Auckland schoolboy Mitch Evans has posted fastest time in qualifying for this weekend’s Toyota Racing Series races at Hampton Downs.
In this morning’s 20 minute session Evans broke into the 1:01 minute lap on
ap five, and was the first into that time bracket with a 1:01.509 on lap 14.
In all, six racers posted 1:01 minute laps: Evans, Brazilian Lucas Foresti, Estonian Sten Pentus, Richie Stanaway, Daniel Jilesen, and Earl Bamber.
The undulating nature of the Hampton Downs circuit challenged all 12 drivers in the field. On the long, tight right hand corner that turns the cars back toward the start-finish straight, Foresti and Stanaway had lurid spins; Evans a less spectacular “fish tail” moment that brought him to the inside of the track.
Foresti’s moment came on the seventh lap, the young Brazilian recovering to put in his fastest time – a 1:01.703 on the last lap of the session, securing second place alongside Evans.
Experienced Estonian racer Sten Pentus, currently challenging Evans andEarl Bamber for the championship lead, was third fastest, posting a 1:01.709 on the penultimate lap.
Stanaway had two slow laps with off-track moments, on lap 7 and 10 but recovered to be fourth fastest with a best lap of 1:01.793.
None of the three – Evans, Foresti or Stanaway suffered damage to their race cars.
The Toyota Racing Series returns to the track at Hampton Downs’ first international race meeting at 2:55 this afternoon.
