This weekend’s fourth and penultimate round of the 2010 Toyota Racing Series is the race season highlight for Triple X Motorsport team drivers Earl Bamber and Stefan Webling, with the running of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild.
While chasing the Toyota Racing Series championship title, 19-year-old Bamber has long dreamed of holding the illustrious trophy.
One of only two Grand Prix status races run outside the Formula One category, the New Zealand event has a long and celebrated history, including many multi-national winners. First run in 1950, names such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Kenny Smith, Chris Amon, and Craig Baird adorn the trophy that was last year won by Triple X Motorsport driver Daniel Gaunt.
Running second to Gaunt in that race, Bamber says he’s out to do one better.
“It’s a life-long dream to win a Grand Prix title and like me, the team are pumped for the weekend,” said Bamber having just finished second overall at the Hampton Downs circuit.
“We are going to attack and give it our best shot, bearing in mind we still have the championship at stake – but I can’t wait.”
“We’ve had success at Manfeild in the past, last year winning the Dan Higgins memorial trophy, but the circuit itself, while it’s almost my home track, is quite difficult to drive with a lot of camber changes – it can make it tricky but enjoyable.”
Having already driven the Manfeild 3.03 kilometre circuit in the Horizon Energy Services Miles Toyota FT40 this season, New Plymouth’s Stefan Webling is looking forward to familiar territory along with a strong showing in the prestigious trophy race.
“It will be my first Grand Prix, but I’ve done pre-season testing there in the Toyota so we’ve got a bit of a lead-in. And with Triple X Motorsport’s Mark Pilcher who engineered the car Daniel Gaunt won in last year we should be well placed for some good results,” said the 19-year-old.
With the chance of practise on Thursday, the duo has official testing on Friday before the all-important qualifying Saturday morning. Split in two sessions that decide the grid for the first 20-lap race in the afternoon – the winner secures the region’s Dan Higgins memorial trophy.
The race finishing order decides the grid for the Sunday morning 12-lap race, with the premier New Zealand Grand Prix grid decided on the results from the first qualifying and a subsequent ‘Superpole’ shoot-out. Starting from 2pm with a build-up to the 35-lap race, the winner will get to champagne celebrate at the conclusion of the final Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge race later in the afternoon.
