Motorsport: One mistake ruins perfect day for young Russian

Eighteen-year-old Russian driver Egor Orudzhev was quick out of the box in practice and qualifying and took two race wins, and a pole position. Photo / Bruce Jenkins

The opening round of the 2014 Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga, Invercargill, yesterday didn't throw up as much chaos as in the past, but the racing was fast, furious and entertaining.

With 23 drivers, of whom 19 are internationals, flinging their cars around the technical and very fast circuit, the battles were entertaining.

Eighteen-year-old Russian driver Egor Orudzhev was quick out of the box in practice and qualifying and took two race wins, and a pole position. He did, however, come unstuck during the wet race two while leading thanks to youthful exuberance.

"It was unfortunate that I made a mistake in race two in the wet, pushing too hard and headed off the track," said Orudzhev. "I was more careful in the third race and I just had tokeep Leitch [Damon] and Steijn [Schothorst] behind me to get the win.

"It was a good way to finish the weekend especially after race two, but I'm happy with two wins and a pole at the first weekend of the TRS series."

The first race yesterday was a wet and miserable affair with an equal mixture of safety car laps and racing laps as both the experienced and inexperienced drivers struggled. Singaporean driver Andrew Tang made the most of the conditions to take the chequered flag from Brit Jann Mardenborough and Estonian Martin Rump.

Orudzhev won Saturday's opening gambit of the TRS championship from Rump and Australian Jordon Oon.

The series now moves to Timaru for round two.