Manson fends off Scoular and Heuzenroeder for second series win

Kiwi Sebastian Manson made the most of a great start to hold off Zack Scoular and Patrick Heuzenroeder to claim victory in the reverse grid race at Teretonga Park.

It was his second victory in the 2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship. A happy Scoular’s second place brought him level on points in the overall standings with Nikita Johnson with just four races remaining in this season’s championship. Series leader Arvid Lindblad was fast, but could not progress beyond sixth in the tightly-matched field.

“I needed to keep calm and just make sure I restarted well and followed all the rules,” he said in the winner’s circle. “I was aware of the pressure but just focussed on not overheating the rear tyre and looking after the front tyre.”

Starting from pole position on the reverse format grid after finishing eighth on Saturday, Yeh didn’t make the best start and it was M2 Competition teammate Sebastian Manson who rocketed away and into the lead. Fellow Kiwi Zack Scoular also made a great start and launched himself from the second row of the grid into a comfortable second place as they surged into the first corner.

Further back the cars were three and four abreast going into the corner – a very quick one  and Canadian James Lawley went wide and into the dirt and then spun back across the track collecting Kiwi Motorsport team mate Jett Bowling – who hadn’t made the best of starts - putting both into the gravel with damage. Both cars, unfortunately, would not make the restart, reducing the field to 15 cars.

That light accident – the first race incident of the 2025 championship - brought out the Safety Car and a brief halt to the race.

After two laps under caution, the race proper finally got underway on the sixth full lap. Manson got away well managing to hold off Scoular, and further back Lindblad made a brave move around the outside of the first turn to pass Matias Zagazeta for sixth.

Next time around in turn one Giles Motorsport’s Tommy Smith, M2’s Michael Shin and Kiwi Motorsport’s Nicholas Stati were three abreast squabbling for a top ten position when Stati ran wide enough to put himself into the unforgiving gravel.

That brought the Safety Car back out again to retrieve the car, costing the race another few laps before proceedings got underway again on lap 13 of 25.

At the green the leaders kept station but further back Lindblad tried the same move at turn one on Pierson, but Enzo Yeh was also on the outside line and Arvid backed out, before trying again the next time around.

Manson meanwhile, had built a decent early lead of around half a second with the race’s fastest lap on lap 14. Patrick Heuzenroeder was a further half a second back with Yeh and the Pierson and Lindblad battle a further second in arrears.

Scoular continued to push the leader hard over the next few laps and as the field completed 18 laps, Zack was just four tenths behind. A couple of laps later and Heuzenroeder was on their tail. Manson though – with one reverse grid race win to his credit so far in the season – looked in control and at ease out at the front.

2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship – Round 4 – Race 2