# 2017 Taupo TRS round

The 2017 Taupo TRS round was the fourth round of the 2017 Toyota Racing Series. The event was held at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, in Taupō, New Zealand from 4 to 5 February 2017.

## Report
### Practice

Thomas Randle continued his front-running form by achieving the fastest time in four out of the five practice sessions during the weekend. The only other driver to top the timesheets during practice was Marcus Armstrong, who went fastest in Practice Four.
| Session | Day | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap | Fastest lap |
| Session | Day | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
| Practice 1 | Thursday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.179 |
| Practice 2 | Thursday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:23.699 |
| Practice 3 | Friday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:23.524 |
| Practice 4 | Friday | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 1:23.180 |
| Practice 5 | Friday | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:22.994 |

### Race 1
#### Qualifying

Armstrong grabbed his first Toyota Racing Series pole position with a time of 1:23.383, with Jehan Daruvala in second and Brendon Leitch in third.
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Lap | Grid |
| 1 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 1:23.383 | 1 |
| 2 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 1:23.436 | 2 |
| 3 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 1:23.536 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 1:23.543 | 4 |
| 5 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 1:23.549 | 5 |
| 6 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 1:23.660 | 6 |
| 7 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.718 | 7 |
| 8 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 1:23.928 | 8 |
| 9 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 1:23.989 | 9 |
| 10 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 1:24.001 | 10 |
| 11 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 1:24.029 | 11 |
| 12 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 1:24.087 | 12 |
| 13 | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 1:24.131 | 13 |
| 14 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 1:24.306 | 14 |
| 15 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 1:24.526 | 15 |
| 16 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.669 | 16 |
| 17 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 1:24.886 | 17 |
| 18 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 1:24.900 | 18 |
| 19 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 1:25.198 | 19 |
| 20 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 1:25.396 | 20 |
| Source(s): ||||||

#### Race

A strong start followed by fast, consistent race pace meant that Leitch would grab his first race win of the year. Armstrong finished second and Daruvala third.
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| 1 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | 21min 16.000sec | 3 |
| 2 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 15 | + 1.536 s | 1 |
| 3 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 15 | + 3.763 s | 2 |
| 4 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 3.860 s | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 15 | + 6.334 s | 4 |
| 6 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 15 | + 9.783 s | 6 |
| 7 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 10.915 s | 8 |
| 8 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 11.564 s | 7 |
| 9 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 18.441 s | 14 |
| 10 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 20.975 s | 15 |
| 11 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 21.807 s | 11 |
| 12 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyantahan | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 22.180 s | 19 |
| 13 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 23.595 s | 10 |
| 14 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 24.091 s | 16 |
| 15 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 24.966 s | 18 |
| 16 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 25.946 s | 17 |
| 17 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 15 | + 35.675 s | 20 |
| Ret | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 0 | Accident | 9 |
| Ret | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 0 | Accident | 12 |
| Ret | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 0 | Accident | 13 |
| Fastest Lap: Brendon Leitch (Victory Motor Racing) – 1:24.315 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 2

Pedro Piquet held off a rampant Thomas Randle to take his second win of the year, with Daruvala in third.
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| 1 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 15 | 23min 01.308sec | 3 |
| 2 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 0.563 s | 1 |
| 3 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 15 | + 1.269 s | 1 |
| 4 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 15 | + 2.565 s | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 2.884 s | 1 |
| 6 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 4.712 s | 1 |
| 7 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 5.007 s | 1 |
| 8 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 8.029 s | 1 |
| 9 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 9.306 s | 1 |
| 10 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 9.454 s | 1 |
| 11 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 15 | + 11.169 s | 1 |
| 12 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 15 | + 11.585 s | 1 |
| 13 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 12.360 s | 1 |
| 14 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 15 | + 12.837 s | 1 |
| 15 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 15 | + 13.208 s | 1 |
| 16 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 15 | + 58.379 s | 1 |
| 17 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 12 | + 3 laps | 1 |
| Ret | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 11 | Retired | 1 |
| Ret | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 1 | Retired | 1 |
| Ret | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 1 | Retired | 1 |
| Fastest Lap: Taylor Cockerton (MTEC Motorsport) – 1:24.290 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race 3
#### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Grid |
| 1 | 8 | Marcus Armstrong | M2 Competition | 20 | 29min 57.431sec | 3 |
| 2 | 9 | Jehan Daruvala | M2 Competition | 20 | + 6.723 s | 1 |
| 3 | 62 | Ferdinand Habsburg | M2 Competition | 20 | + 16.654 s | 1 |
| 4 | 49 | Thomas Randle | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 16.797 s | 1 |
| 5 | 5 | Pedro Piquet | M2 Competition | 20 | + 17.777 s | 1 |
| 6 | 11 | Taylor Cockerton | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 19.464 s | 1 |
| 7 | 22 | Richard Verschoor | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 23.726 s | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | Brendon Leitch | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 23.922 s | 1 |
| 9 | 83 | Kami Laliberté | M2 Competition | 20 | + 24.791 s | 1 |
| 10 | 26 | Harry Hayek | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 26.221 s | 1 |
| 11 | 65 | Enaam Ahmed | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 27.202 s | 1 |
| 12 | 96 | Luis Leeds | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 29.093 s | 1 |
| 13 | 47 | Keyvan Andres Soori | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 31.336 s | 1 |
| 14 | 24 | Ameya Vaidyanathan | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 31.692 s | 1 |
| 15 | 12 | Christian Hahn | Giles Motorsport | 20 | + 33.271 s | 1 |
| 16 | 80 | Nikita Lastochkin | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 33.693 s | 1 |
| 17 | 51 | Shelby Blackstock | Victory Motor Racing | 20 | + 34.063 s | 1 |
| 18 | 10 | Thomas Neubauer | MTEC Motorsport | 20 | + 34.678 s | 1 |
| 19 | 27 | Jean Baptiste Simmenauer | M2 Competition | 20 | + 48.265 s | 1 |
| Ret | 33 | Kory Enders | MTEC Motorsport | 0 | Retired | 1 |
| Fastest Lap: Jehan Daruvala (M2 Competition) – 1:24.590 |||||||
| Source(s): |||||||