Sharp shoots past Ugochuckwu to win FRegional Oceania opener

Photo: John Cowpland / TGR NZ

Louis Sharp got the jump on Ugo Ugochukwu at the start to win the opening race of the Formula Regional Oceania season at Hampton Downs.

A better launch from second on the grid allowed Sharp to instantly nose ahead of polesitter Ugochukwu and claim the lead into the first corner.

Behind, Hitech’s Japanese duo Kenato Le and Jin Nakamura climbed from fourth and sixth on the grid to run third and fourth. Freddie Slater lost third to Le in the first corner, and within a lap he had slipped down to seventh, with Nakamura, Ryan Wood and Zack Scoular all finding a way by.

Racing in his native New Zealand for the first time in four years, Sharp led comfortably enough in the early stages. Ugochukwu used the championship’s new push-to-pass system to close back up in the middle of the race, only for Sharp to respond.

The gap briefly went out to over one second late on, only for Ugochukwu to set the fastest lap on the final tour – which could give him pole for Sunday’s race three – and finish 0.448 seconds behind.

In his first ever single-seater race, Supercars driver Wood got back past Nakamura for fourth heading down the main straight onto lap 11 of 18. Wood went on to catch Le before the end, but couldn’t find a way past for a podium.

Slater managed to repass Scoular to finish sixth, with Yevan David, Ernesto Rivera and James Wharton rounding out the top 10.

Race results (18 laps)