26 SEPTEMBER 2007
V8 UTE AND V8 SALOONS FEATURE AT TERETONGA PARK OPENER
A unique racing machine plus two New Zealand V8 Championship cars, one in the
hands of a young Southland woman, will be amongst the entries when the opening
meeting of the 2007/2008 motor racing season takes place at Teretonga Park near
Invercargill on Sunday.
The event, presented by Fulton Hogan, features the A1 Auto Services 1 Hour
Endurance Race, the annual Southland versus Otago Sports Car Club Challenge, the
Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Series for saloons and single seaters plus
motorcycle racing. The format will give spectators the opportunity to enjoy both
two wheel and four wheel racing on the same day.
One of the most interesting vehicles to race at Teretonga in recent times will
appear on Sunday. Craig Paterson of Mosgiel has entered a V8 Ford Falcon BA ute.
The car is one that has been raced in the hugely popular Australian V8 Utes
Series in recent times. It was brought to New Zealand last year when a Trans
Tasman Utes meeting was held at Manfeild, near Palmerston North. Paterson
purchased the Falcon and plans to campaign it in a new V8 Ute series in this
country. While the series won't visit Teretonga Park in it's inaugural year,
Sunday will give Southlanders their first opportunity to see one of these
exciting race vehicles. Paterson describes the Falcon as "big and heavy" and
expects to have a "bit of fun" piloting it around Teretonga. He will race the
ute in both the clubmans races and the 1 Hour Endurance race on Sunday.
Other cars bound to cause interest this weekend are the two New Zealand V8
Championship cars. Father and daughter Ian and Amanda Tulloch will share the
driving of their car, a Ford Falcon. They will tackle the 1 Hour Endurance event
plus some of the Clubmans races in what amounts to a dress rehearsal for Amanda
who will tackle the First Windows & Doors V8 Development Series this
year. The other top line V8 is the Holden Commodore of Otago driver, Chris Adams
who has raced in the Development Series in the past but this season is tackling
the Tier 1 Series.
The 1 Hour Endurance Race boasts 20 starters with previous winner Rick Michels
among the favourites in his BMW M3. Michels will face a stern challenge from the
Tulloch Falcon, Chris Adams (who will run his Toyota Soarer in the Enduro), the
similar BMW of Australian visitor Jim Wallace of Cairns, Brent Russell in a
Mitsubishi EVO and Gary Jenkins of Gore in his Holden Commodore. Some of the
smaller cars in the event such as those of Bradley Dawson, Jeremy Dawson and
Grant Aitken are expected to lap quickly and consistently and finish well
against some of the bigger cars.
One feature of the meeting is the large field of single seater racing cars which
includes one of the stars of last season, 14-year-old Damon Leitch of
Invercargill. Leitch will be contesting the National Formula Ford Championship
this season and this will be a valuable outing for him. An interesting entry in
this class is Wal Wilmot, an ex-McLaren employee now resident in
Invercargill, who will race Begg 02.
Meanwhile in the annual Sports Car Club Challenge Southland will be looking to
reverse last year's result which saw Otago win with 354 points to
Southland's 301.
Invercargill riders John Beck, Jeremy Holmes and Mark Weller stand out as the
favourites in the motorcycle races. All are on new machinery - Beck on a 2007
Suzuki GSXR1000, Holmes a 2007 Honda CBR600 while Weller has an ex-Beck machine.
Admission to the event is $10 for adults while children under 14 are free.
Practice begins at 10.30am on Sunday.
Lindsay Beer
Publicity Officer
Southland Sports Car Club
021 351 499