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Invercargill driver Alex Crosbie continues to lead the Rookie Championship and sits fifth equal in the overall championship after Round 2 of the 2024 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding last weekend.
The 17-year-old started his weekend by setting the 12th fastest time in Saturday morning’s qualifying session which set the grid for the first race of the round later that afternoon.
"I was disappointed with 12th, I just didn’t manage to put a decent lap together," he said.
In the race that afternoon, Crosbie was quickly on the move, climbing as high as eighth place. However, on the penultimate lap he hit a kerb on the exit of the final turn on the 3.03km circuit.
That upset the car and Crosbie had to come off the throttle allowing fellow rookie, Canadian Patrick Woods-Toth, to eventually get past early on the final lap.
He crossed the line 10th but that was later revised to ninth after another competitor received a penalty, a result that lifted Crosbie to fourth place in the championship points overnight.
Sunday’s action started with qualifying for the final race of the weekend, the Dan Higgins Trophy Race and again Crosbie recorded the 12th fastest time.
That would be his grid position for the third and final race but before then he lined up for the second race of the round early on Sunday afternoon from ninth on the grid. It was raining and in the wet conditions he made his way up to seventh place at the finish.
The finale for the weekend, the Dan Higgins Trophy Race, was held in very wet conditions later in the afternoon and from 12th on the grid Crosbie made up quite a few positions off the start. Soon after two cars ahead of him collided bringing out the red flag early in the race causing a delay before a restart.
After the restart, Crosbie held position. "There was no visibility at all," he said, "it was very unsafe. I was aqua-planing."
Race officials obviously thought so too and the race was stopped at the end of 21 of the scheduled 27 laps.
Crosbie thanked his team Giles Motorsport for their efforts over the weekend and acknowledged his sponsors and family.
The next round of the series takes place at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in North Waikato next weekend.
Support for Crosbie’s campaign in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship comes from Stresscrete Southland Limited, the Peter H McMillan Legacy Fund, Golden Homes in the Southern Lakes, Rodin Cars, MotorSport New Zealand, Hamilton Brothers Building, Blacks Fasteners Limited, Invercargill Oil Shop, Invercargill Hose & Hydraulics and Ryco 24/7.
— Lindsay Beer