Driver Database News

Jono Lester has completed his first season in the Toyota Racing Series with a sixth place finish in the 57th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild over the weekend.

Leading into the final round of the 2012 championship, Lester held the Rookie points lead by a slender margin of 18 points from Austrian driver Lucas Auer and Brazilian Bruno Bonifacio.

Hopes to secure the prize were dashed in the opening race on Saturday afternoon, when a broken bolt in the rear wishbone geometry forced the 22-year old to retire from the race at the half way point.

Starting from the rear of the 20-car grid for race two, Lester capitalised on a well balanced race car to improve to eleventh position at the finish.

The 35-lap New Zealand Grand Prix started well for Lester. From a starting position of 12th, he passed a number of cars to sit in eighth after two early safety car periods.

Lester applied pressure to the rear of Frenchman Nathanael Berthon’s car for the next 20 laps, before tyre degradation set in and his lap speed dropped away a little in the closing stages.

Crossing the line in sixth place, Lester was happy with the event on the whole, despite the DNF (did not finish) in the opening race.

“We’ve been pretty competitive speed-wise this weekend,” Lester explained.

“Qualifying was again a bit of a let down, but the breakage in the opening race was just one of those unfortunate fatigue scenarios and there was nothing anyone could have done to pre-empt it.

“As for Sunday, we had a great race car. It gave me more confidence and I think we showed that with our results from lowly starting positions.”

Lester acknowledged there were positives and negatives to take from his first single seater racing championship, and that he fully intended to return for the second of a two year programme in 2013.

“This championship has frustrated me at times, but that’s a product of its intense competition and driving talent. It’s been incredible in that regard.

“Coming back for another crack at it is a given, so we will begin our debrief immediately and get things underway.

“A huge thanks to the New Zealand Motorsport Trust and all of my loyal partners for allowing me this opportunity. I believe we’re all excited at what lies ahead for next season!”

Lester was supported in his campaign by the New Zealand Motorsport Trust & The Lion Foundation, and partnered with Counties Toyota, TradeZone Industrial, Ports of Auckland, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Nutrition, Opti-Flex, Chemz, Webdesign, iSign it, R Redpath Limited, Sony Electronics, Tissot, Loaded Sports Drink and Zero Water.

Photo by Bruce Jenkins/TRS

Shahaan Engineer enjoyed his strongest and most competitive event of the 2012 Toyota Racing Series so far at Hampton Downs in New Zealand over the weekend, 4th/5th February, with a best result of seventh place in the second of three races.

Making huge steps forward in terms of his overall pace and skill, the 16-year-old – who has been consistently capable of making great starts throughout the TRS campaign – raced superbly across the weekend and produced some great overtaking moves, battling wheel-to-wheel with top talent.

While race two delivered the best result of the weekend, seventh from 13th on the grid, the headline encounter which rounded off the event, the 20-lap New Zealand Motor Cup, should have provided another top 10 finish – ninth to be precise.

However, an ongoing battle between two drivers just in front of Shahaan, at the exit of turn nine on the final lap, resulted in the pair crashing and forced the young ETEC Motorsport driver to take avoiding action through the gravel.

“I came out of the corner and there they were, scattered across the track blocking the entire exit of the corner”, explained Shahaan, “I had nowhere to go except the gravel trap because my reaction was to turn right and avoid the mess. By the time I got back on the track I had lost several places and finished 13th.”

The end result of race three was disappointing for the car racing rookie after a great drive through from 13th on the grid into ninth. With the exit of turn nine of the 2.8-kilometre track being blind though, Shahaan’s lightning reactions in avoiding a serious collision impressed his ETEC team.

Race one on Saturday afternoon was quite a sedate affair with Shahaan, and the majority of the rest of the top 15, all finishing where they started – in his case, 13th position. His race two result of seventh place was the best of the weekend of course but the tenacity and ability displayed in race three was a highlight.

ETEC race engineer Michael Olsen commented: “This has been the best week so far for Shahaan in the TRS, there has been a huge improvement in his technique, pace, consistency and mindset. Although we’re happy with the seventh place in race two, and we know the race three incident did lose Shahaan several positions, what’s more important is the learning and progress and the way he conducted himself throughout the weekend.

“There were two Safety Car periods, lots of blocking and overtaking, and he then did a great job of avoiding a high-speed collision in front of him. Shahaan showed great presence of mind to calmly get back on the circuit out of the gravel, against the odds, and still take home some respectable points.”

Of the 12 races contested so far in the Toyota Racing Series, the soon-to-be UK domiciled driver has posted 11 finishes with improving pace and consistency against a highly rated competition-base featuring racers with experience of Formula 3, GP3 and Formula Renault 3.5. Furthermore, the rookie hasn’t been involved in a single red flag incident in any of the 24 practice sessions so far.

The grand finale of the five-event championship, rounds 13, 14 and 15, will take place next weekend, 11th/12th February, at Manfeild Autocourse near Feilding, New Zealand.

Photo by Toyota Racing Series.

Jono Lester will return to his home circuit of Manfeild this weekend to take the grid for the 57th New Zealand Grand Prix, and the final round of the 2012 Toyota Racing Series.

Sitting seventh overall in the points standings as the leading rookie driver, Lester has competed in the Grand Prix just once before, as a 14-year old behind the wheel of a Formula Ford in 2004.

The 22-year old, now based in Auckland, is excited to compete for New Zealand’s most illustrious piece of silverware on the circuit built by his grandparents Rob and Wendy in 1973.

“It’s definitely the event I’ve been the most excited for,” Lester said.

“We tested here pre-season along with the other kiwi drivers and that should be an advantage, especially in the early stages, when we begin our free practice on Thursday.”

The fourth round of the championship over the weekend at Hampton Downs was challenging for Lester, who struggled again in qualifying managing just 12th position, improving to tenth and sixth in the opening two races.

Improving from a starting position of 12th to eighth in the final race, Lester was hit and spun from behind by fellow Kiwi Damon Leitch two corners from the finish of the 20-lap NZ Motor Cup.

Despite losing valuable points in the incident, Lester retained his rookie points lead from Austrian driver Lucas Auer; nephew of former F1 great Gerhard Berger.

“We have some regrouping to do after Hamptons to put us in the best position possible for Manfeild.

“Everyone will be throwing caution to the wind in that race, it’s going to be a cracker!”

Lester is supported in his campaign by the New Zealand Motorsport Trust & The Lion Foundation, and partnered with Counties Toyota, TradeZone Industrial, Ports of Auckland, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Nutrition, Opti-Flex, Chemz, Webdesign, iSign it, R Redpath Limited, Sony Electronics, Tissot, Loaded Sports Drink and Zero Water.

Photo by Bruce Jenkins/TRS

Jono Lester has held onto his lead in the 2012 Toyota Racing Series Rookie standings despite a challenging outing at the Taupo Motorsport Park over the weekend.

The 22-year old made good of his ‘home track’ knowledge from the outset at Taupo, heading the field in Thursday pre-testing, however inexperience on new tyres hampered Lester in qualifying, managing just 12th position.

The importance of qualifying well in such a competitive championship was realised over the three races, with Lester starting outside of the top ten in all three, and improving to finish in eleventh in the opening race, and ninth in both races two and three on Sunday.

“Everyone knows qualifying is a vital ingredient in any racing, just I realised just how much that’s magnified in a single seater after this weekend,” Lester explained.

“As usual my race pace was good, but that means very little when you’re caught in the pack on a circuit where passing proves both difficult and highly risky.”

On a positive note, Lester was happy with his progression over the weekend as he continues to learn the intricate tuning parameters of a single seater race car.

“We tried a whole bunch of changes this weekend. The last race in particular we seem to have latched onto something, which gives us a really good starting point for Hampton Downs.

“Of course, apart from scoring solid points there, my goal is to get my qualifying sorted. It’s a fine art in one of these cars – the European drivers have it down pat and it’s a flaw in my game that I need to address immediately!”

Lester now sits in eighth overall in the points standings with two rounds remaining, and leads the Rookie standings over Russian driver Dimitri Suranovich and Brazilian Bruno Bonifacio.

Lester is supported in his campaign by the New Zealand Motorsport Trust & The Lion Foundation, and partnered with Counties Toyota, TradeZone Industrial, Ports of Auckland, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Nutrition, Opti-Flex, Chemz, Webdesign, iSign it, R Redpath Limited, Sony Electronics, Loaded Sports Drink and Zero Water.

Photo by Bruce Jenkins/TRS

Shahaan Engineer enjoyed a successful debut weekend in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, the 16 year old taking sixth place from a 19 strong grid in the ‘Spirit of a Nation’ feature race, despite being the youngest driver in the series.

This year’s Toyota Racing Series has the most international flavour of any in the championship’s history with 19 drivers from 12 countries, and four continents, the standard, therefore, is incredibly high.

The opening race saw Shahaan finish eleventh after a throttle problem deprived him off a top six finish, which was exactly where he finished in race two in severe weather conditions including rain and hail.

ETEC Motorsport team principal Trevor Sheumack on Shahaan’s impressive feature race finish: “Despite being the youngest driver on the grid of this, the most concentrated racing series in the world, Shahaan remained focused and brought the car home weather conditions severe even as per Invercargill standards.”

Conditions for the third race were even more shocking with rivers of water covering the track. Shahaan led the 19-strong field from the reverse top six pole position, as rainfall and increasing winds made racing near-impossible.

Unfortunately, contact with another driver ended his race just one corner before it was declared ended due to force Majeure. “I had no heat in my brakes and drove over the weather condition limits. No points for the third race;” Reiterated the young teenager, but I wouldn’t exchange the experience for anything as I got a rare chance this early in my career to experience leading a world-class field of senior drivers on the first race weekend in a premier single seater series under historically severe conditions where the race was declared after just one lap.”

Round two of the back-to-back five weekend Toyota Racing Series will take place on 21st/22nd January at Timaru International Raceway. At the conclusion of the New Zealand championship, Shahaan will return to Britain where he will prepare for his first full season in the Certina Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship with reigning champion team Fortec Motorsports.

Talented motor racing newcomer Shahaan Engineer will continue his single-seater education just two weeks from now after officially confirming his participation in the 2012 Toyota Racing Series – the final round of which will be the 57th running of the prestigious New Zealand Grand Prix.

Dubai-based Shahaan, who is just 16-years-of-age, will be the youngest and least experienced driver in the Kiwi championship when it commences in mid-January. Notably, he will also be the youngest competitor in the New Zealand GP on 11th/12th February which, back in the 1960s, was won by such racing legends as Sir Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Jackie Stewart.

After enjoying an impressive car racing debut during the recent Protyre Formula Renault UK Finals Series, where he out-performed a large number of experienced competitors and qualified eighth fastest out of 29 drivers on his first weekend, Shahaan is now looking to benefit from vital track time in New Zealand as he seeks to hone his skills ahead of the 2012 Formula Renault UK Championship.

Toyota Racing Series will field the largest overseas entry in the category’s history when it begins on 14th/15th January – what’s more, the level of competition will be fierce with drivers from top-line championships such as GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 taking part. Once again, the 15-race campaign will further enhance the category’s status as a key proving ground for aspiring Formula One drivers.

Competitors in the 2012 series will enjoy a large amount of seat time, covering more than 2,500 kilometres during testing and racing over the five consecutive race weekends which will take place across the length and breadth of New Zealand.

“I am really excited to race in the Toyota Racing Series, mainly because of the high level of drivers I will have the opportunity to compete against and learn from”, said Shahaan, “There is no other series in the world where a rookie can race against drivers with experience of GP2, Formula Renault 3.5 and other senior championships.”

The Toyota Racing Series, which boasts full FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) status, will take place over five back-to-back weekends between mid-January and mid-February with the opening three races to be contested on 14th/15th January at Teretonga Park, Invercargill.

From there, the increasingly popular championship will travel to Timaru International Raceway, Taupo Motorsport Park and then Hampton Downs in Auckland. The grand finale of the season, the 57th New Zealand Grand Prix, will be held on 11th/12th February at Manfeild in Feilding.

“With our first race starting at Teretonga on January 14th and the series finishing just four weeks later at the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild on February 12th, the Toyota Racing Series now offers the most concentrated and intense international series in the world”, added TRS category manager Barrie Thomlinson.

Driver Profile
Full Name: Shahaan Sharokh Engineer
Date of Birth: 6th September 1995
Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Residence: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Height: 170cm
Weight: 66kg
Website: www.shahaan.com

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography.

Jono Lester will make this switch from Porsches to single seaters this summer as he prepares for his debut in the Toyota Racing Series with the ETEC Motorsport team.

The 22-year old Auckland based driver competed in the final round of the 2011 TRS championship at Taupo in March – finishing in fourth place overall – in preparation for the upcoming season; which is set to be the most competitive yet with a bumper international contingent and a tightly compressed series schedule.

“It’s a real pleasure to be a part of this championship and to be back behind the wheel again. The TRS Management and ETEC Motorsport have been a tremendous help in securing my place on the grid, and there’s nothing in this world more motivating for a driver than a simple opportunity. With the economy the way it is, each and every one of us is lucky to have one.”

Lester recently completed a successful two day pre-season test at Manfeild alongside fellow local drivers Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy and Chris Vlok, as well as Malaysian ETEC team mate Melvin Moh, in preparation for the opening round of the Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga Park in Invercargill on January 12-15.

The move into single seater racing is somewhat of a career role-reversal for Lester, with many drivers taking the ‘wings and slicks’ path from a young age and progressing into GT & touring car racing later in their careers.

Lester insists however that this is an important part of his development as a driver;

“One of the first people to recommend the TRS to me was Chris Amon. His support and mentoring over the past 12 months has been terrific and I value his input as I work towards a sports prototype drive overseas.

“I’ve got to say that after tasting the TRS at Taupo in March, we couldn’t have made a better move.”

The 2012 Toyota Racing International Series is structured with five events over five consecutive weekends, with the championship working its way up country from Invercargill to Timaru, followed by events in Taupo, Hampton Downs and Manfeild.

Among many exciting new additions to the championship, the coveted New Zealand Grand Prix title will be decided in the final of the 15-race season, adding extra incentive and pressure on the large field of young drivers – something Lester hopes to take advantage of as the championship unfolds;

“I’m one of the old men of the series this year! While my recent experience behind the wheel has been limited, I pride myself on having a good race brain and a cool demeanour. These young guys are all blisteringly quick and have a lot of backing behind them, but consistency and experience is an area I hope to excel in over the course of the championship.”

“That motivation and the solid pre-season testing has my mind focussed on one thing and one thing only, and that is to win the championship and get my career back on the right track.”

Lester will compete with the support of championship winning Engineer Andy Neale, with ETEC’s five car line up also including Malaysian driver Melvin Moh, returning British rising star Josh Hill, Indian Shahaan Engineer and Victor Sendin of France.

Lester is supported in his campaign by the New Zealand Motorsport Trust and partnered with Counties Toyota, TradeZone Industrial, Ports of Auckland, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Nutrition, Opti-Flex, R Redpath Limited, Webdesign, iSign it, Sony Electronics, Loaded Sports Drink and Zero Water.

Jono Lester has finished his Toyota Racing Series debut in fourth overall, driving for ETEC Motorsport at the Battery Town 200 at the Taupo Motorsport Park over the weekend.

In what was his first appearance in a ‘wings and slicks’ single seater, Lester scored fifth, fourth and fourth place finishes over the weekend’s three races, after qualifying in seventh position.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience on and off the track. The team, the organisation, the competition, and of course the racing, which was pure excitement!” Lester said.

With the opportunity presented to Lester by ETEC Motorsport and Barrie Thomlinson of the Toyota Racing Series just days before the event, the 21-year old put together a support package from a number of loyal supporters and arrived at Taupo with a clear and open mind.

“The intention was never to go out there and be a hero, as we knew how tough the competition in TRS is. Right from Thursday’s first run in the car, we improved steadily, chipped away at the lap times, and came to grips with the car and how it needs to be driven.

As you can imagine, it’s quite a lot different to a Porsche, but I didn’t realise just how much until official testing. I felt like I was on the limit and Mitch [Evans] was still streaks ahead. He provided a terrific benchmark all weekend. It was just a pleasure to be out there doing it again, I must say!”

The event was Lester’s first on New Zealand soil in two years, but the lack of recent racing impacted little on his hunger on the track. Three close and competitive races saw a number of passing manouvres and high pressure situations, on both offence and defence.

“They were three of the most exciting races I’ve ever experienced. I was learning on the go, picking up tips from the other drivers every lap and getting my first feel for using aero effectively when you’re tucked up under somebody’s gearbox. But at the same time, it was clean and respectful racing.”

Lester and his supporters are now looking ahead to the rest of the 2011 season and into the future.

“My career intentions remain clear – I want to pursue a career in sports car endurance racing overseas. As much as I’ve loved my single seater debut, and as much as I’m learning and will continue to learn, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. These young guys are just as hungry as me and they have age on their side.

“But for the 2012 Toyota Racing Series season, we will be pushing hard to be on the grid. For my development as a driver, it would be a great championship to compete in.”

Jono Lester was supported in his Toyota Racing Series debut at Taupo by Radiance “Supplements for Life”, Gourmet Direct “100% NZ Grown Meat”, Opti Flex, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Performance Nutrition, AAA Roofing and iSign It.

New Zealand motor racing driver Jono Lester will make his first start in the Toyota Racing Series at the final round of the 2011 championship, to be contested at the Taupo Motorsport Park this coming weekend.

Lester will compete in the Tatuus chassis campaigned by Australian driver Scott Pye in the 2011 TRS International Series, with Trevor Sheumack’s ETEC Motorsport team.

Formula racing is the blood of the Lester family, with Jono’s grandfather, father and aunt having competed in Formula Vee, Formula Ford, Formula Pacific and Formula Holden.

However, Jono Lester has never competed in a ‘wings and slicks’ single seater; instead choosing a career path in sports and GT racing cars, having raced in Porsche GT3s in New Zealand, Australia and Europe since 2006.

“Ever since watching the very first TRS race at Timaru in 2005, I’ve always had a keen interest in driving one,” Lester said.

“It’s never really been an option until now as we’ve been focussed on the Porsche racing, but the opportunity presented to me at Barrie Thomlinson of Toyota Racing and ETEC Motorsport was too good to pass up.”

The 2011 Toyota Racing Series is regarded as being the most competitive in the championship’s six year history. Defending champion Mitch Evans will return from GP3 testing in Europe for the final round at Taupo, alongside Lester and a grid full of highly regarded young drivers from both New Zealand and Australia.

“There is some real talent out there, Mitch and Nick [Cassidy] in particular. It’s a highly competitive grid and this event will put me outside of my comfort zone, but I’m confident that I have the aptitude to adapt quickly to the single seater driving style and be competitive at Taupo.”

Lester will have his first test of a Toyota Racing Series car on Thursday, with three races to be contested over the weekend, including the coveted Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy.

Jono Lester is supported in his Toyota Racing Series debut by Radiance, Gourmet Direct “100% NZ Grown Meat”, Opti Flex, Vortex Racewear, Hornet Performance Nutrition, AAA Roofing and iSign It.

The weekend’s racing can be followed live via @ToyotaRacingNZ on Twitter, with results and other info available at www.toyotaracing.co.nz.