McIntyre's lead get slimmer by the day
John McIntyre’s lead in the Parker ENZED NZV8s Championship narrowed after arch-rival Kayne Scott won the first race of this weekend’s final NZV8 round at Pukekohe.
The Ford-driving McIntyre, finishing third in the 12-lap race behind defending NZV8 champion Scott and fellow Holden driver Andy Booth, sees the 43 point advantage he held over Scott coming into this final round reduced to 28 points. With 75 points up for grabs for the winner of the final two races of the championship during Sunday’s massive V8 Supercar event and the unpredictable reverse grid third race to take into account, McIntyre faces increased pressure to try and secure his first NZV8 championship title.
From pole, Scott led from start to finish in a race which had half the laps completed under the control of the safety car due to off-track excursions by Andrew Anderson, Gene Rollinson and Colin Corkery. Saying his Fujitsu Holden had good pace, he added: “It was frustrating, really, with the safety cars coming out twice as I think we had a car strong enough to pull away from the others.â€Â
Booth, starting in third at the rolling start, moved swiftly to position the Tasman Motorsport Holden just millimetres behind Scott in a tactical move to force McIntyre to drop back into third as the leaders swept around Pukekohe’s opening sweeper. Booth and McIntyre traded a little paint in the ensuing six laps of actual racing – McIntyre’s side mirror a casualty of one encounter – but Booth maintained second position through to the chequered flag, saying later: “It wasn’t much of a race really with all those safety car laps, was it?â€Â
McIntyre expressed his disappointment with some of Booth’s manoeuvres, but officials didn’t find reason to impose any sanctions on Booth, a former two-time champion in this class.
“It was better to get the points for third than get tangled up,†said McIntyre later.
With 999 points, McIntyre holds the series lead by just 28 points from Scott on 971. The championship will be decided in Sunday’s final two NZV8 races - a 16-lapper at 10:25am and the reverse grid 20-lapper at 4:30pm to wrap up the weekend’s action at Pukekohe.
Now probably out contention for the overall title, David Besnard holds third in the Hydraulink Ford with 908 points while, fourth with 864 points, Angus Fogg put in an outstanding effort in the Star Mart Ford to finish eleventh after having to start this race at the back of the grid due to an engine change penalty.
This weekend’s event at Pukekohe may be the last time the Australian V8 Supercars race on the popular circuit, but the NZV8s, and the rest of New Zealand’s leading motor racing championships, return to Pukekohe Park Raceway for their 2007-08 season in October or November this year.
The Ford-driving McIntyre, finishing third in the 12-lap race behind defending NZV8 champion Scott and fellow Holden driver Andy Booth, sees the 43 point advantage he held over Scott coming into this final round reduced to 28 points. With 75 points up for grabs for the winner of the final two races of the championship during Sunday’s massive V8 Supercar event and the unpredictable reverse grid third race to take into account, McIntyre faces increased pressure to try and secure his first NZV8 championship title.
From pole, Scott led from start to finish in a race which had half the laps completed under the control of the safety car due to off-track excursions by Andrew Anderson, Gene Rollinson and Colin Corkery. Saying his Fujitsu Holden had good pace, he added: “It was frustrating, really, with the safety cars coming out twice as I think we had a car strong enough to pull away from the others.â€Â
Booth, starting in third at the rolling start, moved swiftly to position the Tasman Motorsport Holden just millimetres behind Scott in a tactical move to force McIntyre to drop back into third as the leaders swept around Pukekohe’s opening sweeper. Booth and McIntyre traded a little paint in the ensuing six laps of actual racing – McIntyre’s side mirror a casualty of one encounter – but Booth maintained second position through to the chequered flag, saying later: “It wasn’t much of a race really with all those safety car laps, was it?â€Â
McIntyre expressed his disappointment with some of Booth’s manoeuvres, but officials didn’t find reason to impose any sanctions on Booth, a former two-time champion in this class.
“It was better to get the points for third than get tangled up,†said McIntyre later.
With 999 points, McIntyre holds the series lead by just 28 points from Scott on 971. The championship will be decided in Sunday’s final two NZV8 races - a 16-lapper at 10:25am and the reverse grid 20-lapper at 4:30pm to wrap up the weekend’s action at Pukekohe.
Now probably out contention for the overall title, David Besnard holds third in the Hydraulink Ford with 908 points while, fourth with 864 points, Angus Fogg put in an outstanding effort in the Star Mart Ford to finish eleventh after having to start this race at the back of the grid due to an engine change penalty.
This weekend’s event at Pukekohe may be the last time the Australian V8 Supercars race on the popular circuit, but the NZV8s, and the rest of New Zealand’s leading motor racing championships, return to Pukekohe Park Raceway for their 2007-08 season in October or November this year.