Heuzenroeder wins as Lindblad takes title in FRegional Oceania race one

Photo: TGR NZ

Patrick Heuzenroeder won the first Formula Regional Oceania race at Highlands Motorsport Park, as Arvid Lindblad wrapped up the title early.

There is a now a close four-way battle to be championship runner-up with two races to go, with Heuzenroeder in the thick of the fight.

The MTEC Motorsport driver started on pole alongside M2 Competition’s Lindblad, and made a good launch to hold him off. Giles Motorsport’s Will Brown lost third to M2’s Michael Shin, and would spend the rest of the race trying to reclaim the position.

Heuzenroeder ended lap one 0.8 seconds ahead, but Lindblad had the pace advantage through the first half of the 18-lap race. He pressured him hard through lap five, bit four laps later made a mistake and Heuzenroeder was able to break a second clear.

There was no looking back after that, with Heuzenroeder’s gap growing every single lap and victory was earned by a huge 6.328s.

Brown almost hit Shin’s rear at the turn 14 hairpin on lap five, almost got alongside at the turn 15 chicane on lap seven then spotted room on the outside at turn 14 on lap 12 but overtaking Shin was not possible.

By lap 15 he had been gapped slightly but then Shin was soon on the rear of the struggling Lindblad and that brought Brown back into play. Shin tried the turn 14 switchback on lap 16, then Brown locked up there a lap later as Lindblad went wide.

The next corner was not a place to pass but Brown got stuck in, and while he had better drive out of turn 17 he was soon slowing as he had damaged his front wing and a six-car queue formed. He ended the lap in seventh, and hobbled his way to 11th.

Lindblad just kept Shin at bay, which was enough to earn him the title as team-mate Nikita Johnson was an anonymous eighth. By finishing fifth, MTEC’s Zack Scoular moved past Johnson to sit second in the standings.

After lap one, the only other bit of action was Kiwi Motorsport’s James Lawley dropping from 14th to 16th on lap nine. He gained back a position as Giles’ Alex Crosbie was handed two track limits penalties.

Race results (18 laps)