Series rookie Louis Sharp has taken the overall lead in the 2021-’22 Yokohama South Island Formula 1600 Championship after winning two races at Timaru International Raceway over the weekend; his first wins in the series.
“It was a good weekend,” Sharp said.
“We were able to nail the setup, weren’t quite there in qualifying but able to push in the races.”
Fellow rookie Simon Hunter was fastest in qualifying, collecting the $500 cash prize from the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy.
Sharp had an off in the first race, with Hunter going on to win ahead of Wigram Cup winner Matthew Hamilton.
“It was good to get the monkey off my back,” said Hunter.
“At the end of practice, I had confidence that we would be quick. We were quick again in the morning, so the aim was to match what I did in qualifying.
“I got beaten at the start but got back through to take the lead. It all went to plan and I won by a number of car lengths”
The second race saw Sharp battling for the race win with the winner of the previous round, Hamilton.
Another battle between Zac Christensen and Hunter saw the pair make contact, with Hunter dropping back to finish the race in 11th.
Sharp crossed the line for his first race win, ahead of Christensen, Hamilton, Alex Crosbie and Daniel Brown.
“We had a good battle at the beginning of the third race,” said Sharp.
“I managed to get into second and was then able to catch Simon [Hunter] and manage the gap while he had to defend his position from Zac [Christensen].
“Last weekend at Ruapuna we had good speed, but I wasn’t able to use that to finish well. This weekend I’ve been able to adjust and get the wins.”
Sharp has a 26-point lead over Hamilton followed by Christensen, Hunter, Crosbie, Brown and Dylan Petch. Cameron Freeman continues to lead Class 2.
The field will now prepare for the next round 4-5 December 2021 at Teretonga Park.
Main image: Terry Marshall/Euan Cameron Photography
