accident).

Fastest lap went to Jacob Smith with a 1:23:021

Race 3

As the cars headed out of the pits on their warmup lap for the last race at Manfeild for the season the Red 18 car of young Jacob Smith would lead the field to their starting grids the first pole position start of his Formula First racing career by virtue of setting the quickest lap time so far over the weekend in Race 2.

The excitement may have gotten to him slightly though as when the lights went out a little too much wheel spin saw him third into the first corner as both Michael Shepherd and Ryan Hellier made lightning starts, Smith wasn’t the only one to make a slow getaway as Brook Reeve appeared to miss a gear and was swamped by the pack into turn one. Both drivers quickly recovered though and as the field swept past the pits to end lap 1 it was Ryan Hellier leading Michael Shepherd from Jacob Smith, Bramwell King, Ian Foster, Brook Reeve, Bob Dillow, Ron Carter, Dave Scammell, Robert Stevens, Craig Greenwood, Nik Pervan, Matt Podjursky and Amy Smith.

The leading group of Hellier, Shepherd, Smith, King and Foster would slowly ease away from the chasing group only Brook Reeve and Bob Dillow attempting to hold on but in no-man’s land a couple of seconds behind the drafting front group and the chasing main pack some 5 or 6 seconds further back.

As the last lap began Shepherd and Hellier, King and Smith ran side by side in pairs out of turn 1 just ahead of a closely following Ian Foster, King not seeing Smith tucked just alongside him moved across and the two touched wheels knocking the steering wheel clean out of Smiths hands briefly before he regained control but dropping him back a car length or so, Ian Foster had a look but wasn’t close enough to get alongside Smith as the group streamed through Higgins and on to the long back straight for the final time. Again the leaders went three wide into Pepsi Max sweeper with Hellier, King, Shepherd and Smith forming a diamond shaped ground based version of formation flying each driver looking for the best run to the finish line and at the flag it was a photo finish again, Hellier appeared to have his nose slightly in front with King inside Shepherd outside and Smith tucked between Hellier and King. The crowd waited for the call but the timing gave the third win of the weekend and clean sweep to Bramwell King by the narrowest of margins at 0.002 of a second from Ryan Hellier, Michael Shepherd and Jacob Smith. Ian Foster followed closely in fifth then a gap to Brook Reeve and another gap back to the main pack lead by Bob Dillow in 7th from Dave Scammell, Ron Carter, Craig Greenwood, Robert Stevens, Amy Smith, Nik Pervan and Matt Podjursky.

DNS Brody McConkey & Liam Foster

Fastest lap went to Jacob Smith with a 1:24:247

Top Ten for the weekend were;

1: Bramwell King 225

2: Michael Shepherd 187

3: Ryan Hellier 181

4: Brook Reeve 166

5: Jacob Smith 148

6: Ian Foster 140

7: Bob Dillow 129

8: Dave Scammell 117

9: Craig Greenwood 105

10: Ron Carter 92

The Championship now has a new leader with Bramwell Kings clean sweep propelling him into first place on 1164 points from Michael Shepherd on 1140 in second. Third place is now held by Ryan Hellier back on 980 points from early season leader Brody McConkey who after scoring no points this round due to his accident dropping to 4th on 881 points from the closing duet of Rookie points leader Brook Reeve on 874 and Jacob Smith on 819 in 6th position. The top ten is rounded out by Elliot Andrew who also missed this round and scored no points 7th on 656 from Ian Foster in 8th on 557, Bob Dillow on 540 points in 9th position and Dave Scammell 10th on 492.

After a three week break the Championship will be back on track in the Waikato at Hampton Downs on the 21/22nd of March to resume the Championship Battle into the final two rounds, be sure to get along and watch the action if you can.

A the time of writing this race report the sad news emerged of the sudden passing of Ross Hawley, Alex Hawley’s father, on behalf of the FVANZ association and the wider Formula First family we send our condolences to Alex and the Hawley family at this sad time.

Rest in Peace Ross.