It was a proud day for New Zealand motorsport fans at the Taupo Historic GP today, young-gun Ryan Wood breaking through for his first open-wheel race win while a famous Kiwi race car returned to the circuit it helped make famous.
They were two of many highlights of a packed first day of racing at the annual Historic GP event that melds the past, present, and future of New Zealand Motorsport.
Fans flocked to the fence to see the A1 GP car lap in the hands of Jonny Reid, while they cheered loudly as Ryan Wood sealed his maiden CTFROT victory soon after.
Wood powered to victory in the first Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Race on Saturday, converting pole position into a win after fending off an early challenge from championship leader, Ugo Ugochukwu.
The young American finished second while British teenager Freddie Slater starred again on his push to third position, engaged in a lengthy battle with local hope Zack Scoular for the final step of the podium before the latter fell by the wayside having run out of tyres. He slipped behind Louis Sharp – who finished fourth – in the closing stages.
The second race, which saw the top eight finishing order from race one reversed, was a thriller.
Kanato Le led from the front row of the grid but immediately found himself under pressure from Mexican teen Ernesto Rivera and the chasing pack.
Le would ultimately tumble down the field, while young Australian James Wharton charged to the front, ultimately claiming his first race win of the season. It was also the first win for the new team, TJ Speed with HMD Motorsport, since joining the championship this year.
Rivera held on for second position while championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu continued his strong form by working his way through to third position. Louis Sharp and Ryan Wood completed the top five in an action-packed 18-lap affair.
In the Historic GP opener, a thrilling battle saw Toyota FT-50 driver Toby McCormack fend off a charging Kaleb Ngatoa in a last-lap fight to the line.
Ngatoa’s Swift DB4 started slowly but built towards the end of the 10-lap race and sent a bold move around the outside of the turn 11 hairpin on the final lap, only to fall less than a car length short at the finish. Oliver Sentch finished third in his Swift, while Greg Murphy was a disappointed non-finisher with a mechanical issue, having earlier charged his way from the back of the 16-strong grid to fourth position.
Mark Mallard claimed the opening pair of Heritage Touring Cars NZ races in his ex-NZV8 Ford Falcon, leading from lights to flag in both.
He fended off Graeme Cameron’s stunning BMW M3 in the opening race before powering away to a comfortable victory in race two later on in the day.
Cameron was second in race one and third in race two, while Paul McCarthy’s Mazda Super Tourer was a star performer in the afternoon encounter, fending off Cameron and Stephen Armstrong’s Mazda RX-7.
In the Euro Allcomers, it was a battle of the Porsches as Nicholas Cutfield took the win, though only after polesitter Francois Beziac struck mechanical issues on the formation lap – and was then a non-finisher after the same issue reappeared during the race itself.
In the meantime, the HVRA Saloons put on a show with a massive field entertaining across two races.
Action continues tomorrow with more racing, fans able to watch live on Sky Sports NZ, Fox / Kayo in Australia, and on YouTube. Tickets remain available at the gate.
For more information, please visit www.nextgennz.co.nz
Header Image: Supplied
