2011 Toyota Racing Series

2011 Toyota Racing Series
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The 2011 Toyota Racing Series was the seventh running of the Toyota Racing Series. The Toyota Racing Series is New Zealand's premier open-wheeler motorsport category.

Defending champion Mitch Evans of Giles Motorsport retained both his International Trophy and main series titles, joining Daniel Gaunt as the only drivers to have won the Series on more than one occasion, after enjoying a successful championship campaign. Evans took seven race victories – including becoming the youngest-ever winner of the New Zealand Grand Prix – and fourteen podium finishes out of a possible fifteen races. Evans clinched both championship titles at Manfield after his closest rival at the time, Scott Pye elected not to attend the final meeting of the season at Taupo due to testing commitments in Europe. Pye fell to fourth in the championship standings after strong weekends for Nick Cassidy and Jamie McNee allowed them to overhaul Pye's points tally.

Cassidy, another Giles Motorsport driver, finished as top rookie after taking the round victory at Taupo which included his first two race wins in the Series, and he also took five further podium finishes as he finished 168 points behind Evans. McNee, in his second season in the championship, took his first race victories, winning at Timaru and Hampton Downs as well as a second place at Taupo to finish 47 points clear of Pye. Russian driver Daniil Kvyat finished the best of the five European drivers in the series, finishing in fifth place for Victory Motor Racing with a solitary victory at Manfeild. Two other drivers won races during the season, Russia's Ivan Lukashevich, like fellow countryman Kvyat won at Manfeild, and Britain's Alex Lynn won at Teretonga.

Contents

Teams and drivers

Team # Driver Rounds
Giles Motorsport 1 Mitch Evans[1] All
7 Nick Cassidy[1] All
13 Nick Foster[1] All
36 Alex Lynn[1] 1–4
M2 Competition 2 Earl Bamber[2] 4
4 Kotaro Sakurai[1] 1–4
5 Ivan Lukashevich[1] 1–4
11 Earl Bamber[3] 3
Ken Smith[1] 4
22 Jordan Skinner[1] All
ETEC Motorsport 8 Jamie McNee[1] All
19 Scott Pye[1] 1–4
Jono Lester[4] 5
20 Josh Hill[1] 1–4
48 Mario Farnbacher[1] 1–4
Dart International 17 Alastair Wootten[1] All
Victory Motor Racing 29 Daniil Kvyat[1] 1–4
87 Damon Leitch[1] All

Calendar

The first four rounds were part of the International Trophy.[5]

Round Date Location Winning driver Winning team
1 15/16 January Teretonga Park Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport
2 22/23 January Timaru International Motor Raceway Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport
3 5/6 February Hampton Downs Motorsport Park Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport
4 12/13 February Manfeild Autocourse Mitch Evans Giles Motorsport
5 12/13 March Taupo Motorsport Park Nick Cassidy Giles Motorsport

Championship standings

Pos Driver TER TIM HMP MAN TAU Points
1 Mitch Evans 67 75 60 75 75 60 75 67 75 67 67 75 Ret 75 60 973
2 Nick Cassidy 36 67 39 49 67 54 60 60 60 30 45 39 75 49 75 805
3 Jamie McNee 45 33 30 28 45 75 49 75 45 26 42 28 45 67 42 675
4 Scott Pye 75 54 49 60 54 42 30 36 54 60 54 60 628
5 Daniil Kvyat 60 Ret 45 26 42 49 67 42 67 75 60 67 600
6 Alastair Wootten 30 42 42 39 36 45 39 33 42 42 22 Ret 60 45 67 584
7 Ivan Lukashevich 39 39 36 45 49 67 33 28 33 45 75 42 531
8 Damon Leitch Ret 60 54 30 39 Ret 45 49 24 39 39 Ret 54 39 45 517
9 Alex Lynn 54 45 75 67 60 33 54 54 Ret 36 36 Ret 514
10 Nick Foster 49 36 Ret 42 33 Ret Ret 26 26 49 24 49 67 60 49 510
11 Jordan Skinner 33 Ret 28 36 30 36 28 Ret 30 33 Ret 33 42 42 39 410
12 Mario Farnbacher Ret 49 67 54 Ret Ret 26 30 39 54 33 45 397
13 Josh Hill Ret 28 33 Ret 26 39 36 39 36 28 49 54 368
14 Kotaro Sakurai 42 30 26 33 28 Ret 24 24 28 24 30 36 325
15 Earl Bamber 42 45 49 Ret 28 Ret 164
16 Jono Lester 49 54 54 157
17 Ken Smith 22 26 30 78
Pos Driver TER TIM HMP MAN TAU Points
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Finished, in points
Blue Finished, no points
Not classified (NC)
Purple Did not finish (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not participate
Excluded (EX)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "2011 Toyota Racing Series Competitor List" (PDF). toyotaracing.co.nz. Toyota Racing Management. 21 December 2010. http://www.toyotaracing.co.nz/wp-content/themes/TRS/uploads/2010/12/TRS-Competitors-as-Dec-10.pdf. Retrieved 21 December 2010. 
  2. ^ Martinez, Peter (11 February 2011). "Earl Bamber rusty for NZ Grand Prix defence". Stuff (Fairfax Media). http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/4648780/Earl-Bamber-rusty-for-NZ-Grand-Prix-defence. Retrieved 12 February 2011. 
  3. ^ "Bamber late entry for Toyota series". The New Zealand Herald. New Zealand Press Association (APN News & Media). 4 February 2011. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motorsport/news/article.cfm?c_id=66&objectid=10704102. Retrieved 4 February 2011. 
  4. ^ "Lester to make Toyota Racing Series debut at Taupo". toyotaracing.co.nz (Toyota Racing Management). 11 March 2011. http://www.toyotaracing.co.nz/lester-to-make-toyota-racing-series-debut-at-taupo. Retrieved 11 March 2011. 
  5. ^ "Toyota Racing Series - 2011". toyotaracing.co.nz. 17 February 2011. http://www.toyotaracing.co.nz/wp-content/themes/TRS/uploads/2010/12/2011-Toyota-Racing-Series-Points1.pdf. Retrieved 17 February 2011. 

External links