Liam Lawson took maximum points at the opening round of the New Zealand F1600 championship after claiming pole in qualifying and winning all three races.
The 14-year old Pukekohe teenager turned on a masterful display in adverse conditions at Timaru’s Levels Raceway and out-drove the 18-strong field to claim the wins.
It was Lawson’s first visit to the Timaru circuit and he faced the added challenge of qualifying in very wet conditions. He led the timesheets from the get-go, was pipped by seasoned driver Michael Collins in the dying stages but responded with a faster time on the final lap to snatch back the pole position.
Although slow off the start-line in all three races, Lawson pulled off three different passing maneuvers to be in the lead of each race before the first lap had been completed, and then drove off for the victories.
It was a bittersweet result after the disappointment of his first South Island venture when he showed the same pace at Christchurch’s Ruapuna Raceway a month earlier. Engine failure halted the car while leading his first race after also qualifying on pole position. Fortunately that round was a South Island series only meeting, and was not part of the all important New Zealand championship.
“We’re stoked with winning today,” commented Lawson. “It was the best result we could hope for after what happened at Ruapuna. We came here wanting points and the best way to do that is to win, so really happy.”
Experienced local Christchurch driver Collins was second fastest in qualifying and three times finished runnerup to Lawson. Third overall for the weekend was Ethan Anderson from Southland.
For the second year running on offer for the winner of the NZ F1600 championship, formerly known as Formula Ford, is an opportunity to attend an international shoot-out in America to determine who wins a $US200,000 fully supported drive in the Cooper Tyres USF2000 championship in 2018.
Lawson’s campaign is assisted by NZ Childcare Finance, Another Orange Service Centre, Counties Fitness and supporters of his Club 500 program.
The team’s next race meeting is at Teretonga Raceway, Invercargill at the beginning of December as part of the South Island Formula Ford series before the national championship resumes with high profile meetings in January.