Rex Edwards of Tauranga took honours in the first race of Round 3 of the Mazda Racing Series National Championship at Taupo International Motorsport Park in Taupo today.
Edwards had not contested the first two rounds of the championship held in the South Island, but he did come into the weekend leading the North Island Championship for the class for which this weekend’s racing doubles as Round 3 of that series also.
Edwards had qualified second fastest earlier in the day just behind fastest qualifier, Leo Bult of Auckland, who won the $500 Premier Insulation Pole Award.
The top two National Championship contenders, Simon Baker of Wellington and Chris White Jnr of Prebbleton, shared the second row ahead of Aucklanders Sam Dashfield and Flynn Mullany.
Several Auckland drivers banded together to ensure Mullany made it to the grid for the round after he suffered an engine loss at the previous round at Timaru.
In the race it was Edwards who led all the way with Bult and Baker taking the other podium positions. White Jnr was fourth ahead of Dashfield with Terry Edwards of Waihi coming through to take sixth place.
Tomorrow, competitors face a 10-lap, top ten reverse grid race at 9.15am before an 8-lap race at 1.43pm to end proceedings.
Header Image: Rex Edwards in action at Hampton Downs earlier this year (Corey Li)
