Invercargill driver Damon Leitch has ended the season as top Kiwi in the Toyota Racing Series after placing seventh in the final series points.
Leitch and younger brother Brendon drove for Nelson-based Victory Motor Racing in the series which ended at Manfeild in Feilding at the weekend.
It was another mixed weekend for 22-year-old Damon in his Post Haste Couriers/Zero Fees car. He qualified 9th fastest for Saturday afternoon’s race but the all important second session for grid positions in the New Zealand Grand Prix was cut short before he set a good lap time to start 19th in the biggest race of the championship.
On Saturday afternoon he finished 12th in the Dan Higgins Memorial Trophy Race after getting involved in a battle with other cars. On Sunday morning his gearbox wouldn’t select a gear at the start of the race, leaving him to start behind the rest of the field.
As he picked his way through the order, another competitor crossed in front of him, damaging the front wing on his car and costing him a good finish. From his lowly grid position in the grand prix, Damon made his way through the field in a car that was “not so good”. He battled home in 10th, the first Kiwi finisher in his home grand prix.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Brendon felt his ITM/Post Haste Couriers car was good in qualifying, although windy conditions made it hard to get consistency. However, from 18th on the grid on Saturday afternoon, he worked his way to 13th before he got caught behind a group having their own battle. “I just had to sit and wait,” he said.
In Sunday morning’s race he found the car hard to drive and came home in thirteenth before his final race of the round, the Grand Prix was spoilt at the first corner. Another car went off the circuit and came back on, only to damage the nose of Brendon’s car. He made a pitstop but then had to stop for more repairs due to the incident, eventually rejoining down the order.
Despite the honour of being the top placed New Zealander, this was the toughest season for Damon who has raced in this series for five seasons. After twice finishing third among grids of up and coming international stars, little went right this time and he had few opportunities to show his pace.
“We just had all sorts of problems,” he said.
For Brendon it was a series of positives.
“We got some good points and it was the best championship I have been involved in. We were on the podium and I had the race win at Teretonga. It was really good. I learned a lot and I am looking overseas for my next opportunity.”
