Lindblad Delivers Manfeild Mauling To Opposition

It was a perfect performance by Lindblad – perhaps his best so far in the championship – as he led from the start, built a lead and then delivered a series of qualifying level laps mid-race to break the field and scorch home to win by a massive five and a half seconds and extend his series lead over Kiwi Zack Scoular to 44 points. 

The rest were left to pick up the crumbs as M2 Competition’s Lindblad made the 3.03km Manawatu track his own. American’s Nikita Johnson and Josh Pierson  - both rising stars in the world of single seater motor racing themselves - raced hard for second and third and were close throughout. Pierson though, couldn’t get quite close enough to mount a serious challenge and they came home in second and third respectively on the road. Pierson would ultimately be relegated to fifth leaving Patrick Heuzenroeder to take his first podium in the championship. 

“It felt good to drive,” explained Lindblad after the race. “I was really comfortable, the team gave me an amazing car and it was good to get the job done. I’m really happy with the car and the pace was really strong. 

“I wasn’t too happy on Thursday and I said that and we’ve worked hard over the last few days to improve the package and we’ve done that.” 

At the lights there was some drama after series returnee Tommy Smith got a blinder of a start from the second row in his Giles Motorsport car and tucked under Lindblad’s rear wing. With nowhere to go around the tight turn one, Johnson attacked around his outside leaving him open to further attack, which came from Pierson – who will be in the same team as Smith in IndyNxt later this season. 

Smith is a fighter though and wasn’t done yet and as they turned into the infield hairpin after racing hard through the cambered infield section, Pierson hung on to the inside and Tommy went around the outside and was pushed wide and onto the grass, which cost him three or four places.

Smith was able to recover to fifth, just behind fellow Aussie Patrick Heuzenroeder, who had made an excellent start to go fourth from sixth on the grid early in the race. He would ultimately retain that place after a solid – if lonely – 22 laps. 

It all changed after the race when Pierson was given a five second penalty – not for contact, but for not leaving Smith enough room – which dropped him to fifth and promoted Patrick and Tommy to third and fourth respectively. 

M2 Competition’s Sebastian Manson came out winner in a race long nose-to-tail dice for top Kiwi with Alex Crosbie and Scoular, who drove hard to make up four places in what was essentially a championship damage limitation exercise. 

It turned out well for New Zealand’s newest motorsport discovery, as Zack made up four places from the grid, took some points and will start Saturday’s reverse grid race 2 from pole position. 

Rounding out the top ten at a hot and humid Manfeild today were mtec’s Nicholas Monteiro and Friday pace setter in testing Nicolas Stati for Kiwi Kiwi Motorsport.

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 3 Manfeild – Race 1

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship

Round 01:         10 – 12 January 2025, Taupo International Motorsport Park

Round 02:         17 – 19 January 2025, Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park

Round 03:         24 – 26 January 2025, Manfeild, Circuit Chris Amon

Round 04:         31 January – 2 February 2025, Teretonga Park, Invercargill

Round 05:         7 – 9 February 2025, Highlands Motorsport Park,  69th New Zealand Grand Prix

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