Second TRS season

Team: ETEC Motorsport

Birth date: 3 July 1889 (20)

Home town: Auckland

Team: ETEC Motorsport

Team Principal: Trevor Sheumack

Engineer: Andy Neale

Sponsors: Michelin Motorsport, Valvoline NZ, Glausurit Car Paints, Colin Waite Panelbeaters

Website: www.andrewwaite.co.nz

Andrew Waite is the third generation of one of New Zealand’s successful and passionate motorsport families – with close personal  ties with a couple of other TRS teams. The racing history of the Waite family has developed alongside the Evans family; and there is also a long friendship with the family of Alastair Wootten.

Grandfathers Colin Waite and Laurie Evans have been friends since school days in Auckland. Colin started his panel beating business in Morningside while Laurie established Evans European in Penrose.

Both grandfathers raced and their sons – Gary and Owen co-drive together – now the third generation is competing as friendly rivals in TRS.

Andrew first started racing karts at the age of eight and during the past nine years, he has won various New Zealand Karting Titles. In his first season racing Formula First Single Seaters he won Round 6 at Manfield in the National Series. He had a successful season winning trophies for Rookie of the Year, and Most Improved Rookie.

Andrew was also one of nine chosen to attend The New Zealand Elite Motorsport Academy held in Dunedin in July 2006. The academy camp involves an intense one-week program where participants learn to understand the physical, mental and nutritional levels needed to succeed in the highest level of motorsport.

Andrew has completed his studies and has taken on an apprenticeship as an automotive electrician.

Kart-turned-rising-car-star Andrew Waite made an impressive category debut at the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar meeting round the streets of downtown Hamilton last year.

Not only did the MTA New Zealand Formula Ford championship front-runner finish sixth in both TRS races, he also enjoyed the distinction of setting the fastest race lap in the first race – no mean feat for a rookie in the difficult wet/dry conditions.

In working his way up to sixth place in each race Waite not only the best performing category rookie at the meeting, he also turned the tables on a number of experienced category regulars.

Not bad for someone who before an end of season test in Christchurch a month previously had not even sat in a TRS car.

After his experiences in Australian last season, Andrew is expected to be a regular front runner with the ETEC Team in 2010. With the support of Andy Neale and a team that has shown it can win races, Andrew is looking forward to a competitive TRS season.