9 MARCH 2008
EXCITING CONCLUSIONS TO MOTOR RACING FINALS AT TERETONGA
There were some exciting conclusions as New Zealand's premier motor racing championships were decided at this weekend's Hydraulink 200 Finale at Teretonga Park in Invercargill.
Nelson driver John McIntyre won the New Zealand V8s Championship after winning the final race of the series this afternoon. McIntyre had brought a healthy lead to Teretonga but failed to finish Saturday's opening race after he blew an engine. That misfortune cut his lead to fifty-five points and gave Auckland driver Angus Fogg a glimmer of hope. McIntyre's retirement also meant he would start Sunday morning's race from well back on the grid where he made sure of more points with a safe drive back to sixteenth place. The issues he had on Saturday did however give him the advantage of a good grid position for the final race of the championship, the reverse grid event. With just twelve points separating McIntyre and Fogg as the last race commenced the Nelson driver used the good starting spot to drive his Ford Falcon to victory and seal the championship, his second in a row. Hamilton driver Kayne Scott won the other two races of the weekend to win the round. Scott headed Andy Booth and Fogg over the line in the opening race while Fogg and Paul Manuell crossed the line behind him in Sunday morning's race. Auckland's Tim Edgell and Fogg followed McIntyre home in the finale. Fogg and Booth were second and third respectively for the round.
Eleven year old Mark Brockie of Dunedin got to wave the chequered flag on McIntyre's championship after he won the best dressed fan competition on Saturday
Christchurch driver Andy Knight bounced back to win the Toyota Racing Series after Wanganui driver Earl Bamber had relieved him of the points lead at Timaru for the first time in the series a week ago. However Knight returned to the top of the points table when he finished second to Michael Burdett in Saturday's opening race. The Cantabrian then went on to do what he had to do on Sunday, taking a fourth place and another second to clinch the title by twenty-three points. Bamber was forced to come from the back of the field in each of the races while Ben Harford of Wellington and Aucklander Burdett shared the wins in Sunday's races. Burdett's victory in the final race sealed the Southland Spirit Of A Nation Cup while he also won the round from Knight.
Auckland's Daniel Gaunt won the first race in the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup but was involved in a startline incident in the second allowing Queensland based Craig Baird through to win. Australian Champion David Reynolds won the third race from Baird. While Reynolds won the round it was Baird who took the championship for the fourth consecutive year after a very strong season.
Craig Innes of Taupo won the first MINI Challenge race on Saturday while Pareora driver Brent Collins won the second. Auckland driver Courtney Letica won the final race of the series while Collins took the championship after finishing tenth in the final race despite being involved in a coming together during the race.
Caine Lobb of Christchurch won all three races in the MTA Formula Ford Championship but it was Dunedin driver John Whelan who took the title. Whelan finished second to Lobb in two of the races but was spun around after being hit by another car in Sunday morning's wet race leaving him to finish eleventh.
Southland's Damon Leitch finished tenth in the series, a fantastic performance considering he raced a Class 2 car. He raced to a season's best result of fifth in Sunday morning's wet race, an incredible effort. Despite winning all but two of the Pre-93 Class races in the series, a non-finish in one of those he did not win left him the runner-up to Matthew Penrose of Rangiora in the Class 2 National title.
Auckland drivers Zane Coppins in a Mitsubishi EVO 9, Simon Sceats in a Subaru Impreza and Michael Modgill in a Honda Integra shared the wins in the penultimate round of the Production Racing Championship that concludes at Manfeild later this month.
Michael Bristow of Pukekohe was the dominant individual in the First Windows & Doors V8 Development Series, winning all three races and extending his championship lead in his Holden Commodore. This series also ends at Manfeild in three weeks time.
Lindsay Beer
Publicity Officer
Southland Sports Car Club
021 351 499
CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS
NEW ZEALAND V8s CHAMPIONSHIP - John McIntyre (Auckland)
TOYOTA RACING SERIES - Andy Knight (Christchurch)
BATTERY TOWN PORSCHE GT3 CUP - Craig Baird (Queensland)
MTA FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP - John Whelan (Dunedin)
MINI CHALLENGE - Brent Collins (Pareora)