2017 Teretonga Park TRS round

The 2017 Teretonga Park TRS round was the second round of the 2017 Toyota Racing Series. The event was held at Teretonga Park, in Invercargill, New Zealand from 21 to 22 January 2017.

Race details
Date	21–22 January 2017
Official name	Teretonga Park TRS round
Location	Teretonga Park, Invercargill
Course	Permanent road course 2.570 km (1.597 mi)
Overall results
Podium
First	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport
Second	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition
Third	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing

Richard Verschoor demonstrated a consistent run of form and cruised to overall victory for the weekend, extending his championship lead over the rest of the field.

Background

Rookie Richard Verschoor is the points leader heading into the second round of the Toyota Racing Series, in a demonstration of consistency – which he would later claim to be vital toward winning the championship. Star performances throughout the grid included Marcus Armstrong, who won on his first outing and demonstrated pace throughout the entire weekend, firming his challenge for the title in his rookie year.

Report

Practice

The first two practice sessions were held on the Thursday and Daruvala once again proved his pace by setting the fastest time in both sessions. The beginning of Friday proved to be treacherous, with damp conditions hampering the session. Richard Verschoor was the fastest in the first free practice of Friday, with a time of 1:00.245. Conditions began to improve in the next session and local racer, Brendon Leitch was the first to break into the 53's, which saw him take the fastest time for free practice four.

Session	Day	Fastest lap
		No.	Driver	Team	Time
Practice 1	Thursday	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	0:54.452
Practice 2		9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	0:54.122
Practice 3	Friday	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	1:00.245
Practice 4		3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.945
Practice 5		3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.401

Race 1

Qualifying

Thomas Randle continued his strong form by taking pole position, with a narrow margin over Richard Verschoor. Leitch acquired third place on the grid.

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Lap	Grid
1	49	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.758	1
2	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	0:53.798	2
3	3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.812	3
4	5	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition	0:53.891	4
5	62	Ferdinand Habsburg	M2 Competition	0:53.940	5
6	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	0:53.961	6
7	8	Marcus Armstrong	M2 Competition	0:54.106	7
8	65	Enaam Ahmed	Giles Motorsport	0:54.170	8
9	26	Harry Hayek	Giles Motorsport	0:54.287	9
10	47	Keyvan Andres Soori	Giles Motorsport	0:54.306	10
11	12	Christian Hahn	Giles Motorsport	0:54.340	11
12	11	Taylor Cockerton	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.421	12
13	33	Kory Enders	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.425	13
14	51	Shelby Blackstock	Victory Motor Racing	0:54.425	14
15	24	Ameya Vaidyanathan	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.520	15
16	96	Luis Leeds	Giles Motorsport	0:54.557	16
17	83	Kami Laliberté	M2 Competition	0:54.588	17
18	80	Nikita Lastochkin	Victory Motor Racing	0:54.647	18
19	10	Thomas Neubauer	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.706	19
20	27	Jean Baptiste Simmenauer	M2 Competition	0:55.081	20
Source(s):

Race

After Randle initially took the win, stewards deemed him, as well as Daruvala and Hayek as to have jumped the start. Therefore, a 10-second penalty was applied to these competitors, handing the win over to Richard Verschoor.

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Grid
1	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	15	13min 38.776sec	2
2	3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 1.590 s	3
3	5	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition	15	+ 4.355 s	4
4	62	Ferdinand Habsburg	M2 Competition	15	+ 5.054 s	5
5	65	Enaam Ahmed	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 6.317 s	8
6	11	Taylor Cockerton	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 9.787 s	12
7	49	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 10.000 s	1
8	12	Christian Hahn	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 12.007 s	11
9	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	15	+ 18.925 s	6
10	47	Keyvan Andres Soori	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 22.504 s	10
11	8	Marcus Armstrong	M2 Competition	15	+ 22.567 s	7
12	83	Kami Laliberté	M2 Competition	15	+ 22.889 s	17
13	26	Harry Hayek	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 22.895 s	9
14	51	Shelby Blackstock	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 23.773 s	14
15	24	Ameya Vaidyanathan	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 27.677 s	15
16	96	Luis Leeds	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 27.927 s	16
17	80	Nikita Lastochkin	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 28.112 s	18
18	33	Kory Enders	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 28.601 s	13
19	27	Jean Baptiste Simmenauer	M2 Competition	15	+ 28.717 s	20
20	10	Thomas Neubauer	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 28.810 s	19
Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) – 0:53.859
Source(s):

Race 2

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Grid
1	5	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition	15	18min 08.692sec	2
2	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 0.650 s	3
3	49	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 1.075 s	3
4	8	Marcus Armstrong	M2 Competition	15	+ 3.123 s	3
5	11	Taylor Cockerton	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 4.992 s	3
6	83	Kami Laliberté	M2 Competition	15	+ 6.930 s	3
7	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	15	+ 7.621 s	3
8	47	Keyvan Andres Soori	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 11.157 s	3
9	12	Christian Hahn	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 11.268 s	3
10	96	Luis Leeds	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 12.488 s	3
11	24	Ameya Vaidyanathan	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 14.052 s	3
12	51	Shelby Blackstock	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 14.873 s	3
13	10	Thomas Neubauer	MTEC Motorsport	15	+ 16.046 s	3
14	80	Nikita Lastochkin	Victory Motor Racing	15	+ 17.170 s	3
15	27	Jean Baptiste Simmenauer	M2 Competition	15	+ 18.183 s	3
16	26	Harry Hayek	Giles Motorsport	15	+ 1 lap	3
Ret	33	Kory Enders	MTEC Motorsport	6	Retired	3
Ret	62	Ferdinand Habsburg	M2 Competition	0	Retired	3
Ret	3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	0	Retired	3
Ret	65	Enaam Ahmed	Giles Motorsport	0	Retired	3
Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) - 0:59.457
Source(s):

Race 3

Qualifying

Local knowledge paid off as Leitch secured pole position for the feature race with tight margins between the top few cars. Randle achieved second and Daruvala was third.

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Lap	Grid
1	3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.304	1
2	49	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.326	2
3	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	0:53.334	3
4	62	Ferdinand Habsburg	M2 Competition	0:53.374	4
5	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	0:53.376	5
6	65	Enaam Ahmed	Giles Motorsport	0:53.401	6
7	5	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition	0:53.516	7
8	8	Marcus Armstrong	M2 Competition	0:53.532	8
9	83	Kami Laliberté	M2 Competition	0:53.555	9
10	33	Kory Enders	MTEC Motorsport	0:53.570	10
11	11	Taylor Cockerton	MTEC Motorsport	0:53.685	11
12	12	Christian Hahn	Giles Motorsport	0:53.747	12
13	47	Keyvan Andres Soori	Giles Motorsport	0:53.837	13
14	51	Shelby Blackstock	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.852	14
15	80	Nikita Lastochkin	Victory Motor Racing	0:53.861	15
16	24	Ameya Vaidyanathan	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.093	16
17	10	Thomas Neubauer	MTEC Motorsport	0:54.224	17
18	27	Jean Baptiste Simmenauer	M2 Competition	0:54.277	18
19	96	Luis Leeds	Giles Motorsport	0:55.091	19
–	26	Harry Hayek	Giles Motorsport	no time	–
Source(s):

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Grid
1	22	Richard Verschoor	Giles Motorsport	20	20min 08.692sec	2
2	9	Jehan Daruvala	M2 Competition	20	+ 10.930 s
3	49	Thomas Randle	Victory Motor Racing	20	+ 14.427 s
4	8	Marcus Armstrong	M2 Competition	20	+ 14.757 s
5	5	Pedro Piquet	M2 Competition	20	+ 19.004 s
6	83	Kami Laliberté	M2 Competition	20	+ 20.837 s
7	3	Brendon Leitch	Victory Motor Racing	20	+ 21.633 s
8	65	Enaam Ahmed	Giles Motorsport	20	+ 22.643 s
9	11	Taylor Cockerton	MTEC Motorsport	20	+ 22.680 s
10	12	Christian Hahn	Giles Motorsport	20	+ 30.632 s
11	80	Nikita Lastochkin	Victory Motor Racing	20	+ 37.327 s
12	51	Shelby Blackstock	Victory Motor Racing	20	+ 37.824 s
13	10	Thomas Neubauer	MTEC Motorsport	20	+ 38.542 s
14	96	Luis Leeds	Giles Motorsport	20	+ 40.682 s
15	26	Harry Hayek	Giles Motorsport	20	+ 41.885 s
16	27	Jean Baptiste Simmenauer	M2 Competition	20	+ 44.299 s
17	47	Keyvan Andres Soori	Giles Motorsport	20	+ 45.707 s
18	62	Ferdinand Habsburg	M2 Competition	20	+ 47.111 s
19	24	Ameya Vaidyanatahan	MTEC Motorsport	20	+ 47.889 s
20	33	Kory Enders	MTEC Motorsport	19	+ 1 lap
Fastest Lap: Richard Verschoor (Giles Motorsport) - 1:00.129

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship standings

	Pos.	Driver	Points
	1	Richard Verschoor	398
	2	Thomas Randle	340
	3	Pedro Piquet	307
	4	Jehan Daruvala	287
	5	Marcus Armstrong	273