Auckland’s Liam Sceats leaves the latest round of the Japanese Formula Regional Championship at Okayama sitting second on the table, having taken his maiden series victory in the third race.
The teenager qualified well and was on the front row for all three races, paving the way for two fourth-place finishes before victory in the finale.
“I’m stoked to have won at Okayama in Formula Regional Japan,” said Sceats. “The competition is tough in Japan, so it feels great to have got a win under my belt here.
“It was good to come back with a win this weekend after an error battling for the lead cost us a podium in Race 1, and an unfortunate wrong tyre choice on a drying track in Race 2 cost us any chance of a win or podium.”
Fortune was in his favour come Sunday’s Race 3, leading from lights to flag to take a hard-fought but well-earned victory.
“We had a great start off the front row, which allowed me to get into the lead on Lap 1. I was confident with the car all weekend, so pushed hard on the opening laps, which created a slight gap to second,” he said.
“The competition was super tight, with the top four lapping within a tenth of each other the entire race, so I felt a little bit of pressure towards the end but was comfortable enough to hold on for the win.”
Words and Images: Supplied