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Asians On Top For ETEC As Mardenborough Shunt Brings The Race To An Early Finish
Manfield Park in Palmerston North plays host to the final weekend of the 2013 Toyota Racing Series with ETEC striving for a good result in the final 3 rounds, culminating in the Grand Prix of New Zealand on Sunday, the final race of the 15 round series that has seen the team and its 5 International drivers travel the length and breadth of New Zealand over the past five weeks.
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Practice had produced few surprises over the previous two days with only Andrew Tang, the 18 year old Singaporean who has made his car racing debut at these championships, making improvements of note and moving from the back of the field to the fringes of the top ten.
Qualifying
In a change from the usual two fifteen minute sessions the organisers have introduced a three part qualifying with a “superpole” shoot out to determine the grid for the Grand Prix. This system, a combination of aggregated times and a five-lap shoot out is so complicated it’s not worth trying to explain it! needless to say the teams drivers knew that however the final positions were calculated they needed to drive to the maximum in all sessions.
As it transpired this was to be the closest qualifying of the season, the progress of the whole field being demonstrated by the top 19 cars being within 1 second of each other and the five ETEC runners under half a second apart.
Whilst Jann Mardenborough will line up as he has for each event as the best placed ETEC runner in 7th for race one and 8th for the Grand Prix, it was Andrew Tang who was the real ETEC star with an impressive 8th and 11th respectively, moving up the grid significantly and putting some daylight between his and his more experienced teammates.
Race 1
With Jann Mardenborough starting well up the grid and Tanart having looked solid and Tang improving fast, ETEC were hoping for final weekend celebrations from round 13 of the TRS.
By the checkered flag Mardenborough was buried in the tyre wall having battled all race with Tang, Olson and D’Agosto sustaining damage to the rear of the car but otherwise emerging unharmed from what is developing into a challenging finale to the championship for the Welshman.
Tanart however enjoyed better fortunes. Tenth place was just reward for a weekend performance that has been the Karting Champion and FR Renault NEC drivers best weekend overall. The Thai is often so laid back he appears to not have a care in the world but his driving has been on the pace at Manfield.
Tang ran in the top ten with Mardenborough and Olson, nose to tail and holding Mardenborough behind him easily which must have pleased the Singaporean. Less pleasing was his drop from the top ten to 14th after Mardenborough’s off, the cars running tightly together and any excursion being punished, still, Tang has a lot to be pleased about with his overall performance.
Tatiana Calderon was again paying the price for a poor qualifying, steadily making her way forward to an eventual 15th place finish. “It was not a great start” said the Columbian, I made some good moves but it’s hard starting so far back. I’m hoping for a better start tomorrow from P15”
Last of the ETEC runners was Nandy, having a very difficult race and struggling with the car and his driving to finish a disappointing 18th. He too will be hoping for a better performance from tomorrow’s two races.
Sunday at Manfield sees the final two rounds of the Championship and the awarding of the trophy for the series champion and Rookie of the season as well as the prestigious prize of the Grand Prix of New Zealand.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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