Armstrong wins Lady Wigram Trophy

Marcus Armstrong had a perfect day in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series, winning both races and with it the Lady Wigram Trophy at his home circuit of Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Christchurch.

Armstrong got the jump from the outside of the front row and went on to lead all 15 laps in Race 2 and all 20 in Race 3 for the Lady Wigram Trophy.

He just managed to move across and cover M2 Competition team-mate Robert Shwartzman (Russia) at the start of the latter encounter before the Safety Car was called as a result of Aucklander Reid Harker remaining stuck on the grid.

Richard Verschoor (Netherlands) jumped Shwartzman at the restart but couldn’t keep in touch with Armstrong and instead pitted with six laps remaining due to a puncture.

That left Shwartzman alone on his run to second position, nearly eight seconds ahead of James Pull (Great Britain).

Invercargill driver Brendon Leitch attacked Pull for several laps after the restart but couldn’t find a way past and finished fourth, his best result of the weekend after a clutch problem at the start of Saturday’s Race 1 and a suspension failure in Race 2.

Leitch was one of several to suffer that fate in the day’s earlier encounter, the most notable being Pull when he slowed while running in second position.

That problem helped Verschoor to finish Race 2 in second and Shwartzman in third.

Armstrong, who finished third in Race 1, leads the series heading to Teretonga Park in Invercargill for Round 1 next weekend (January 18-21).

Castrol Toyota Racing Series, Round 1, Ruapuna, Race 2, 15 laps (Top 10)

1, M Armstrong (Christchurch).
2, R Verschoor (Netherlands);
3, R Shwartzman (Russia);
4, T Cockerton (Pukekohe);
5, C Ming (Guyana);
6, J-M Correa (United States);
7, C Milesi (France);
8, R Harker (Albany);
9, R Yardley (Christchurch);
10, C Novalak (United States)

Lady Wigram Trophy Race, 20 laps (Top 10)

1, Armstrong;
2, Shwartzman;
3, J Pull (England)
4, B Leitch (Invercargill)
5, C Milesi (France);
6, C Novalak (England);
7, C Das (United States);
8, J-M Correa (United States);
9; R Yardley (Christchurch);
10; R Harker (Albeny)

Series points (Top 10)

1, Armstrong, 210;
2, Shwartzman, 194;
3, Verschoor, 142;
4, Pull, 139;
5, Novalak, 132;
6, Milesi, 127;
7, Cockerton, 125;
8, Ming, 119;
9, Correa, 112;
10, Harker, 108