New Zealand V8s get new season underway

Competitors in the New Zealand V8s series commence their 2008-09 championship battle at the Taupo Motorsport Park on the weekend of 3 and 4 October. This season’s championship takes in seven rounds around the country from October to March, with a non-championship event at the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar race in April wrapping up the summer’s action.

Traditionally the popular New Zealand V8s racing series has started its season at Pukekohe Raceway, but the 2008-09 summer series incorporates a refreshed calendar and small amendments to the technical regulations.

The championship events are:
- Round 1 (Fujitsu 200), Taupo Motorsport Park, 2-4 October 2008
- Round 2, Pukekohe Park, 7-9 November 2008
- Round 3, Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway (Christchurch), 28-30 November 2008
- Round 4, Timaru International Motor Raceway, 9-11 January 2009
- Round 5, Teretonga Park (Invercargill), 16-18 January 2009
- Round 6, Manfeild Park (Fielding), 27 February - 1 March 2009
- Round 7, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Meremere), 20-22 March 2009

The New Zealand V8s will also participate in a non-championship trophy round as part of the Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar event in April 2009.

Kerry Cooper, general manager of The MotorSport Company which promotes the New Zealand V8s championship as part of the country’s premier summer motor racing series, says the intensity and quality of racing in the New Zealand V8s is again expected to be top class this season.

“The competitors in the New Zealand V8s have delivered some brilliant racing over the past few seasons – real bumper-to-bumper, door-to-door action. And with most of our top saloon car drivers again lining up in the New Zealand V8s for this season, we are definitely going to see some fantastic racing from this premier class,” says Cooper.

Nelson-based driver John McIntyre is back to defend the title he’s won for the past two seasons and faces intense competition from archrival Ford drivers Kayne Scott and Angus Fogg. Fogg has launched his own team, Angus Fogg Racing, with their ex-International Motorsport Ford now running with the assistance of former New Zealand V8 competitor Kevin Williams and new sponsor LG Electronics. Former champion Paul Pedersen returns to the Ford camp in the sole International Motorsport V8 entry, while long-time top-class Holden campaigners Andy Booth and Paul Manuell will also contest the series again, Booth in a brand-new car.

Two championship-winning drivers join the New Zealand V8s class. Last year’s Toyota Racing Series champion Andy Knight takes over the Ford that Australian Luke Youlden has driven for the past three seasons. The car will be known as the Milwaukee Falcon. Former Production Racing Series champion Dale Williams steps into the SCG Racing Ford driven by another Australian David Besnard.

More driver announcements are expected in the next two weeks.

Each championship round follows a similar format to last season. There are three races in each round: one 12-lap race on Saturday afternoon, one 16-lap race on Sunday morning and one 20-lap race on Sunday afternoon, all with rolling starts. The starting order for race one is determined by qualifying times with qualifying following the same three session format as last season. Competitors line up for race two in the order they finished race one, then points earned in the first two races are calculated, and the order reversed for the starting grid for race three. Qualifying on Saturday mornings involves all competitors in the first 20 minute session, the fastest 20 competitors move onto to a second session of 15 minutes, then the fastest ten have another 15 minute session to determine grid positions one to ten.

Amongst some smaller technical amendments, the major change in terms of regulations is the option to use a four-speed Jerico gearbox for both Fords and Holdens. All competitors continue to race on the specified ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ tyres supplied by Dunlop.

New Zealand V8s series co-ordinator David Slater says the Jerico gearbox is optional for all competitors. “However the lower purchase cost and greater strength and reliability of this purpose-built racing gearbox have meant many competitors opted to fit it this season.

The New Zealand V8s championship forms part of a comprehensive television package produced of all the MotorSport New Zealand-sanctioned championships. All the season’s races and driver interviews are shown on Television New Zealand’s Powerbuilt Tools Motorsport and Sky Sport’s Fujitsu MotorSport NZ programme with expert commentary from Clint Brown.

Cooper says more detailed information about this season’s New Zealand V8 competitors will be available as soon as entries are finalised within the next week.