2017 Teretonga Park TRS round
# 2017 Teretonga Park TRS round

The 2017 Teretonga Park TRS round was the second round of the 2017 Toyota Racing Series. The event was held at Teretonga Park, in Invercargill, New Zealand from 21 to 22 January 2017.

Richard Verschoor demonstrated a consistent run of form and cruised to overall victory for the weekend, extending his championship lead over the rest of the field.

## Background

Rookie Richard Verschoor is the points leader heading into the second round of the Toyota Racing Series, in a demonstration of consistency – which he would later claim to be vital toward winning the championship. Star performances throughout the grid included Marcus Armstrong, who won on his first outing and demonstrated pace throughout the entire weekend, firming his challenge for the title in his rookie year.

## Report

### Practice

The first two practice sessions were held on the Thursday and Daruvala once again proved his pace by setting the fastest time in both sessions. The beginning of Friday proved to be treacherous, with damp conditions hampering the session. Richard Verschoor was the fastest in the first free practice of Friday, with a time of 1:00.245. Conditions began to improve in the next session and local racer, Brendon Leitch was the first to break into the 53's, which saw him take the fastest time for free practice four.

| Session | Day | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Session | Day | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
| Practice 1 | Thursday | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 0:54.452 |
| Practice 2 | Thursday | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 0:54.122 |
| Practice 3 | Friday | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 1:00.245 |
| Practice 4 | Friday | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.945 |
| Practice 5 | Friday | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.401 |

### Race 1

**Qualifying**

Thomas Randle continued his strong form by taking pole position, with a narrow margin over Richard Verschoor. Leitch acquired third place on the grid.

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.758 | 1 |
| 2 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 0:53.798 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.812 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 0:53.891 | 4 |
| 5 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 0:53.940 | 5 |
| 6 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 0:53.961 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 0:54.106 | 7 |
| 8 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 0:54.170 | 8 |
| 9 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 0:54.287 | 9 |
| 10 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 0:54.306 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 0:54.340 | 11 |
| 12 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.421 | 12 |
| 13 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.425 | 13 |
| 14 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 0:54.425 | 14 |
| 15 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.520 | 15 |
| 16 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 0:54.557 | 16 |
| 17 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 0:54.588 | 17 |
| 18 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 0:54.647 | 18 |
| 19 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.706 | 19 |
| 20 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 0:55.081 | 20 |
| Source(s): ||||||

**Race**

After Randle initially took the win, stewards deemed him, as well as Daruvala and Hayek as to have jumped the start. Therefore, a 10-second penalty was applied to these competitors, handing the win over to Richard Verschoor.

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 15 | 13min 38.776sec | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 1.590 s | 3 |
| 3 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 15 | + 4.355 s | 4 |
| 4 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 15 | + 5.054 s | 5 |
| 5 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 6.317 s | 8 |
| 6 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 9.787 s | 12 |
| 7 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 10.000 s | 1 |
| 8 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 12.007 s | 11 |
| 9 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 15 | + 18.925 s | 6 |
| 10 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 22.504 s | 10 |
| 11 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 15 | + 22.567 s | 7 |
| 12 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 15 | + 22.889 s | 17 |
| 13 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 22.895 s | 9 |
| 14 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 23.773 s | 14 |
| 15 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 27.677 s | 15 |
| 16 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 27.927 s | 16 |
| 17 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 28.112 s | 18 |
| 18 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 28.601 s | 13 |
| 19 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 15 | + 28.717 s | 20 |
| 20 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 28.810 s | 19 |
| Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) – 0:53.859 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 2

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 15 | 18min 08.692sec | 2 |
| 2 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 0.650 s | 3 |
| 3 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 1.075 s | 3 |
| 4 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 15 | + 3.123 s | 3 |
| 5 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 4.992 s | 3 |
| 6 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 15 | + 6.930 s | 3 |
| 7 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 15 | + 7.621 s | 3 |
| 8 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 11.157 s | 3 |
| 9 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 11.268 s | 3 |
| 10 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 12.488 s | 3 |
| 11 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 14.052 s | 3 |
| 12 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 14.873 s | 3 |
| 13 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 16.046 s | 3 |
| 14 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 17.170 s | 3 |
| 15 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 15 | + 18.183 s | 3 |
| 16 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 1 lap | 3 |
| Ret | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 6 | Retired | 3 |
| Ret | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 0 | Retired | 3 |
| Ret | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 0 | Retired | 3 |
| Ret | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 0 | Retired | 3 |
| Fastest Lap: Thomas Randle (Victory Motor Racing) - 0:59.457 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 3

**Qualifying**

Local knowledge paid off as Leitch secured pole position for the feature race with tight margins between the top few cars. Randle achieved second and Daruvala was third.

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.304 | 1 |
| 2 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.326 | 2 |
| 3 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 0:53.334 | 3 |
| 4 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 0:53.374 | 4 |
| 5 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 0:53.376 | 5 |
| 6 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 0:53.401 | 6 |
| 7 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 0:53.516 | 7 |
| 8 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 0:53.532 | 8 |
| 9 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 0:53.555 | 9 |
| 10 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 0:53.570 | 10 |
| 11 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 0:53.685 | 11 |
| 12 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 0:53.747 | 12 |
| 13 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 0:53.837 | 13 |
| 14 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.852 | 14 |
| 15 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 0:53.861 | 15 |
| 16 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.093 | 16 |
| 17 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 0:54.224 | 17 |
| 18 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 0:54.277 | 18 |
| 19 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 0:55.091 | 19 |
| – | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | no time | – |
| Source(s): ||||||

**Race**

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 20 | 20min 08.692sec | 2 |
| 2 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 20 | + 10.930 s | |
| 3 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 14.427 s | |
| 4 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 20 | + 14.757 s | |
| 5 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 20 | + 19.004 s | |
| 6 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 20 | + 20.837 s | |
| 7 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 21.633 s | |
| 8 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 22.643 s | |
| 9 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 22.680 s | |
| 10 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 30.632 s | |
| 11 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 37.327 s | |
| 12 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 37.824 s | |
| 13 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 38.542 s | |
| 14 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 40.682 s | |
| 15 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 41.885 s | |
| 16 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 20 | + 44.299 s | |
| 17 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 45.707 s | |
| 18 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 20 | + 47.111 s | |
| 19 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanatahan | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 47.889 s | |
| 20 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 19 | + 1 lap | |
| Fastest Lap: Richard Verschoor (Giles Motorsport) - 1:00.129 |||||||

## Championship standings

### Drivers' Championship standings

| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | Richard Verschoor | 398 |
| 2 | Thomas Randle | 340 |
| 3 | Pedro Piquet | 307 |
| 4 | Jehan Daruvala | 287 |
| 5 | Marcus Armstrong | 273 |
