Kiwi drivers lead the world

Two young Kiwis are tied for first equal in the Toyota Racing Series – ahead of 15 overseas drivers – after today’s race at Timaru.

Aucklander Nick Cassidy, 17, won today’s race after a battle with 18-year-old Invercargill driver Damon Leitch, who finished second ahead of English driver Josh Hill. That result left the two Kiwis equal on points at the head of the large field.

At the start Brazilian Bruno Bonifacio , on the outside of the front row, stalled but the fast-accelerating cars behind him managed to avoid him.

Pole-winner Hannes Asseldonk from the Netherlands got a slow start as Leitch and Cassidy shot through to grab first and second places respectively.

On lap four Cassidy got into Leitch’s slipstream, pulled out and passed into the next corner from the outside of the track. It looked like a brave move but Cassidy said it was no problem.

“It was pretty straightforward, Damon left me a lot of room,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy pulled away but later Leitch and Hill caught up. “My car went off a little bit – it was just the way it was set up,” Cassidy said.

Hill, son of former world champion Damon Hill, continued his strong form – he won a race last weekend at Teretonga – as he finished a close third, ahead of Puerto Rican Felix Serralles, van Asseldonk and Austrian Lucas Auer, nephew of former F1 star Gerhard Berger.

Aucklander Angus Fogg won the BNT New Zealand V8s race after an early tussle with Australian V8 Supercar driver Jason Bargwanna.

Fogg had qualified fastest but the Australian jumped in the start and resisted Fogg’s early efforts to repass him.

In the end Fogg was able to pull off a straightforward pass down the straight, as Bargwanna complained that his car felt as if it was running seven cylinders.

New star Martin Short harried Bargwanna for a while but dropped back after making a mistake and had to concentrate on fending off Tim Edgell. The top four were all in Fords, with Nick Ross of Cambridge first Holden driver in fifth.

Tomorrow sees two more races for these and other classes, which include the first round of the national Super Truck championship.



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