It has been his dream since the start and Chris Symon can at last call himself New Zealand Formula First champion.
Symon wrapped up the title with a hat trick of wins at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo – his third clean sweep of the season.
By etching his name onto the championship trophy, Symon joins his father, Ross, as the first father-son title-winning pairing.
Ross won four titles between 1985 and 1989. Chris’ title brings an end to his runners-up streak over the previous two seasons.
It is only the third time in New Zealand motor racing history a father and son have won the same national championship.
Symon came into the Taupo round with a 116 point lead but said he would be taking each race as it came.
“We all know that anything can happen in racing, so we will be taking each race as it comes,” Symon told Velocity News ahead of the weekend.
“Making sure we get the basics right, put the car in the right position, and aim to come out on top.”
That mindset may well have been the deciding factor as Symon progressed through each race over the weekend with more and more confidence.
He secured pole position in the weekend’s only qualifying session by a comprehensive 1.3s over second place.
He then commanded each race, overcoming safety car restarts and tricky track conditions to win all three affairs, each by a healthy margin.
“It is pretty special,” Symon said. “To be here with dad and all our friends and family is a very cool feeling.
“Leading up to the week, I was a bit nervous, I guess. We just wanted to make sure the car was good on Friday.
“I tend to say that I will just take it easy and race smart. But when the helmet goes on I just go for wins.”
Symon finishes ahead of Liam Foster in the points championship, with the latter crossing the line behind the champion in all three races in Taupo.
Rookie driver Louis Sharp also had a memorable weekend, claiming his first career podium with a pair of third-place finishes in races two and three.
