Latest news with #RaceLabAcademy
Scoop
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Scoop
Giddy Storms To Race 1 Victory
Giddy was beaten off the line by series newcomer Antal Sabo, who started alongside him on the front row of the grid. Antal made the best start in his RaceLab Academy entry and led confidently around the first lap but Ajay had him under pressure quickly and Sabo's lack of race experience showed when he went into Turn One too quickly on the defensive line, went wide on the exit and allowed the front runners through. Giddy never looked back and raced away from a chasing Harry Townshend and Lee Zeltwanger to score maximum points in the Winter class for drivers who raced in the main Bridgestone GR 86 Championship while Zeltwanger extended his Trophy class lead with another classy podium result. Townshend put in a solid drive for another second place, resisting pressure from Zeltwanger before edging away by a few car lengths in the final couple of laps. Race victory however, belonged to Giddy, who remains not only the youngest driver in Toyota 86 racing in NZ, and the youngest to win a race, but also one of the country's youngest and most promising rising stars. 'That's great to get the first win and after Antal made his mistake it was just a question of me not making any either. The car was very good though,' said a delighted Giddy afterwards. Sabo showed plenty of speed but a similar mistake at turn one later in the race defending his fourth position pushed him back to sixth in the overall results behind CareVets Scholarship racer Corban Sprague and DAYLE ITM driver Matt Day. Action Motorsport duo Toby Elmiger and Noel Simpson finished seventh and eighth while Nathan Grammer completed the runners in ninth - making it to the chequered flag despite having a slow puncture. Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Round 2 Taupo Race 1 Grid Car # Driver name Trophy / Winter Team 1 10 Ajay Giddy Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 2 73 Harry Townshend Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 3 22 Lee Zeltwanger Trophy Skunkworks Racing 4 84 Corban Sprague Trophy iMac Engineering 5 100 Matt Day Trophy Dayle ITM Racing 6 92 Antal Sabo Trophy RaceLab Academy 7 74 Toby Elmiger Trophy Action Motorsport 8 88 Noel Simpson Trophy Action Motorsport 9 50 Nathan Grammer Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series Rd4 26-27 July 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series
Scoop
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Scoop
Giddy Fastest In Qualifying But Newcomer Sabo Impresses
Giddy - who swapped cars after some problems with his regular chassis on Saturday - hit the front after the drivers had completed their first flying laps, his 1 minute 42.491 a full eight tenths and more head of fellow Bridgestone GR86 Championship rival Harry Townshend. Ajay was quickest in the very cold first practice session of the morning with a very fast lap in the low 1 minute 42 second bracket before going even quicker in qualifying. He was immediately put under pressure, however, by series debutant Antal Sabo who went 1 minute 42.07 to briefly go fastest before Giddy stopped the clocks at 1 minute 41.977. The youngster was delighted to be fastest overall and for the Winter class, although Sabo heads the Trophy class heading into the first race later this morning. "It wasn't ideal swapping over cars but this one is very quick and the team did a great job to get us up to speed quickly from the start of practice. It's always good to get pole position," Giddy said afterwards. It was his first pole position in Toyota 86 racing. Round one sensation Lee Zeltwanger left his run until late in the qualifying session and recorded a 1 minute 42.266 – a tenth off Sabo – to take the inside slot on the second row of the grid. Townshend bagged a personal best on his second flying lap with a low 1 minute 42 second lap, but it wasn't enough to shift Giddy, and the impressive Sabo, from the front row. CareVets Scholarship winner Corban Sprague was next up in fifth ahead of Nathan Grammer, with Matt Day and Toby Elmiger locking out the fourth row of the grid leaving Noel Simpson at the back, though the experienced racer had missed Saturday's two practice runs. Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Round 2 Taupo Qualifying Grid Car # Driver name Trophy / Winter Team 1 10 Ajay Giddy Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 2 92 Antal Sabo Trophy RaceLab Academy 3 22 Lee Zeltwanger Trophy Skunkworks Racing 4 73 Harry Townshend Winter Mackenzie Motorsport 5 84 Corban Sprague Trophy iMac Engineering 6 50 Nathan Grammer Trophy Mackenzie Motorsport 7 100 Matt Day Trophy Dayle ITM Racing 8 74 Toby Elmiger Trophy Action Motorsport 9 88 Noel Simpson Trophy Action Motorsport 2025 Toyota 86 Trophy Series Rd1 9-10 May 2025 Hampton Downs - NZIGP Finale Rd2 21-22 June 2025 Taupo Int. Motorsport Park - Taupo Winter Series Rd3 5-6 July 2025 Manfeild – Circuit Chris Amon - Manfeild Winter Series
Scoop
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Zeltwanger In Rivals' Sights For Taupo
Lee Zeltwanger is the man they have to catch at the second round of the new Toyota 86 Trophy Series at the Taupo International Motorsport Park this weekend. On an impressive debut last month at Hampton Downs, Lee clean swept the first round of the series with pole position, two race wins and the day's fastest lap. Now it's on to the 3.3km track in the South Waikato, notorious as being particularly hard on tyres over a race weekend. Zeltwanger was challenged hard at the first round by Bridgestone GR86 Championship regulars Harry Townshend and AJ Giddy at the first round, but those challengers are likely to be joined at the sharp end of the grid by CareVets Scholarship winner Corban Sprague and the impressive Matt Day, who improved with every session at Hampton Downs. Action Motorsport will once again field experienced racer Noel Simpson and rising talent Toby Elmiger who will be looking to continue the improvements they made at the first round. Conley Webley will be missing from the grid this round due to a clash with another event, but will be back for the third round at Manfeild. The field will be joined this weekend by Antal Sabo, an experienced club level driver and eSports motorsport competitor who will be racing a Toyota 86 for the first time this weekend, running with Race Lab Academy. The 29-year-old, who is originally from Timisoara in Romania will bring race and class winning experience from Elf Rhino Racing Series, the OK Cup and the NZ Honda Cup to his challenge, which will be supported by Crème Insurance after an introduction to the Toyota racing community by Mark Mallard. There's two practice sessions on Saturday afternoon but the rest of the action all takes place on Sunday with another practice, qualifying and two races on a busy Sunday for teams and drivers.
