Wonderful Wurz holds off Abel and Van Hoepen for Race 2 win

Charlie Wurz has retaken the lead of the Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship in a race-long incredible display of defence over Jacob Abel.

The American pressure the Austrian all race long for the win, ultimately too much of a tough ask for this year’s Indy NXT driver who settled for second.

That spot was threatened late by Laurens van Hoepen, the newly-arrived Dutchman let down by two trips into the grass throughout the race and forced to settle for third.

He’ll be left wondering what could have been following this run, his two off-track excursions and a late Safety Car preventing a battle with the leaders which had been threatening through the dying stages.

For Callum Hedge there was drama before the race began, the championship leader coming to a standstill heading onto the grid after the formation lap.

Kaleb Ngatoa was another to have issues, trundling down pit lane pre-start for urgent repairs. Race one’s winner was quick to return to the track, albeit now required to start from the lane following a second formation lap.

Hedge was not so lucky, apparent electrical issues sending him back to the garage, the team scurrying to repair the issue and return him to the track.

Louis Foster was also one who drove hard all race, starting 19th on the grid and working his way to eighth come race end, proving overtakes are more than possible in class.

From these dramas the ball was firmly in the hands of Wurz, off pole, alongside Abel, from the start.

Both were OK off the launch, however immediately pressured from behind from a fast starting Leitch and van der Drift.

The front four were led in a train by Wurz through the end of the first lap before a Safety Car was called for with Billy Frazer the third Kiwi in difficulty and stranded on track.

Frazer’s hard luck this weekend continued, contact from behind by Chloe Chambers the apparent cause of his issues.

The Safety Car intervention allowed M2 Competition’s crew to work some magic on Hedge’s car in the garage, returning to the track five laps down shortly after the lights went green.

Wurz was quick to pull away off the restart, Abel going with him whilst Leitch was caught out and immediately pressure by van der Drift. Van Hoepen did well to keep control after running wide into the dirt at Turn 1 and dropping back spots as a result.

Leitch and van der Drift quickly caught up to the two leaders, bringing the field back and not allowing the front runners to build a gap.

The battle for the lead saw Wurz and Abel running side-by-side at times come Lap 7, the American all over the Austrian in a showcase of all his single seater experience.

Louis Foster had also quietly gone about picking off cars after starting at the back of the grid, sitting pretty in tenth after just eight laps, an incredible gain of nine positions.

Van Hoepen was also quick to make up spots after his earlier grass trip, regaining fifth and within touching distance of van der Drift.

The Dutchman worked past the Kiwi on Lap 13 in a move replicating the one seen laps earlier when he got through Fitzgerald at Turn 2.

From here a rhythm was formed, the top nine running clear of the remaining eight cars behind. Van Hoepen continued to apply pressure on Leitch for the final podium spot, eventually running into the dirt and dropping back with five laps to go.

He quickly regained that time back, however, taking third off the Kiwi on Lap 16.

Abel and Wurz were also continuing there on-again-off-again battle, the American getting close in the dying stages and making light contact with the rear of Wurz’s car.

Van Hoepen then went about a great fight with Abel who was forced to defend second, the battle unfortunately ended short by a Safety Car intervention.

Ryder Quinn was the cause of such, spinning in Turn 2 and stranding himself on track.

With two laps remaining the race finished under caution, Wurz having worked hard for a well deserved victory, Abel lucky that a charging van Hoepen wasn’t given a further chance to take second.

Leitch was the best Kiwi in fourth whilst van der Drift rounded out the top five.

Sceats was the best-placed full-time Kiwi driver with a clean seventh, behind Fitzgerald.

Foster had worked from 19th to eighth in an incredible display of pace throughout the race. Ngatoa had also followed suit to work to 13th after starting from the lane.

Toyota Formula Regional Oceania returns for one more race this afternoon, the New Zealand Grand Prix at 4.07pm.

Racing is live on Sky Sport 5 (055) and TV3. You can view everything you need to know about this weekend’s event here.