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Photo: Joel Hanks / TGR NZ

Ugo Ugochukwu claimed his first Formula Regional Oceania win from fourth on the grid in race three at Hampton Downs.

Ernesto Rivera started from pole position courtesy of his fastest lap in race two, but the Red Bull junior seemed slow to react when the lights went out. Kanato Le claimed the lead from the outside of the front row, followed by Ugochukwu then took a look to the outside of the leader into Turn 2.

After biding his time early on, it was in the same place on lap eight that Ugochukwu made his move for the lead, challenging Le on the outside into Turn 2 and then claiming the inside line into Turn 3 to move ahead.

Ugochukwu was just under a second clear of Le when the safety car was deployed on lap 13 of 18 after Trevor LaTourrette became beached in the gravel trap, but wasn’t troubled by the subsequent restart and took victory by 1.122 seconds.

Le picked up his second podium from three races ahead of Rivera, who managed to keep Jin Nakamura at bay, while James Wharton beat Louis Sharp to fifth.

Sharp spent most of the race battling for position with Freddie Slater after they shared the fourth row of the grid. Slater had got back in front on lap three, and then tried to attack Wharton at the restart with three laps remaining. However, he found himself being repassed by Sharp, and then being shuffled out wide onto the marbles and tumbling down the order to 12th.

Kalle Rovanpera finished three places further back in 15th after a strong early display of single-seater racecraft with a double move on Cadi Baptista and Jack Taylor through Turns 2 and 3.

Race results (18 laps)

Pos
Driver
Team
Time

1
Ugo Ugochukwu
M2 Competition
29m57.204s

2
Kanato Le
Hitech GP
+1.122s

3
Ernesto Rivera
M2 Competition
+2.051s

4
Jin Nakamura
Hitech GP
+2.656s

5
James Wharton
HMD w/ TJ Speed
+3.684s

6
Louis Sharp
MTEC Motorsport
+4.113s

7
Ryan Wood
MTEC Motorsport
+4.786s

8
Sebastian Manson
M2 Competition
+5.351s

9
Yevan David
Giles Motorsport
+6.720s

10
Zack Scoular
MTEC Motorsport
+7.474s

11
Yuanpu Cui
MTEC Motorsport
+7.792s

12
Freddie Slater
M2 Competition
+8.274s

13
Nolan Allaer
Kiwi Motorsport
+8.499s

14
Fionn McLaughlin
Hitech GP
+9.115s

15
Kalle Rovanpera
Hitech GP
+9.547s

16
Jack Taylor
Giles Motorsport
+10.318s

17
Cooper Shipman
HMD w/ TJ Speed
+10.616s

18
Cadi Baptista
Kiwi Motorsport
+11.268s

Ret
Trevor LaTourrette
HMD w/ TJ Speed

Fastest lap: Scoular, 1m30.332s

Championship standings
1 Ugochukwu 78   2 Nakamura 64   3 Le 60   4 Sharp 58   5 Wood 56   6 Scoular 50   7 Slater 45   8  Rivera 41   9 David 40   10 Wharton 34

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