Mazda Racing Series titles still in the balance

It is the final round of the season for the Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding this weekend with both the New Zealand and North Island titles still to be decided.

An incident packed round at Taupō last weekend has left several drivers with too little time to effect repairs for this round but all the key title contenders will be on the grid to establish who will take both the National and North Island silverware.

Will Kitching of Timaru managed to maintain his New Zealand Series lead at Taupō despite suffering gearbox issues in one of the races. He goes to the finale with a 44-point buffer over Stuart Lawton of Paraparaumu with Jesse Gould of Raumati Beach third, a further 46 points behind Lawton. Aucklander Callum Pratt is next but a tough weekend at Taupō has cost him dearly. James Black of Dunedin, who only debuted three race weekends ago, is an impressive fifth in the points just ahead of Aucklander Alex Canty.

Lawton has a 35-point lead in the North Island Series over Karl Gaines of Auckland who is also the leading Masters (Over 50 competitor). Pratt is next ahead of Sam Dashfield of Auckland and the leading rookie, Mac Templeton of Prebbleton. Templeton was right in the overall title hunt until a disastrous weekend at Taupō where he failed to finish two of the three races and could not start the third. He had arrived at Taupō just two points behind Lawton but his car was badly damaged and he will not line up this weekend.

Arthur Broughan of Tuamarina near Blenheim and Simon Baker have not contested every round of either series but both will be on the grid this weekend and are sure to be at the pointy end while fourteen-year-old Ajay Giddy of Auckland is another who has not done the full season but has been impressive, particularly last weekend when he finished third for the round. Nigel Edger of Hamilton and Paige Macey of New Plymouth return to the grid after time away.

In other title battles Team Premier Insulation (Pratt and Dashfield) lead the North Island Teams points from Stickman Racing (Gaines and Templeton) while in the Founders Trophy the South Island lead the North Island 1179 points to 1130. Kitching, Broughan and Black will head the South Island challenge this weekend along with Cantabrians Bryan Walker and Marc Denton but the south’s hopes of a victory have taken a hit with Templeton and Mac Berkett of Nelson unable to race. Steven Spear of Auckland will be missing from the North Island ranks after last weekend’s Taupō action.

Everything will be decided by Sunday afternoon in what has been another enthralling season in the Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series.

Competitors face qualifying on Saturday morning before a ten-lap race on Saturday afternoon with two races on Sunday, a twelve-lap reverse top ten of Saturday’s finishing order on Sunday morning and a ten-lap finale later that day.