Hamilton Suzuki Swift Sport Cup driver Shaun Lawrence has a tough debut at last weekends racing at the technical Ruapuna Raceway. Torrential rain encompassed the track for qualifying, making the circuit appear more like a lake than a race track.
Starting race one from 11th on the grid, Lawrence was caught up in a first lap noseto-tail with several others, the ensuing damage from which was enough to see him disappointingly sidelined for the rest of the race.
“I was gutted” explains Lawrence. “Once it all started there was literally nothing I could do to avoid it. That’s racing and the best thing to do is to put it behind you, get the car fixed, and focus on the next race which is what we did” he added.
With the crew (Shaun and father Graeme) working on the car late into Saturday evening, repairs were made and the focus moved to the first of Sundays races. Starting from the back row as a result of Saturdays DNF, Lawrence powered through the field, picking up an incredible 8 positions and making his way back up to eighth before eventually finishing 14th after being spun on the last lap by another competitor.
The final race of the weekend was a reverse grid start, which meant Lawrence started from the front row alongside Michael Paymanns. Lawrence made an early first lap pass to take the race lead which he held for many laps.
“It was awesome” says a smiling Lawrence. “I pushed as hard as I could and I’d be lying if I said that the thought of a race win didn’t cross my mind once or twice! As the laps ticked over the cars handling went off and I had to fight the thing to get to the end”.
Lawrence eventually finished a creditable fifth for the race, and once again has taken away valuable experience in both race craft and track knowledge. Round three takes place mid-January at Teretonga (Invercargill), the worlds most southern-most race track.
Shaun Lawrence Racing would once again like to acknowledge the support of his family of sponsors, and would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
