MOTORSPORT: Mixed weekend for Stanaway

After an impressive showing in practice and qualifying the World Series by Renault debut of young Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway failed to get off the grid at the weekend.

Stanaway's Formula Renault 3.5 car was left stranded at the start of the opening race at Motorland Aragon.

It was a disappointing start for Stanaway, pictured, who earlier had continued the strong pace he had shown in pre-season testing. He had been second fastest in the opening practice session and then fourth in the second session.

Stanaway headed the timing lists through the first two phases of the Formula 1-style qualifying session and wound up fourth on the grid when he encountered some traffic issues in the final phase.

The first race of the 2012 series was won by British driver Nick Yelloy ahead of Denmark's Kevin Magnussen.

Tauranga's Maurice O'Reilly, who mentored and supported Stanaway's early racing career, was at the Spanish circuit and provided details of the race.

O'Reilly said: "At the start of the race Richie carried out his start sequence and the car just died.

"He didn't stall - the car didn't move. Unfortunately a passing competitor clipped him, damaging the car and exiting him from his first Renault 3.5 race without turning a wheel."

In the second race early this morning Stanaway started from 11th on the grid and quickly moved up to finish in sixth place.

Stanaway was also pleased to learn that overnight Renault engineers had found a fault in the electronics of his car - which caused the problem at the start of race one - and as a result they changed the programme of every car in the field.