A Wild Sunday of Racing Closes out Round Two of the Summerset GT New Zealand Championship at Hampton Downs

An action packed final day of racing has closed out round two of the Summerset GT New Zealand Championship, held at Hampton Downs yesterday.

Action kicked off with the second 30-minute race of the weekend in the morning, where on track drama played out right from lap one.

There was high speed contact between GT4 runners, William Exton in the McLaren and the Toyota Supra’s of Allan Sargeant and Ayrton Hodson. The latter ending up in the gravel trap which deployed the safety car, while Sargeant and Exton limped back to the pits with damage. Sargeant retiring from the race, and Exton’s team managing to make repairs to get him back out.

Once the race resumed, there was action at the front between the AMG team mates of Joel Giddy and Paul Pedersen who we battling for the lead, with Marco Giltrap and Rick Armstrong behind.

On lap five, another safety car was deployed after contact between the Porsche of Sam Filmore and the IRC GT of James Parker. Parker managed to rejoin under his own power, and so the safety car period was brief.

On the restart, there was more chaos with a number of drivers gaining positions, and others falling back from the leading pack. Youngster Tom Bewley finding himself in third position in an older generation Porsche 991, and battling against Marco Giltrap in the newer 992 machine.

Back in GT4, visiting Australian driver Zoe Woods found herself leading in her Porsche followed by James Sax in an AMG.

Meanwhile, further back, despite his off track excursion on lap one, Ayrton Hodson was setting fastest lap times in the GT4 class and making his way through the field. And by lap 13, found himself leading GT4.

At the front of the field in Open Class, Giltrap was challenging Pedersen for second place, while Joel Giddy was leading the race in his AMG.

With a minute and half to go, there was more action at the front when Giddy was spun out by team mate Pedersen who was being pressured by Giltrap from behind. The latter two going through to the front.

Giltrap then continued on into the lead, while Filmore found himself in second, with Pedersen behind and then Armstrong.

With the chequered flag falling, across the line it was Giltrap, Filmore then Pedersen.

In GT4 it was the Toyota Supra of Ayrton Hodson with a sensational drive from last to first, followed by the AMG of James Sax, with the Porsche of Zoe Woods third.

However, post-race a number of penalties were handed down. Car #134 James Parker was excluded from the results for code of conduct. Car #27- Sam Filmore excluded from Race Result – Causing an Accident and not serving Drive Through Penalty – though at the time Filmore’s in-car radio was not working. Car #96 Paul Pedersen was given a 30 Sec Time Penalty – Causing an Accident. Car #107 Allan Sargeant a 2 x Grid Spot Penalty for next Race – Causing an accident.

With Penalties applied, the finishing order in Open Class was Giltrap first, Armstrong second, Paul Southam third, Paul Kelly fourth, Sam Cotterill fifth, Joel Giddy sixth.

Pedersen was eventually placed ninth.

The last race for the weekend, the one-hour feature race was a relatively sedate affair compared to the earlier encounter in the day.

Off the start Rick Armstrong lead followed by Giltrap. Giddy and Pedersen.

Exton with his McLaren further repaired from the race two damage slotted into P1 to lead the GT4 field.

Giltrap took the lead after Armstrong pitted for his compulsory pitstop, before making his own stop mid race. With Giltrap rejoining the race in sixth, Armstrong managed to regain his lead. Giltrap then put his head down and began to move up the field and after the leading three.

By race end, it was Armstrong across the line in first, Luke Manson second, with Marco Giltrap third.

In GT4, William Exton was first, Allan Sargeant/Kaleb Ngatoa second, with Mark Mallard/Ayrton Hodson third.

Round honours for the weekend went to Rick Armstrong taking out Open class with Paul Pedersen second, Joel Giddy third.

GT4 round honours went to William Exton for the win, Hodson and Mallard second with James Sax third.

Marco Giltrap took out honours in Junior Pro, while Allan Sargeant took out GT4 Masters for the round.

The Summerset GT New Zealand Championship now heads to the South Island for the first of two back-to-back race weekends, the first being at Teretonga, Jan 31 – Feb 2.