MARTIN SHORT EXTENDS FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT TIMARU

Hamilton racing driver Martin Short has extended his points lead in the latest round of the ZOAGN New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. Short won two of the three races and came 3rd in the other for Round 4 held at the Timaru International Motor Raceway over the weekend. Second overall for the weekend was Aucklander Nick Cassidy with a win and two 3rd placings while Christchurch’s Matt Williams completed the podium after gaining two 2nd places and a 6th.

Saturday morning dawned with miserable wet and drizzling conditions requiring drivers to be on their toes in what could only be slippery conditions with poor visibility. It only took one lap of qualifying to show how difficult the track was as Andre Heimgartner contacted the wall coming onto the front straight damaging the front left suspension and giving his crew some serious work to make the start of the opening race.

Damon Leitch, however, reveled in the wet conditions to set the pole position time, a considerable 0.772 secs ahead of Matt Williams who was only 0.066 secs ahead of championship points leader Martin Short. Tim Vickers was a superb fourth fastest ahead of Nick Cassidy, Matthew Penrose, Henry Thomas-Kircher, Brett Sullivan, Richard Vickers and Scott Manson while Heimgartner did not set a time. Unfortunately for Penrose, he was also recovering from a severe bout of food poisoning.

The first race of 10 laps saw Williams beat Leitch off the line to open a lead while Short pursued Leitch to overtake on the second lap. As Short set off after Williams he left Leitch to engage in a battle with Cassidy and Tim Vickers only to drop back with bad understeering problems. Short hit the front with three laps remaining then maintained his lead to finish 0.226 secs ahead Williams, Cassidy, Tim Vickers, a recovering Heimgartner, Leitch, Thomas-Kircher, Manson and Richard Vickers. Penrose and Sullivan were excluded on a technical matter to do with the ride height of their cars.

Race 2, also 10 laps, was held in wet but slowly drying conditions which saw pole sitter Martin Short slow off the line allowing Cassidy the chance to hit the front and open up a good lead he was to hold to the finish. Leitch appeared to have fixed his handling problems and moved up the order to come home in a well deserved 2nd with Short recovering for 3rd ahead of Heimgartner, Sullivan, Williams, Penrose, Tim Vickers, Henry Thomas-Kircher and Scott Manson.

The 12 lap third race was back to the familiar old nose to tail, side by side dicing for which Formula Fords are renowned. Cassidy and Short fought off the line with Short gaining the lead on Lap 3 only to be overtaken by Cassidy on the next lap. Short undertook an excellent move around the outside under braking at the end of the back straight and was never headed to the chequered flag. Williams then passed Cassidy to take 2nd while Cassidy was followed home by Leitch, Penrose, Manson, Tim and Richard Vickers and Heimgartner who had pitted to replace a gear linkage pin. Henry Thomas-Kircher and Brett Sullivan did not finish after spinning off together on the final lap.

The next round of the Championship is scheduled to take place on the weekend of 13-14 February at the Manfeild Park in Feilding.

Championship Points after Round 4:

1. Martin Short (Hamilton) = 806
2. Nick Cassidy (Auckland) = 663
3. Matt Williams (Christchurch) = 651
4. Damon Leitch (Invercargill) = 583
5. Andre Heimgartner (Auckland) = 577
6. Matthew Penrose (Rangiora) = 564
7. Tim Vickers (Auckland) = 463
8. Scott Manson (Christchurch) = 435
9. Richard Vickers (Auckland) = 402
10. Henry Thomas-Kircher (Christchurch) = 297
11. Brett Sullivan (Nelson) = 285
12. Jamie McNee (Wellington) = 130

Rangiora driver Matthew Penrose battled illness to hold 6th place in the championship at Timaru International Motor Raceway - SportProMedia.com