A race victory and two second places earned just-turned-16 Andrew Vincent the round win at the recent Manfeild round of the Weldwell New Zealand Formula First Championship.
Having impressed many with his bold driving in horrendously wet conditions at Manfeild, the Karaka-based teenager currently holds third place on the championship points-table in just his second season of single-seater racing.
“I was absolutely stoked to get the round win,” commented Vincent, the only driver other than current Formula First series leader and two-time champion Michael Shepherd to have won a round this season. “We have struggled to get the car the way we want it at the last two rounds and it feels so good to get up the front again.”
Vincent started this season on a promising note with two victories from three races at the opening round in Taupo in October using a borrowed car, placing him second on the points-table. But engine niggles and set-up problems meant only mixed results at Pukekohe’s second round and Taupo’s third round, dropping Vincent to third.
At Manfeild for round four of the 2009-10 Formula First series, the Saint Kentigern College student started strongly, securing pole position from the 20 other competitors in pouring rain. Vincent’s pole setting time of 1:32.580 was a handy three-tenths of a second faster than SpeedSport scholarship winner Aaron Hodgson.
“It was still pouring with rain for race one, but Aaron and I had a real battle,” recalled Vincent. “You can draft in these cars, so first one of us would get the advantage and then the other. I was ready to grab the lead back again on the last lap, but with massive spray in my face, I lost sight of the track, and went wide on the second to last corner to allow Aaron his first-ever win..”
On Sunday morning the rain was even worse as the field lined up for race two. Vincent and Hodgson were again off the front row together, and again the pair pulled away from the rest of the field, swapping the lead lap by lap. The series commentator described the battle between the two young stars as one of the great races of this season, particularly taking into account the appallingly wet conditions.
“This one really went down to the wire – we were virtually side-by-side as we crossed the line, but I had just six-hundredths of a second over Aaron to take the win.
“And then the sun came out and we were all scrambling for a dry set-up. Aaron and I were off the front row again but this time Michael [Shepherd] got among us and led the first lap.”
Having been pushed back into third on the first lap, Vincent got the advantage to take the lead and looked to be making a break on Shepherd and Hodgson before an incident with another competitor brought the safety car out. With the field closed up, Shepherd drafted past Vincent on Manfeild’s banked right-hander, ‘Higgins’, and the pair crossed the line together with Shepherd snatching the win by just 0.04 seconds.
With extensive success on quad bikes and motocross during the last four years, including winning the Auckland, North Island and New Zealand short course championships, Vincent is enjoying his second season of single seater racing. During the 2009 Winter Series he won two out of three rounds competed, setting pole with 3 out of 3 wins in round 2, and 2 out of 3 wins in round three.
“After the quads, I love racing in the rain. In the Formula First you get reasonably clean water in your face; bucket-loads of it, compared to the quad when you get either mud or dust!”
Vincent heads to the new Hampton Downs race circuit for the next Formula First round during the New Zealand Motor Cup over the weekend of 6 and 7 February. The Formula First championship continues at Pukekohe 20/21 February, Manfeild 6/7 March and Taupo 3/4 April.
Vincent has also been offered a drive in a Suzuki Swift by Suzuki New Zealand in one of the last two rounds of their championship in February at Manfeild, and he’s looking forward to trying another type of race car. “I have never had a roof over my head when racing, so that will be different.”
