FANTASTIC RESULT FOR LEITCH AT PUKEKOHE
Fifteen-year-old Southland driver Damon Leitch signalled his arrival in the MTA Formula Ford Championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway south of Auckland this weekend.
In his first season in a Class 1 car, Leitch drove his Zero Fees Stealth to third place overall after three superb drives at the ultra-fast 2.8 kilometre circuit. A third, fourth and fifth placing in the three races saw Leitch third overall for the round, his first podium in just his second outing. After finishing tenth overall in his debut season in an older Class 2 car last season this was the Invercargill driver's best result to date.
The James Hargest College student started the round by qualifying 3rd fastest with a time of 1 minute 02.465 seconds, just .172 of a second off the pole position winning time. The effort confirmed the young Southlander's ability after a wretched time at the opening round of the championship a few weeks ago where he battled a persistent engine misfire.
The Formula Ford cars provided some of the best racing of the weekend amongst all the major New Zealand motor racing categories.
Leitch spent the opening race on Saturday afternoon in the thick of a classic Formula Ford battle featuring plenty of slipstreaming and passing. He ran as high as second at one stage and crossed the line at the conclusion of the ten lap event in a fine third place.
The following morning Damon was again in the midst of the action during another ten lap contest. Starting from fourth on the grid he was in the lead bunch all the way, gradually moving up until he took the lead with two laps to go. In the cut and thrust of the final lap he was shuffled back to fourth as his rivals slipped by on the long back straight. After the race the effort took on even more merit when Leitch revealed he been forced to hold the car in gear throughout the race.
The final race of the round on Sunday afternoon was the prestigious Ron Frost Memorial Trophy race over fifteen laps. After starting sixth on the grid the teenager was part of a line of cars battling nose to tail around the fast flowing circuit. His attempts to climb through the field were somewhat hampered by the fact that officials decreed no passing could take place through the opening section of the lap after a huge crash in an earlier V8 race had damaged the safety barriers. However, despite that, Damon made the the most of his final lap of the day. He crossed the line seventh with one lap to go, drafted past one car on the back straight and did a nice crossover pass at the hairpin to take fifth.
Leitch "loved" the hard fought wheel to wheel action at a circuit he says is his second favourite in the country behind his home track of Teretonga. He is now looking forward to the next round of the championship that takes place at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway in Christchurch from 28-30 November.
Damon's campaign in the 2008/2009 MTA Formula Ford Championship is supported by Zero Fees, EH Ball ITM Building Supplies, Ray White Real Estate,Toll Tranz Link, BNT, Kingsford-Smith Motor Painting Ltd, Advantage Advertising, Caltex Invercargill Oil Shop, Turntru Machining, Discount Tyres, PPG, Trade Tools, Teng Tools, Collingwood Foodcentre, Macaulay Ford, Courtesy Ford South Auckland, Howard Anderson Upholstery, Laker House Of Travel, Print & Copy, Office Shop, the Bell Booth Group, C&G Rothbury and Leitch Motorsport.
Damon Leitch in the Zero Fees Stealth leading the way around Pukekohe Park Raceway, south of Auckland during Round 2 of the 2008/2009 MTA Formula Ford Championship this weekend
Photo: SportProMedia.com
Lindsay Beer
