Young Australian based Kiwi Hunter McElrea has taken the outright lead in the South Island Formula Ford Championship (SIFF) after a successful second round at Timaru over the weekend. The 15 year old took maximum points from three races. The event also doubled as the opening round of the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship with Wanganui’s Aaron Marr taking a points lead from Te Puke’s Michael Scott.

“It’s been a great weekend at Timaru,” commented McElrea. “We managed to clean sweep the weekend in the South Island’s and finish fourth in the nationals. Now I’m really looking forward to the next round in three weeks..”

McElrea, driving an older Class 2 1991 Van Diemen, has a 14 point lead over Southland’s Ethan Anderson with the second Australian based Kiwi Mitchell Maddren in third. Maddren currently leads the Class 1 SIFF finishing 6th, 7th and 5th for the weekend.

Twenty-two cars were entered and it was Marr who stamped his authority on the meeting qualifying fastest from Scott, Webb and McElrea. In the first race he drove away from the field after Scott developed an engine issue.

While Marr led from the start of race two, it was Scott, driving last season’s championship wining Mygale car who took the lead early and held it until the checkered flag. Marr was close behind and ready to pounce but a mistake was not forth coming. The third race was almost a repeat, with Marr happy to finish second and take the points.

“We’re very happy,” commented Marr. “A great weekend with a race win and two seconds, so not disappointed at all.”

Neither Marr, Scott or Levin’s James Webb, who finished all three races on the podium in third, are competing in the South Island Series, only for the national title. It was an impressive performance from Webb, the 2013 Speedsport Scholarship winner. Driving Scott’s Mygale car from last season, it was the first time the youngster had driven a Formula Ford and showed that he will get more competitive as the season continues.

Also impressive were Anna Collins driving her brother Michael’s Class 2 Van Diemen, finishing first in the national Class 2 category. Blair Brownlee had three top ten placings in an older Lola Class 3 car while Trevor Stiles from the UK drove well in his second season in NZ despite some handling problems affecting his weekend.

The SI Championship now heads to Invercargill for round three in early December. Second placed overall and in Class 1, Ethan Anderson from Riverton is looking forward to some home track advantage.

“We had a rough weekend at Timaru with mechanical issues affecting us,” commented the 25 year old electrician. “Testing went well on Friday but then Saturday was quite different with a misfire at the top end. It was a matter of nursing it through the meeting to get some points. We’ll keep pushing on at our home track.”

The South Island Formula Ford Championship is sponsored by a range of loyal supporters – Avon Tyres, Newfield Autos and Motorsport Solutions NZ Ltd.

Young McElrea takes lead in South Island Formula Ford Championship