The Christchurch based Motorsport Solutions team made a fine debut on the streets of Hamilton as three of their cars contested the Toyota Racing Series Trophy Races last weekend.

Regular drivers Nic Jordan and Michael Burdett were joined by the team’s recently crowned Formula Ford Champion, John Whelan of Dunedin for the event.

Both Jordan and Burdett were in the top half of the field throughout testing and qualifying while Whelan did a fine job to be just outside the top ten during those early sessions. Whelan had the daunting task of getting to grips with a “wings and slicks” car for the first time while also having to learn the new Hamilton track, the first street circuit he had ever raced on.

Jordan, of Cambridge, had an extremely successful weekend ending the season with a second placing in the final race held on Sunday morning. The twenty year old was on the pace all weekend. He finished fifth in Saturday afternoon’s opening race and was comfortably in the top five from the very first test session. “It was a good weekend, but it was funny to race on the streets I normally drive on and see all the landmarks I know,” he said. When the track dried during the opening race his tyres “turned to jelly” as they deteriorated in the unfavourable conditions. However he drove a very mature race in the second contest. “I was hanging in there. I knew something would happen up front and the race just came to me,” he said.

Michael Burdett qualified fourth and fifth for the two races but after making by his own admission a bad start in the opening race he half spun at the chicane,

damaging the car and leaving him to limp home at the rear of the field. Michael was running well up the order in the second race before he again dropped down the order. However he recorded the third fastest lap of the race, testimony to the car’s pace. The Toyota Racing Series Rookie Of The Year loved the new Hamilton circuit describing it as “wicked” and saying that the bumps added to it’s charisma.

Unfortunately Whelan, after a season where he played the starring role in the Formula Ford Championship, failed to finish either race in his Toyota Racing Series debut.