Classy Lindblad Untouchable In Hampton Downs Feature Race Qualifying

19 January

The question over the weekend was if any of the drivers – in very fast conditions – could hustle their Toyota FT60s around the 3.8km Hampton Downs International circuit in under 1 minute 28 seconds and that question was answered by championship leader Lindblad.

“I’m a bit happier today,” Lindblad said afterwards. “I did a better job and the car was in a better window and I improved from yesterday, it was just a better qually session overall for me.”

It was a fascinating 15 minute session to define the grid for the afternoon’s Dorothy Smith Memorial Trophy race. Building the tyre temperature correctly and timing the perfect moment with the perfect lap would prove crucial in a field of 17 cars so closely matched.

Emerging Kiwi star Zack Scoular opened the fast lap list with a high 1 minute 29 lap. Next time around Zack lowered the mark into the 1 minute 28s in his mtec Motorsport car, followed by Patrick Heuzenroeder, Josh Pierson and Matias Zagazeta, before Arvid Lindblad put his first flyer in to go second for M2 Competition. At that early stage Scoular remained the only driver in the I minute 28 second lap.

That was until the 8 minute mark when Pierson went momentarily quickest on 1 minute 28. 605 before Lindblad bagged the first of the super quick times with a 1 minute 28.149 lap.

Half a second behind at this stage – a huge margin in this championship – were Pierson and then Supercars champion Will Brown for Giles Motorsport. Scoular then clocked a 1 minute 28.433 but all eyes were on Lindblad who delivered two purple sector bests on his next time around before stopping the clocks at a blistering 1 minute 27.933.

Behind the flying Red Bull Junior, Nikita Johnson popped up in second with just four minutes remaining, but was quickly pushed down a place by Scoular who went down to 1 minute 28.278, his best lap of the weekend up to that point. Shawn Rashid was going well a little further back and with three minutes to go went fifth quickest ahead of Heuzenroeder.

With the clock ticking Scoular continued to eat away at Lindblad’s margin and stopped the clocks at a personal best of 1 minute 28.118 . Lindblad responded with a 1 minute 27.746 lap. Lindblad wasn’t finished though, and an even faster lap looked on the cards until the red flag came out as a result of Zagazeta going into the gravel at turn six.

That proved to be the end of the session and behind the flying Lindblad, Scoular secured another front row spot with second fastest time, Pierson secured third ahead of Zagazeta – who would pick up a three place grid penalty for bringing out the red flag. Nikita Johnson maintained his pace for fifth on the grid, with Brown sixth, an impressive Rashid seventh and Sebastian Manson next up in eighth. Ninth and tenth were Heuzenroeder and Michael Shin.

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship

Round 01: 10 – 12 January 2025, Taupo International Motorsport Park

Round 02: 17 – 19 January 2025, Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park

Round 03: 24 – 26 January 2025, Manfeild, Circuit Chris Amon

Round 04: 31 January – 2 February 2025, Teretonga Park, Invercargill

Round 05: 7 – 9 February 2025, Highlands Motorsport Park, 69th New Zealand Grand Prix

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