Leighs breaks V8 1hr Pukekohe Dominance

Anthony Leighs has taken his first ever race win in the North Island Endurance Series where Anthony Leighs has been the first non-v8 powered to win a NIERDC 1hour race since 2014, after Glenn Smith and John de Veth wrapped up the title yesterday.

The race would start with Drama as the star of the show Glenn Smith and John de Veth McLaren 650 S GT3 was nowhere to been seen. It turned out they were stuck in the pits with mechanical issues while Richie Stanaway stalled on the grid.

Tim Edgell led the initial stages of the race where John Midgley was second Lochlainn Fitzgerald Symes in third with Leighs in fourth.

The two Hyundai i30N TCR cars of Rhys Gould and Gene Rollinson who was forced to start from the pits after missing Pit Exit Window started to make their way through the slower traffic

Lochlainn Fitzgerald-Symes spun at hairpin allowing Leighs who had passed Midgley for third both passed him. From there Leighs started to hound Tim Edgell and would eventually force Edgell into a mistake at turn 5 which would allow Leighs to take the race lead.

Sean Kirkpatrick and Grant Aitken would also fall victim to spinning at the hairpin while D1NZ competitor Andrew Redward who was sharing with Mark Mallard had spun at turn 3.

Glenn Smith and John de Veth would eventually start the race however after a tyre puncture and the Championship already wrapped up they elected to pit and retire the car.

Kris Bostock went off the track at turn 1 while after the Pitstops were completed Richie Stanaway had worked his way into third before electrical issue would curley  deny him a podium on his racing comeback.

James Webb who has taken over from Sean Kirkpatrick was on third before Lochlainn Fitzgerald-Symes made a last lap pass to steal P3 overall and the win in GT-C.

Tim Edgell would win GT-B and take second overall Gene Rollinson took Class 2 win for both race and series. Tony Anderson took Class 1 for the race while Grant Aitken and Grant Liston took out Class 1. Mark Mallard and Andrew Redward would win Class 3 for the race.

Race Results Overall

1^st 28 Anthony Leighs Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Blackbull Markets

2^nd 8 Tim Edgell Holden Commodore VE V8ST Albany ITM

3^rd 26 Lochlainn Fitzgerald-Symes Porsche 997 Ultra Interiors

GT-A

2^nd 55 Rhys Gould Hyundai i30N TCR Signature Homes

1^st 28 Anthony Leighs Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Blackbull Markets

GT-B

1^st 8 Tim Edgell Holden Commodore VE V8ST Albany ITM

2^nd 19 John Midgley Ford Falcon FG V8ST Rock and Rubble

3^rd 20 Kris Bostock Porsche 991 Gen 1 Action Motorsport

GT-C

1^st 26 Lochlainn Fitzgerald-Symes Porsche 997 Gen2 Ultra Interiors

2^nd 78 Sean Kirkpatrick/James Webb Porsche 997 Gen 2 Titian Property Group

3^rd 5 Geoff and Martin Short Porsche 997 Gen 2 Speedworks Events

Class 1

1^st 47 Tony Anderson Ford Falcon BA TL AV8 Motorsport

2^nd 54 Darryl Clarke Ford Falcon BA Woll Cookware

3^rd 22 Steff Chambers/Cameron McCormack Porsche 996

Class 2

1^st 51 Gene Rollinson Hyundai i30N TCR Racer Products

Class 3

1^st 84 Mark Mallard/Andrew Redward Toyota 86 Crème Insurance

SERIES RESULTS

Overall

1^st 90 Glenn Smith and John de Veth McLaren 650 S GT3 SBT Motorsport 285

2^nd 28 Anthony Leighs Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Blackbull Markets 275

3^rd 19 John Midgley Ford Falcon FG V8ST Rock and Rubble 255

GT-A

1^st 90 Glenn Smith/John de Veth McLaren 650 S GT3 SBT Motorsport 285

2^nd 28 Anthony Leighs Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Blackbull Markets 275

3^rd 5 Geoff and Martin Short Audi R8 LMS Ultra GT3 Speedworks Events 86

GT-B

1^st 19 John Midgley Ford Falcon FG V8ST Rock and Rubble 280

2^nd 20 Kris Bostock Porsche 991 Gen1 Action Motorsport 270

3^rd 50 Blair McDonald Holden Commodore VE V8ST McDonald Kerbing and Atlas Concrete 252

GT-C

1^st 78 Sean Kirkpatrick/James Webb Porsche 997 Gen 2 Titian Property Group 285

2^nd 26 Lochlainn Fitzgerald-Symes Porsche 997 Gen 2 Ultra Interiors 271

3^rd 5 Geoff and Martin Short Porsche 997 Gen 2 Speedworks Events 266

Class 1

1^st 10 Grant Aitken/Grant Liston Porsche 996 262

2^nd 44 Todd and Rhys Bawden BMW 235i Online Contractors 240

3^rd 964 Chris Fleury Porsche 964 234

Class 2

1^st 51 Gene Rollinson Hyundai i30N TCR Racer Products 285

2^nd 55 Rhys Gould Hyundai i30N TCR Signature Homes 275

3^rd 444 Grant Baguley BMW E46 M3 MacKenzie Motorsport 182

Class 3

1^st 115 Mark Meadows Lotus Extige Motul 210

2^nd 84 Mark Mallard/Andrew Redward Toyota 86 Crème Insurance  95

3^rd 86 Dan and Jon Udy Toyota 86 90