What began as a tactical and thrilling one-hour sprint under overcast skies at Hampton Downs ended in heartbreak for one driver and celebration for another in Round 2 of the North Island Endurance Series.
Matt Whittaker was ultimately declared the official winner of the 1-Hour race after initial victor Nick Chester was excluded post-race for breaching pit stop regulations, throwing the final results into disarray and handing Whittaker his first win of the 2025 season.
The race began with a twist even before the green flag dropped. Despite qualifying second, Hugh Gardiner who qualified on the front row in second, was forced to start from the pit lane after missing the designated formation window.
Meanwhile, pole-sitter Paul Kelly rolled off solo on the front row, followed by Steve Brooks and Whittaker in damp but drying conditions.
However, the start was further delayed when Francois Beziac had a moment on the formation lap, requiring a catch-up to the rear of the field.
Once racing finally got underway, it was Kelly who launched strongly into the lead, but his time at the front was short-lived.
A lap later, the first Safety Car was deployed after Nigel Cromie was punted off at Turn 2 by Allan Sargeant. Cromie’s engine shut down during the incident and required recovery. He would later rejoin the race multiple laps down.
On the restart, it was Chester who stole the spotlight, making quick work of the leaders and charging from fifth into the race lead, ahead of Kelly, Whittaker, and Brooks.
However, Kelly’s woes mounted with a 10-second time penalty for a restart procedure infringement.
Lap 13 saw a lead change as Whittaker muscled his way past Chester into Turn 1. But Chester wasn’t done yet. A few laps later, on Lap 18, Chester returned the favour, once again into Turn 1, reclaiming the lead just before the pit window opened.
As pit stops cycled through, Brooks was one of the first to stop, handing over to co-driver Bill Riding. Whittaker completed his compulsory stop while Chester stayed out longer and extended his gap at the front.
But then came the twist that would change everything.
David Rogers spun into the gravel at Turn 10, bringing out a second Safety Car. Chester dived into the pit lane during this caution, which, as later clarified, was in breach of the 1-hour race regulations that prohibit completing the mandatory stop under Safety Car conditions.
While Chester rejoined with a commanding 50-second lead over Whittaker, whispers of a looming investigation by race control began to swirl. Officials combed through footage from various angles, both on-board and trackside, delaying the final call until after the chequered flag.
As the clock expired, Chester crossed the line first, provisionally taking the win ahead of Whittaker and the Brooks/Riding pairing, while Kelly rounded out the top three on track despite being a lap down.
In Class 3, Kent Quinn held off Glen Chappel to take the win, with Sargeant coming home third. Conley Webley topped Class 4, while Nathan Grammer triumphed in Class 5.
However, moments later, the official decision dropped: Chester was excluded from the race for pitting under Safety Car conditions, nullifying his apparent victory.
With Chester’s disqualification, Whittaker inherited the win in his Porsche GT3, while the consistent and clean effort from Brooks and Riding earned them second place. Despite his earlier penalty and being lapped, Kelly was promoted to third, salvaging a podium finish.
Official Top 3 Overall Results:
- Matt Whittaker – Porsche GT3
- Steve Brooks / Bill Riding – Porsche 992
- Paul Kelly – Porsche 992
Class Winners:
- Class 3: Kent Quinn
- Class 4: Conley Webley
- Class 5: Nathan Grammer
Header Image: C.K Photography
