Photo: Geoff Ridder
Reigning New Zealand Formula Ford champion Alex Crosbie extended his 2023 points lead with five wins from five in round two at Taupo.
Crosbie was beaten to pole by Sebastian Manson (for all five races), but a great start put him straight into the lead in race one.
Manson made use of the slipstream on the long run to the chicane to pass him before the end of lap one, and he held off multiple attacks from Crosbie all the way until the turn 11 hairpin on the penultimate lap as Crosbie got through.
Their battle allowed Blake Knowles and Dylan Grant to stay on their tail until the finish, while Blake Dowdall had an intense battle with Caleb Byers for fifth.
Manson stayed ahead at the start of race two before the safety car came out due to Knowles and Leo Scott colliding.
Racing resumed on lap five of 10, and Crosbie took the lead with a great move on the outside entering the chicane. He then pulled away, while Daniel Brown won his fight with Dowdall for third.
Dowdall ended up fifth after Grant set up a final lap move for fourth with a great run through the hairpin.
Manson’s pole advantage lasted until lap four in race three, as – despite going on the grass after running wide exiting the hairpin – Crosbie passed him in fine style on the outside at the chicane.
The victory fight was settled at that point, but the final podium spot was decided on the last lap as a bolt in Knowles’ suspension came loose and he dropped from third to 11th.
Grant inherited third place, and Zach Blincoe – who missed the first two races – passed Dowdall and Brown on lap eight of 10 for what would become fourth.
Manson had his best start yet in race four, and the closest Crosbie got initially was on lap three when he drove into the rear of him at the chicane and somehow they did not spin. The next lap he made a clean move there, then Manson got crossed up at the corner the lap after and fell to fourth behind Knowles and Grant.
Knowles asserted himself in second, and Manson reclaimed third on lap seven at the chicane but then cut it and decided it did not merit him dropping back behind Grant.
Byers held off Brown then Crosbie for fifth, with the latter also coming under late attack from William Neale.
Crosbie had the job done at the chicane on lap one in race five, after Manson initially held off his faster-starting rival. He was untouchable thereon, despite a safety car period caused by Blincoe going off.
Dowdall tried passing Manson at the hairpin and chicane thrice before finally getting his move on lap 10. The lap before he stayed alongside Manson through the chicane, final corner, pit straight and turn one but then got swamped out.
His successful pass was around the outside of the hairpin, and Brown then made contact with Manson through the chicane.
That helped Grant get inside of Brown as they reached turn one, but Brown reclaimed fourth with a great move at turn two and he got alongside third-placed Manson at the finish.
Results round-up
Race 1 (10 laps)
1 Alex Crosbie 16m10.130s
2 Sebastian Manson +0.448s
3 Blake Knowles +0.771s
4 Dylan Grant +1.064s
5 Blake Dowdall +7.257s
6 Daniel Brown +7.963s
7 Caleb Byers +8.307s
8 Mason Potter +9.493s
9 William Neale +9.995s
10 Hayden Bakkerus +11.515s
Pole: Manson, 1m35.390s
Fastest lap: Crosbie, 1m35.652s
Race 2 (10 laps)
1 Crosbie 19m51.920s
2 Manson +2.382s
3 Brown +6.566s
4 Grant+6.852s
5 Dowdall +7.074s
6 Neale +7.495s
7 Bakkerus +7.896s
8 Potter +8.146s
9 Byers +9.668s
10 Dylan Petch +10.292s
FL: Crosbie, 1m36.215s
Race 3 (10 laps)
1 Crosbie 16m14.463s
2 Manson +1.568s
3 Grant +3.538s
4 Zach Blincoe +7.209s
5 Brown +7.368s
6 Neale +7.719s
7 Dowdall +8.519s
8 Petch +8.854s
9 Potter +10.605s
10 Byers +10.870s
FL: Crosbie, 1m36.323s
Race 4 (10 laps)
1 Crosbie 16m13.590s
2 Knowles +2.719s
3 Manson +4.495s
4 Grant +5.004s
5 Byers +9.578s
6 Blincoe +9.860s
7 Neale +10.023s
8 Jack Noble-Adams +10.871s
9 Brown +10.873s
10 Potter +12.091s
FL: Crosbie, 1m36.356s
Ron Frost Memorial Trophy (12 laps)
1 Crosbie 21m38.031s
2 Dowdall +1.371s
3 Manson +4.204s
4 Brown +4.327s
5 Grant +4.934s
6 Knowles +5.420s
7 Neale +6.785s
8 Byers +6.931s
9 Noble-Adams +7.091s
10 Petch +7.342s
FL: Dowdall, 1m36.443s
Championship standings
1 Crosbie 550 2 Manson 449 3 Grant 445 4 Brown 420 5 Dowdall 345 6 Byers 317 7 Noble-Adams 310 8 Potter 292 9 Neale 286 10 Petch 229