Das improves championship position with three top ten finishes

Cameron Das has impressed with three top ten finishes in the Toyota Racing Series (TRS) New Zealand this weekend following the second round of the competitive Championship at the Teretonga Circuit. Back behind the wheel of his Victory Motor Racing Toyota FT-50 car, Das made the most of his second appearance in the five-round series and was impressive in the racing action which was once again full of strong starts and great overtaking moves for the young American. Achieving three top ten finishes over the course of the weekend, Das gained a position in the overall Championship standings as he now looks ahead to the third round of the 2018 season, upcoming in just a few short days.

Taking to the track for the second round of the season Das was sure to make an impression from the word go. Getting up to speed immediately, the 17-year-old was fully focused on the practice sessions on offer and improved well to finish comfortably within the top five.

In the opening qualifying of the weekend, Das was strong in his eighth position but felt that his pace was faster than had been proven on track however he was once again notable in his race pace throughout the weekend.

For the opening round of the weekend at the short 2.57km Teretonga circuit, Das lined up on the grid in eighth and finished well after 20 laps in ninth. After his first taste of racing action, Das then lined up for race two and enjoyed a fantastic show of action from start to finish. Already known for his fast starts in previous series, the 2016 F4 US Champion didn’t disappoint as he sped past those ahead in the initial stages. Sustaining his strong pace, which he had already proven earlier in the weekend, the young American continued to impress and was soon up to sixth position. As the flag fell, Das finished in seventh collecting great points for his championship campaign and continuing a weekend of strong results.

Rounding off the weekend, Das then lined up in eighth on the starting grid and made his way out for the final race of the weekend. In another strong showing, the up and coming American star finished in eighth position marking three great top ten finishes and once again proving his race pace and his consistency; consistency which has seen him gain a position in the championship standings this weekend.

Das reflected on the weekend, “This weekend we made really strong improvements that allowed us to recover a bit from the last round. After being in the top five in practice, we were a bit disappointed to qualify eighth because our race pace was really good, but it’s such a difficult place to overtake with all the aero wash that comes with the high-speed nature of this track.

“The highlight of the weekend was certainly in Race two when I made a lightning start and passed two cars before two further cars. Then on the second lap, I made an overtake for sixth place going into turn one and almost captured fifth with an “around the outside” move in turn one.

“While mid-pack results aren’t what I want, I know I have the potential to be up there with a bit more fine-tuning. Once again, a huge thank you to my sponsors: Autobahn Indoor Speedway, Bertil Roos Racing School, and Meguiars Polish.”

The third round of the season takes place next weekend at the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park as Das takes on the 2.63km circuit.