Zagazeta Sets Blistering Pace At Teretonga

Zagazeta had been in the top five all day but saved his best until the last session, revelling in the handling of his M2 Competition car to clock the fastest time of two days of testing and practice.

Championship leader Arvid Lindblad showed his class once again to go fastest on his 10th lap of the first session as drivers and teams continued long runs on older tyres – a feature of Thursday’s two longer sessions.

Following the form books it was the British racer from the USA’s Nikita Johnson with Zagazeta close behind – and that put M2 Competition cars first second and third. Patrick Heuzenroeder was next up for mtec, the Sydney-based 19-year-old recording his fastest lap late on his run after 20 laps. Monza-based Taiwanese racer Enzo Yeh continued his good form from Thursday making it four cars in the top five for M2. Zack Scoular, Josh Pierson, Michael Shin, Sebastian Manson and Nicholas Stati completed the top ten.

The session ended slightly early after an off for American Barrett Wolfe in his Giles Motorsport entry. It was just a stranding in the gravel without harm to driver or damage to car but was enough to bring proceedings to a close a few moments earlier than scheduled.

Turn 1 and Wolfe clashed again at almost the exact same point of the second session and with Barrett’s Toyota FT-60 stuck in the gravel once more, the half hour session was again shortened. When the red flags came out it was Tommy Smith who had clocked the fastest time – topping Lindblad’s best from earlier in the session. It was a newer tyre run for the Giles Motorsport Aussie, but confirmed he should have plenty of pace when it matters in Saturday morning qualifying.

Behind the top two Johnson was there again after another good run while Jett Bowling made the most of his new tyre run to go fourth – his highest so far in this season’s championship. Zagazeta was there again in fifth ahead of Pierson, Yeh, Shin, Heuzenroeder and Stati.

Zagazeta was quickly onto his pace in the third and final session of the day, setting the mark for the others to match at 54.146 seconds. At the 20 minute mark he was still in front – three one hundredths ahead of Lindblad and nine one hundredths ahead of the impressive Shawn Rashid.

With five minutes to go Zack Scoular – who had looked close to the pace all day – went second quickest behind Zagazeta with a time just seven one hundredths slower while Josh Pierson and Smith jumped up to fourth and fifth and fast lap followed fast lap in the top ten.

With two and a half minutes to go Zagazeta went even quicker to leave the session best at 54.086 seconds, good enough for just over a tenth of a second margin over Johnson – who was another to put in a late flyer - and Scoular. It was the fastest time of the day and sets the M2 Competition driver up for a good Saturday. Lindblad wasn’t far behind in a pretty solid fourth place. Behind him it was Pierson, Smith, Bowling, Stati, Yeh and Shin.

The weekend action begins with qualifying on Saturday morning – a 15 minute session – followed on Saturday afternoon by the first of three races.

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 4 Practice 1

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 4 Practice 2

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 4 Practice 3

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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