Giltrap Racing one-two

Simon Evans capped a fine weekend at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park with his second win of the day in the Toyota 86 Championship to extend his lead after two rounds of this year’s title battle.

With the grid based on points accumulated at the Christchurch event, it was an all-Giltrap Racing front row for the 10-lap race on January 23, with Evans, pictured leading the field, on pole and Marco Giltrap alongside.

Track conditions had improved dramatically following the morning race with the circuit almost completely dry. Evans made the most of the conditions to make a clean getaway and lead into the first corner. 

Justin Allen also made a great start from the second row and emerged from turn one in second ahead of Giltrap and another fast-starter – Ronan Murphy – who was quick away from the third row in his Pirtek. Murphy was able to get himself ahead of champion Rowan Shepherd for a lap or so until the latter found a way back past.

An early safety car when Clay Osborne stopped out on the in-field made little difference to the status quo and Evans resumed in the lead from Allen. Murphy, however, was able to pass Shepherd to get back into fourth.

As the laps counted down, Evans was under increasing pressure from Justin Allen in the NAPA Autoparts car. He made a couple of big attacks, including two attempts on the last lap, but couldn’t find a way past Evans, who is a sales consultant at Giltrap Porsche in Auckland.

As they crossed the line with barely a car length between them, it was Evans ahead with Allen second and Giltrap a few lengths behind in third. Murphy was a fighting fourth, which made up for some of the disappointment of losing his second place from the morning race, while Shepherd had to be content with fifth.