Wurz Edges Out Hedge At Teretonga Super Sprint Race Event

Austrian Charlie Wurz took his first race win in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, edging out Kiwi Callum Hedge in the Saturday race held at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park.

Starting behind pole-sitter Hedge in the 25-lap race, the result increases his lead in the championship standings.“We got the start that we wanted to get past Callum. Luck was on our good side with using the clutch off the start line and honestly was what we needed,” said 17-year-old Wurz.

“This track has proven difficult to overtake so while my mirrors were full of Callum’s car it was about managing my pace and tyre management.”

Third was US racer Jacob Abel, revelling in the return to summer weather.

It was a lights to flag victory for Brock Gilchrist, contesting the early afternoon 15-lap Toyota 86 race. Second, by a mere 0.189sec was Clay Osborne with Ryan Gray third – all finishing less than a second behind the winner.

The afternoon also hosted the first of three races in the Southern Sprint category. The variety of cars created a spectacle with lapping action inside the 10-lap race. Jordan Michaels made the perfect start to the weekend with a winning margin of 3.472 sec in his Ford Focus V8. Second was Cromwell’s Hayden Paddon in the Hyundai i30 N TCR, having put a passing move on Liam McDonald’s V8 Ford Falcon early in the race.

Carrying more corner speed in the Hyundai than the raw power V8 of the Ford, Paddon was able to outmanoeuvre McDonald and hold the advantage despite repeated lunges. McDonald finished 4.390sec behind Paddon.

Sunday features two races for each of the classes – with a chance of wet weather expected.

Action will be again televised live on Sky Sport 5 (New Zealand), Fox Sports (Australia) and across the Pacific via the Pasifika TV service. TV3 will add to the coverage from 1pm.

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