Photo: Chris VlokBob McMurray writes.....
TRS testing today.
I arrived at the track (Timaru International Motor Raceway) for the second session of the day and just in time to see the first red flag of the weekend. Only for a few minutes mind, as the car of Russian driver Dmitri Suranovich was retrieved from the far end of the circuit after just sliding off track with no damage.
The session ended with the car of French youngster (16 years old) Victor Sendin parked backwards in the wall just opposite the entry to the pit lane.
He was coming round to take the chequered flag when another car (team mate Sheban Siddiqi slowed in order to enter the pit lane behind Michela Cerruti) and he, Sendin, spun in avoidance. A fair amount of damage to both the rear end and front end of the car and he missed the third session of the day.
The third session was fairly uneventful but the faster times were the fastest of the day.
A red flag pretty much at the end of the session after a car stopped on the grass around turn one was about the only happening.
A few practice starts on the grid were allowed for the drivers to get more experience of the cars grip off the grid in the dry (something that has been lacking for them over the last event) and that’s about it.
Apart from Thai driver Tanart Sathienthirakul (nickname ‘Top’ remember) seemingly stalling every time he tried to start at low revs in the pits.
The times were quite quick with the fastest being Lucas Auer on 58.713 seconds then Cassidy, van Asseldonk, Bonifacio, King, Marciello, Hill, Serralles, Berthon, Suranovich, Leitch all within one second.
Very hot today – hallelujah!!! – more later.
Bob
