Blewett ready to challenge for the championship at Hampton Downs
Ash Blewett put his extensive one-make racing series experience to good use today at Hampton Downs, topping the time sheets in both free practice sessions for the final round of the Toyota Finance 86 Championship.
Testing sessions for the final round of the inaugural 2013-2014 Toyota Finance 86 Championship concluded this afternoon with Blewett quickest across both sessions.
He posted a 1:14.600 in the morning test sessions and then went quicker in the afternoon with a 1:14.531.
Championship leader Jamie McNee was second fastest in both sessions, closely shadowing Blewett with a 1:15.016 in the morning and 1:14.559 in the afternoon.
Tom Alexander, fourth in the championship, was third fastest in the morning on 1:15.753; second-placed Callum Quin was third fastest in the afternoon on 1:14.668.
All drivers completed the test sessions without major incident.
Blewett, 23, has won multiple titles in this country’s biggest single-marque one make race series for BMW E30 race cars. He was second in the ultra-competitive BMW E30 series in 2010-2011, then backed that with the title 2011-2012. In 2013 he won the 2.0-litre title in that series.
Currently second on points for Toyota’s 86 championship, Blewett has adapted quickly to the more sophisticated TR86. It is the first time he has competed in an all-new purpose-built racing car.
His motorsport career started in karting, with a competition debut in 2004 racing the 100cc Junior Yamaha class. He continued in karting until 2006, when the BMW E30 series was first introduced, and has raced the series for six seasons. His 2011-2012 title came with 10 race wins, four pole positions, 13 podiums and 12 fastest laps.
A mechanical engineer born and bred in Auckland, Blewett is keen to combine his passion for motorsport with a career in automotive engineering for a top race team.
