This year would have to have been one of the toughest in my life so far. It was going to be a big challenge, but coming into this year’s Toyota Racing Series Championship I had no idea that it was going to be this tough. Running your own team is never the easiest way to go about racing in a series, but hopefully I’ve laid the foundations for what will eventually become one of the most successful teams in New Zealand motorsport. Who knows if that will happen, but I’d like to think it would.

The Taupo finale will always be remembered for the dramatic showdown in this year’s championship between Mitch Evans and Earl Bamber. Thankfully none of my own dramas were to have any effect on the series outcome. Both of these guy’s were thoroughly deserving of a championship win and either way the winner would have had my congratulations. As it was Mitch got the job done and I wish him well for the future as he has some big plans.

For me Taupo was another challenging round for my team and I. In early testing we thought we had gone in the right direction but perhaps we should have been a bit more aware of the effect that bolting on four new tyres for qualifying would have. Unfortunately we were just nowhere in qualifying, struggling with dramatic understeer and leaving me with a difficult weekend ahead starting form the rear of the field in two of the three races.

However, as I often say, many a cloud has a silver lining, and I managed to get home in sixth place in both races one and two which put me on pole for the ten lap final.

I was real proud of my team this weekend, as I always am of course, but this time we went to a bit of extra trouble for the finale by bringing along a couple of awesome grid girls who really spiced up the TRS grid so it was especially good to get them up front when I started from pole.

As for my P1 start? Well, we’d been getting the car more to my liking every time I sat in it and after race two I left Robert and Harold to make the call based on my track map comments. For race 3 I would have to say that they gave me the best car I have had all season!

When the lights went out I got a great start to lead coming off turn 1. It seemed as though I was getting away from the pack when I was coming down the main straight to complete lap 1. I think maybe I was pushing a bit hard going up into the complex on lap 2 and as I swung into turn 4 it all went wrong. I missed the apex and ran wide off the exit of the turn into the kitty litter. Damn, and to make matters worse I was beached!

What could I say? The corner workers did a good job and got me back on track and I finished the race, albeit last, but most importantly classified as a finisher. At least my 100% finishing record was intact!

Ali