Wellington driver Simon Baker made the best start when the 2023/2024 Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series North Island Championship got underway at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding in the Manawatu on Saturday.
Baker, a two-time New Zealand Champion in the series including last season, fended off last year’s National Championship runner-up and the current South Island Champion, Chris White Junior of Prebbleton in Canterbury, crossing the line just .320 of a second ahead after 10 laps of full-on racing in the opening contest of the 2023/2024 Championship.
Earlier in the day Baker had taken pole position in qualifying with a fastest time of 1 minute 17.858 seconds, the only driver to dip into the 1 minute 17’s. Sixteen-year-old, White Junior, was just .155 of a second adrift with a time of 1.18.013. with Aucklander Leo Bult third followed by Warren Crowther of Auckland, Stuart Lawton (Paraparaumu) and Steve Brown (Pukekohe).
In the race Baker led all the way but it was extremely close with the lead margin generally less than one second throughout. White Junior pushed Baker hard all the way and recorded the race’s fastest lap, a 1 minute 18.457. Bult was third all the way with Crowther fourth, Brown fifth and Lawton sixth. Karl Gaines of Auckland, Nigel Edger of Hamilton, plus Aucklanders Lance Gerlach and Alex Canty completed the top ten. Rookie Wayne Talbot acquitted himself well on debut as did Nicola van Rooijen, another competitor with little experience.
Series competitors face two more races tomorrow, the first over 12 laps with a top ten reverse grid from today’s finish order, while later in the day a 10-lap race wraps up the weekend with grid positions based on the points to date after the weekend’s first two races. The reverse top ten grid for Sunday morning’s race will see Alex Canty on pole ahead of Lance Gerlach with White Junior and Baker ninth and tenth respectively.
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