Billy Frazer has stormed away to five-second win in the final race of the ITM NZ Formula Ford Championship season opener at Pukekohe Park. Whilst Frazer dominated, all eyes were on the battle for second place which saw four cars vying for the position.
James Penrose, starting from the second grid position, got the initial jump over the pole-sitting Frazer. The duo ran side-by-side through the first turn before Frazer took the lead into turn two.
The turn five-six complex was again home to contact as Ronan Murphy was unfortunately collected by Brody McConkey. The nose-to-tail effect of the cars in front saw Murphy slow up more than usual. Murphy sustained rear suspension damage that would end his race while McConkey marched on with bent front suspension.
Frazer had checked out by the second lap and at the same time, the great battle for second emerged. Zac Stichbury, Callum Crawley and Kaleb Ngatoa all wanted the position of second place from Penrose. Ngatoa was first to take the fight to Penrose, grabbing second on the third lap before running two-wide and making slight contact halfway around the corner on lap four.
The four drivers then ran two-by-two over the mountain, exciting the large crowd. The final lap saw Crawley dive down the inside of Penrose at turn one, the manoeuvre saw Crawley get right out sideways at the bumpy high-speed corner. The move was ultimately unsuccessful.
Penrose would claim the second position with Crawley rounding out the podium in third. Stichbury claimed fourth over Ngatoa in fifth and Thomas Boniface in sixth. Blake Evans grabbed another top ten with seventh place ahead of Cameron Tanner, Bailey Paterson and Alex Hawley.
Jordan Mountfort, Andrew Mcinnes and Kieth Miller rounded out the field while McConkey failed to finish after he ran off due to his damage.