Pipo Derani and Lucas Auer showed good speed in on-track testing and familiarisation sessions at Teretonga today for the opening round of the 2013 Toyota Racing Series, topping the first and second sessions respectively.

With the second session brought to an early close by a crash, the sessions today were an eventful affair, completed in cool, dry and windy conditions just before rain began to fall.

Many drove both the sessions on old tyres and less than a second covered the group at the end of the session.

In the first session, held exclusively for drivers who have not raced at Teretonga, Pipo Derani was fastest with a 56.722 with Canada’s Nicholas Latifi close behind on 56.741.

Steijn Schothorst was third fastest, just into the 57s with a 57.007n ahead of gamer-turned-racer Jann Mardenborough on 57.048 and Akash Nandy on 57.131.

Colombian Tatiana Calderon was very close to Nandy on 57.137 ahead of young New Zealander Michael Scott on 57.506.

In the second (open) session, Invercargill driver Damon Leitch had shown front-running speed in the session until lap 15 of the 30-lap session, his session best a 55.716.

Young Austrian driver Lucas Auer – who took dual pole positions in Invercargill last year – set a 55.612 to be fastest for the session.

Bonifacio was third fastest and close behind on 55.799; Derani also in the 55s with 55.919. Jann Mardenborough was next, followed by defending champion Nick Cassidy and then Tatiana Calderon. Nicholas Latifi sat out this session, fighting off a cold caught on the trip to New Zealand.

There were several off-track excursions across the two sessions, though only one that resulted in damage to a car. Irish racer Ryan Cullen understeered off at the exit of turn one, the victim of a mix of tyres that gave his car more grip at the rear than the front. The impact ripped off the left front suspension and the left sidepod, but the car was repaired and will race tomorrow.