Scoular wins New Zealand GP, Ugochukwu takes FRegional Oceania title

Photo: TGR NZ / Joel Hanks

MTEC Motorsport’s Zack Scoular won Formula Regional Oceania’s season-ending New Zealand Grand Prix, as M2 Competition’s Ugo Ugochukwu clinched the title.

Hitech GP’s Jin Nakamura started the prestigious and lengthy 27-lap race on pole, and joined on the front row by Scoular rather than Ryan Wood.

The MTEC driver had qualified second, but was excluded from the results of qualifying due to a technical breach regarding his rideheight. His team appealed the decision for Q1 and Q2 successfully, but not for Q3, putting him seventh on the grid.

Ugochukwu had a suspension failure at the start of Q1, and M2’s repair job to get him back on track did not include the front wishbone covers. He qualified third, but was excluded from Q2 and Q3 so lined up 13th.

Scoular’s luck went even further at the start of the grand prix, as Nakamura bogged down in the second stage of the launch. Having nosed ahead through turn one, Scoular asserted himself as leader into the bus stop chicane and pulled away.

Ugochukwu made up one place, and on lap two Wood barged past HMD Motorsports with TJ Speed’s Liam Sceats for sixth into the turn 14 hairpin decide Sceats trying to defend the inside. On lap three, Ugochukwu nailed an overtake on Kiwi Motorsport’s Yevan David into the bus stop chicane from the outside line on entry, and gained another spot as Giles Motorsport’s Nolan Allaer had an off.

At the back of the field, HMD’s Trevor LaTourrette suffered a delaminated rear-left tyre and had to pit on lap five.

The gap between the top two hovered between 0.56 and 0.82 seconds, as Ugochukwu continued his rise. After several attempts at passing team-mate Sebastian Manson on lap nine, he appeared to be let past at turn 10 next time by, which made it harder for their other team-mate Freddie Slater to overturn Ugochukwu’s points lead as he occupied fourth place.

Racing was neutralised on lap 11 after Jack Taylor (Giles) crashed out, and red flags waved on lap 13 to ensure more green flag running occurred.

The race restarted on lap 14 behind the safety car, and David pitted from 11th at the end of that lap as green flags waved. Wood, who set the fastest lap shortly before the stoppage, passed MTEC’s Louis Sharp for fifth while Scoular built a 0.7s gap again. It ebbed and flowed again as the leader saved his tyres, then on lap 20 he took the fastest lap and broke 1.2s clear.

Nakamura responded by being faster next time around, but Scoular in turn responded and began lap 23 with a 1.585s lead.

That distance was maintained until the safety car returned on the penultimate lap. Kiwi’s Cooper Shipman crashed at turn two, but only local yellow flags were required, then LaTourrette hit the wall hard through turn six and left debris.

It settled the fight for victory and the title, and also halted the fight for seventh. Sceats began holding off team-mate James Wharton lap 17, at the hairpin and after the bridge, and next time by Wharton lunged into the turn 14 hairpin. Sceats locked up and stayed ahead. Wharton tried the outside there on lap 20, and was on Sceat’s gearbox through the next two laps as another failed overtaking attempt was made.

Race results (27 laps)