Stu Lawton of Paraparaumu leads the way as the Mazda Racing Super Series heads to Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in North Waikato this weekend for the penultimate round of their series.
After four previous rounds, there is a tight battle looming for series honours as Lawton heads into this weekend with 408 points, just sixteen points ahead of fourteen-year-old Ajay Giddy of Silverdale, with Aucklander Callum Pratt just five further points behind Giddy.
Another Auckland driver, Alex Canty, is 13 points behind Pratt, meaning the top four drivers are separated by just 34 points. With forty-four points up for grabs for each race win in the series, there is still plenty to transpire before a champion is crowned for 2025/2026.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that when the series last visited Hampton Downs in November for Round 2 of the series, Ajay Giddy dominated – qualifying fastest, winning all three races and taking the fastest lap in every race.
Giddy also won two of the three races at the previous round at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell just over one month ago. It was Giddy’s second round win while Lawton (at Teretonga Park) and Pratt (Manfeild) have shared a round win apiece.
While the top four will have one eye on the title, there will be plenty of other interlopers not in the series frame who are capable of running at the front. Tauranga driver, Rex Edwards, rejoins the series after missing the most recent rounds in the South Island, while Simon Baker of Kapiti and Sam Dashfield of Auckland missed the opening round in October.
James Black of Dunedin has been quick throughout, while Bryan Walker (Christchurch), Tomas Climo (Hamilton) and several others could well mix it up at the front.
Meanwhile, Aucklanders Elton Wichman and Phil Clemas, plus Anthony Tork and Steve Brown, are hunting the Masters (Over 50) title in another close battle with Baker also in the running for that.
It is a fantastic field of twenty-seven cars, setting the scene for a mammoth battle as the series nears its end.
In the series Teams Championship, the Two and a Half Drivers team of Black, Pratt and Walker leads.
Competitors will have a 15-minute qualifying session on Saturday morning with their first race of the weekend over 10 laps that afternoon. On Sunday, a 12-lap reverse top ten grid from Saturday’s race results takes place in the morning, with the finale over 10 laps that afternoon.
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For point standings in our various series, go to Season Points / | Mazda Racing Series
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
