With three-time former series champion Ken Smith (Lola T332) confirming this week that he is out for the rest of the season, young gun Michael Lyons (Lola T400) is in the box seat heading into the third round of the 2013/14 MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series at Hampton Downs this weekend.
Lyons, who turns 23 on Saturday, was pipped for pole at the second round of the MSC series at the first New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meeting at Hampton Downs last weekend by 72-year-old super-vet Smith, but with Smith out (whilst in the lead) early in the first MSC series race when a rod bolt let go and locked the engine, Lyons not only won all three races, he broke his own outright track lap record.
Fellow second generation racer Andrew Higgins, who also drives a Lola T400, ended up best of the rest with two seconds and a fourth and he heads back to Hampton Downs this weekend with every chance of repeating the feat. If there is a dark horse in the field, however, it is high-profile local motor racing identity Clark Proctor (March 73A).
Proctor (aka The Metalman) missed qualifying and the first race last weekend when two teeth broke off the pinion but came back strongly on Sunday, working his way from the back row of the grid to fourth place in the second weekend race in the morning, then from P14 (out of 16) in the feature to second. And that was with brakes which faded badly in both races.
“I don’t know if I’ve quite got the pace to beat Michael,” he said earlier this week, ” but if we can get the brake issue sorted I’ll certainly be giving it my best shot.”
He’ll have to, however, if he is to beat Lyons, because, if he has his way the young British driver will be going even quicker this weekend.
“It’s certainly a shame that Kenny won’t be there,” he said on Thursday, “but we’ve still got a job to do and there are several other guys like Andrew and Clark who I’ve still got to beat., I think it took us a little while to get back into the swing of things, in terms of just getting off the plane and that sort of thing, last weekend so yes, I think there will be a little bit there if I need it this weekend.”
All is not – quite – lost for Smith either. Though he declined the offer of cars to use in place of his own F5000 while the engine is being rebuilt he will still be racing at Hampton Downs this weekend, in one of the other cars he owns, a Swift DB4 Formula Pacific.
Unfortunately, also missing from the MSC F5000 grid this weekend will be Michael Whatley, who had engine issues of his own with his giant-killing Class 2 Surtees TS8 last weekend, and former series champ Ian Clements (Lola T332). Re-joining the field, however is Christchurch driver Tony Richards (Lola T332), meaning that for the first time there will be two siblings (Tony’s Auckland-based brother Glenn made his debut last weekend driving a Lola T400) competing against each other.
Like last weekend there are three races for the MSC NZ F5000s on the NZ Festival of Motor Racing event 2 programme this weekend, with qualifying on Saturday morning and an 8-lap race in the afternoon, then a second 8-lap race on Sunday morning and a 15-lap feature in the afternoon.
The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney’s Specialized Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres, Webdesign and Exide.
