After what seemed like an eternity since Round 3 of the 2013 Winger Suzuki Swift Sport Cup, Hamilton racer Shaun Lawrence is back behind the wheel of his Suzuki Swift this weekend as the Championship roars back into life for what is generally regarded as the “business end” of the season.
Lawrence and the Liquorland Racing team spent a valuable day testing recently at the Taupo circuit which is the scene of this weekend’s action. Conditions were dry but very cold which allowed the team to find an ideal set up with the car to ensure that they’re in the best possible position to defend Lawrence’s points lead. With the cars built to identical specification, it’s a case of taking advantage of every small gain you can find which is something Lawrence has done admirably this season.
“It was just so nice to get back behind the wheel and blow the cobwebs out of both me and the car!” explains Lawrence. “I’m really happy, our lap times were where we wanted them to be, and it’s easy to forget that it’s been 18 months since the Swifts last ran at Taupo so even getting my head back around the race lines was really valuable. I can’t wait to get going this weekend.”
This second half of the season is where the title chase really gets under way for Lawrence, after Taupo the penultimate round sees the Championship make a return to the Hampton Downs circuit in North Waikato where Lawrence dominated the Swift Cup field in Round one earlier this year, then the season ends back at Pukekohe Park Raceway, where the team took a second consecutive Round win back in May.
Some might argue that given the form shown by the team thus far, the Winger Suzuki Swift Sport Cup is there for the taking. Nothing however could be further from the truth, and Lawrence knows all too well that history counts for nothing in Motorsport. What he has shown, however, is consistent pace throughout the first half of the 2013 season and the results unquestionably speak for themselves.
“We are really just looking to retain our Championship points lead this weekend, to add to it would be fantastic but as a team we are keeping the goals nice and simple. We are obviously going to be pretty confident going into the final two rounds but it’s the old adage, ‘to finish first – first you must finish’ and that’s definitely our approach” says Lawrence.
Shaun would like to personally pay tribute to his family of loyal sponsors, without whom racing at this level wouldn’t be possible. Along with father Graham, Lawrence acknowledges the fantastic support receives from Liquorland, Opus Consultants, Voyager Trailers, Virtual Print, JPS Media, Hamilton Stripes & Signs, AWS Graphics, and New Balance.
