Slater wins rescheduled FRegional Oceania race to tighten title fight

Photo: TGR NZ / Bruce Jenkins

Freddie Slater won Formula Regional Oceania’s rescheduled race added to the final round to tighten the title fight.

What was supposed to be race three of round three at Teretonga Park was cancelled due to heavy rain that as well as posing dangerous conditions also put constraints on the schedule to fit it in later on last weekend, so the championship organiser instead added to the season finale at Highlands Motorsport Park as the first race of the weekend on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Since they were not present at Teretonga, HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed’s Liam Sceats and James Wharton did not get to join the reschedule race action.

M2 Competition’s Freddie Slater started on pole, ahead of Kanato Le (Hitech GP), Ugo Ugochukwu (M2), Louis Sharp (MTEC Motorsport) and Yevan David (Kiwi Motorsport).

The field got through the first chicane cleanly on lap one, with Ugochukwu instantly into second. Sharp also passed Le quickly, and Scoular (MTEC) dived down the inside of David at the turn 14 hairpin for fifth place.

Slater gradually edged away from his team-mate and title rival through the first nine laps, then Ugochukwu almost brushed a barrier on lap 10 while Slater set the fastest lap and the lead gap grew to 0.793 seconds.

At that point the fight for victory was decided, and Slater finished the 16-lap encounter 1.978s ahead to close to within 18 points of Ugochukwu in the standings.

David came under attack from Ryan Wood (MTEC) approaching turn 14 on lap 10, then a wide moment next time by allowed Wood and Yuanpu Cui (MTEC) to get past. Wood took the fastest lap once in clean air, but ran out of time to catch Scoular.

Hitech’s Jin Nakamura had a tricky race, starting 13th and only recovering ground to 10th by the end.

Race results (16 laps)