AutoTrader NZ
Published 3 September 2020
Heimgartner of Dannemora, Auckland East, became the youngest driver to win the ultra competitive championship in its forty year history last season when he took the honours at the age of just fifteen and now one year later he has made it back to back titles.
It was a convincing victory as Andre ended the season with a margin of 120 points over the second placed competitor, Michael Scott of Te Puke. The statistics make impressive reading – 11 wins from 15 starts, 11 pole positions and 10 fastest laps. The sixteen year old St Kentigern College student also successfully defended two of New Zealand motor racings most prestigious trophies, the Ron Frost Memorial Trophy and the Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy.
While Heimgartner was one of the most experienced drivers in the field the new batch of drivers that joined this years series learnt quickly and were able to make things difficult for Heimgartner as the series progressed. After he opened the series with an unbeaten streak of six straight wins the second half of the championship featured some terrific racing and great battles.
The championship was sealed with a victory in the final race of the series at Manfeild in Feilding on Sunday and Andre delighted the large crowd with a celebratory donut which produced an impressive cloud of tyre smoke.
Andre now turns his attention to the opening round of the exciting new V8SuperTourer category at Hampton Downs in North Waikato this weekend. Heimgartner will contest the series as part of Andy Booth’s AV8 Motorsport team. The Formula Ford championship was seen as ideal preparation for the next step in his career as part of the star studded V8SuperTourer field.
One week later Andre will make his farewell Formula Ford appearance when he represents French chassis manufacturer Mygale in celebration of 60 race starts in a Mygale on both sides of the Tasman at the famous Bathurst circuit at Mount Panorama, New South Wales.
In just three seasons Andre has now won two national Formula Ford titles, the South Island Formula Ford Championship and the Winter Formula Ford Championship along with a host of other awards and trophies.
Andre is supported by PinkBatts, Superlux Lighting and Hydraulink in both his Formula Ford and V8Supertourer campaigns.
