Young British driver Michael Lyons (Lola T400) has made a winning return to New Zealand's MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series, dominating the first day of competition at the third round at Hampton Downs today.

In front of a large crowd gathered for the first of two New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating BMW Motorsport meetings at the 2.8 km circuit south of Auckland the 20-year-old second-generation racer from just outside London topped the time sheets in qualifying on Friday afternoon and won both today's eight lap MSC series races, the first - in the morning - from series points leader Steve Ross (McRae GM1), defending series champion Ken Smith (Lola T430) and high-profile former NZV8 and now Targa driver Clark Proctor (March 73A), and the second from Smith, regular UK visitor Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) and Rotorua driver Brett Willis (Lola T300).

Missing, unfortunately, from the front-running pack was the driver who won all three races at the second New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meeting last year, Canadian Jay Esterer (McRae GM1).

After a heavy startline accident at the second round of this season's MSC F5000 series at Manfeild late last year the Canadian had to strip, rebuild and air freight out his second McRae GM1 to get it here in time for this weekend's meeting but a fuel leak in practice then full-on engine fire in qualifying put paid to his efforts to re-join the fray before they had even started.

Having also damaged his own Lola T332 in the startline accident at Manfeild, three-time series champion Ken Smith was also forced to revert to another car, in this case the familiar Lola T430 he has used with such effect for the past four seasons.

Nothing he could do could get him close to Lyons, however, the young British driver - whose father Frank and mother Judy also compete in the MSC F5000 series - showing the benefit of a full season in last year's British GT Championship.

"I think everybody has moved up, " he said of the MSC F5000 series. "The level is really high this year. Three of us have already broken the lap record so far and it certainly does seem to be a big step up from last year. Kenny was quick first thing this morning but we managed to sort him out."

That said, fastest starter in both races was Dunedin's Steve Ross. He followed Lyons home in the first race but spun out of the lead of the second in the first corner.

Clark Proctor also showed quick reflexes off the start in both races, shadowing Ross through the first corner then passing him under braking for the second corner in the first race, before slowly slipping back down through the field to cross the line in fourth place when he lost third gear.

He tried the outside line again at the start of the second race only to clash with Ross as Ross and Lyons disputed the inside line. Fellow front row starter Ross got the jump on pole man Lyons off the rolling start but Lyons claimed the inside line from Ross with Proctor taking the long - and potentially quicker - way round the outside.

Unfortunately three into two didn't go with Ross spinning to a halt and Proctor three-wheeling his way back to the pits with a broken rear upright.

Behind the front-runners Roger Williams, Aaron Burson (McRae GM1), Brett Willis, Mark Dwyer, Frank Lyons (Gurney Eagle) and Michael Whatley (Lola T300) completed the top ten in the first race. A fired up Whatley made the most of the first lap contretemps in front of him in the second, however, to get as high as fifth.

Initially Michael Lyons lead Smith and Mark Dwyer and that's how the order was when the results came out, but on the track Steve Ross rejoined the race between Smith and Dwyer and circulated in third place (albeit a lap down) until the chequered flag came out.

Brett Willis then made his move, catching and passing Whatley before eking out a useful gap with Frank Lyons, John MacKinlay (March 73A) and Aaron Burson in line astern behind Whatley.

Burson then passed MacKinlay to claim seventh place with MacKinlay eighth, category stalwart Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) ninth and former kart and Suzuki Swift Cup star Alan Dunkley doing wonders in one of the oldest cars in the field, a Class A high-wing Lola T140, in 10th.

Dunkley's debut series performance was the talk of the category, the 22-year-old, who was a karting contemporary of the likes of NZ GP winner Earl Bamber, and one of the leading lights in the Suzuki Swift Cup two years ago, putting in two smooth, fast, measured drives which showed just how quick even one of the original category cars can lap a circuit in the right hands.

"These cars certainly demand a lot more respect than say a Suzuki (Swift) or Formula First," said the young Aucklander - who spends his weekdays working as a race engineer with his father Paul Dunkley. "You can't just biff them into a corner and see what happens. They're not like other cars I've raced, either, where you're always either on the throttle or the brakes. With the Lola you have to wait and feather the throttle to see when you can get back on it."

Also having his first drive in the MSC F5000 series in a high-wing Lola was American category original Eric Haga, in the 69-year-old Seattle, Washington visitor's case, the very same Lola T190 he drove first time round in 1970.

Haga was not quite running at young gun Dunkley's pace but he was having a ball all the same.

"This is a wonderful track and the only thing better than the track are the people involved here," he said. "The competition is fierce, but it is also friendly and the drivers are very, very courteous. I had a wonderful race this afternoon (with Australian Lola T140 driver John Bryant). We both have the same attitude about it, we are here for fun and to preserve the cars and we respect each other in the turns and we don't put each other at risk.

The second race also saw the return of British visitor Greg Thornton (Chevron B24) and Aucklander Stu Lush (McRae), both men starting from the rear of the grid after new batteries failed them in the first race. Thornton ended up getting the best run through the field crossing the finish line in 11th place with Lush 12th.

MSC F5000 Tasman Cup revival Series competition continues at the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating BMW Motorsport meeting tomorrow with two more races, a third 8-lapper in the morning a feature 15 lap final in the afternoon.

The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialized Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Smith & Davies, Avon Tyres and Exide.

For more information about the two NZ Festival of Motor Racing - celebrating BMW Motorsport meetings go to www.nzfmr.co.nz.