Billy Frazer is having the time of his life. Photo / Geoff Ridder

By Dale Budge

Pukekohe teenager Billy Frazer looked right at home on the opening day of practice ahead of the New Zealand Grand Prix on Sunday at Hampton Downs.

The 17-year-old, in his first campaign at this level, posted the sixth fastest time in Friday’s final practice session as the field gave their first real indications of pace on new tyres.

Former world kart champion Chris van der Drift proved the fastest driver on Friday but he was chased by fellow Pukekohe teen and kart star Matthew Payne, experienced Toyota Racing Series combatant Brendon Leitch and the high profile pair of Supercars aces Andre Heimgartner and Shane van Gisbergen in the top five.

Frazer’s sixth fastest time saw him in front of ex-Supercars legend Greg Murphy, two-time NZ Grand Prix winner Daniel Gaunt and a stack of promising Kiwi youngsters.

Frazer was buzzing after his first competitive day behind the wheel.

“The international track is definitely awesome and it is great to be back in the car after the summer break,” Frazer told Counties Sports Hub.

“I’m feeling right at home with the M2 team and can’t wait for the next session.”

While most drivers in the field are coming to terms with the unique challenge of driving one of the Toyota FT60 cars, which really makes the driver work with their arms, Frazer seemed upbeat about a long weekend ahead of him.

“At this stage not too bad – I have definitely been putting in the effort over summer so time will tell and the 28 laps of the Grand Prix is really going to see who can hold on,” he said of the work-out drivers face.

Coming up against drivers that Frazer has looked up to and followed is a big thing for the teenager.  While he’s sharing the grid with some of the biggest names in the sport, the competitor in him is pushing him to treat the stars as any other rival.

“It is really special – this year is definitely the “New Zealand” Grand Prix,” Frazer explained. “I have got Shane [Van Gisbergen] right next to me in the pit garage and that is really cool.

“Hopefully I can learn off them and come race day we will be racing against them as well.

“It is great to be racing against these guys but I am a race car driver so always going after that win.”

Saturday’s action sees a morning practice session before qualifying early in the afternoon and a 20-lap race starting at 4.30pm.