Well, that’s a wrap from Round 1 of the New Zealand Formula Ford Nationals here at Teretonga Raceway.

We had a pretty good start to the Championship. After a few technical issues at the start of my campaign on Friday and again in qualifying on Saturday, the team did a fantastic job solving the issue, and the car was great for the rest of the weekend in wet and wild conditions. They don’t call New Zealand “the land of the long white cloud” for no reason.

Qualifying: P9
Race 1: P6
Race 2: P8
Race 3: P7

Championship Standing: 7

Formula Ford racing is incredibly close, with the top ten competitors separated by less than a second, so although I had hoped for a slightly higher finish, I’m still new to this level of tight competition.

I leave this round with a smile and plenty of excitement for Round 2 next weekend at Timaru.

For me, every race is a learning opportunity, helping me build an encyclopedia of knowledge that I can put into practice.

I want to thank Nigel and the entire Racing Projects Team, who worked tirelessly to fix technical issues with the car that set us back during practice and qualifying.

Special thanks go to Harry, my mechanic; Will, our driver coach; and Jim, who handled data. Most of all, thank you to everyone who makes my racing possible.