Top 10 Team Signs a Peach

Team SCG Racing who currently have their number one driver Dale Williams sitting within the top ten in New Zealand's premier motorsport championship has just this year signed hot Auckland driver Mack Peach to pilot their second Ford.

Filling the vacant spot left by Australian V8 Supercar driver David Besnard, Peach is eager to get back behind the wheel of an NZV8 race car after a number of years out of tourers.

Currently driving in the renegade ENZED V8 Ute Series the 26 year old last year claimed third in the opening championship and is currently sitting in second place in this year's season after winning round two at Pukekohe last month.

Back in 2000 Peach placed fourth in the NZV8 championship in his rookie year at the mere age of 17 while his then team mate Paul Manuell claimed the championship for the team.

Talk of becoming the new driver for Team SCG Racing started before Christmas after John "Moose" Rolfe came on board the Superfreight Racing V8 Ute team for round two at Pukekohe last month helping Peach to win the round and pushing him up into second place in the standings.

"Moose ran the ute for us at Pukekohe and we have had quite a long relationship with him over the years and he put his foot in the door for us with SCG." said Peach.

A test drive at Taupo before the new year sealed the deal and Peach heads to Timaru this weekend with eyes on the top ten at the tight South Island circuit.

"We went down to Taupo where I had a drive and got up to speed in the car fairly quickly." he said.

"I'm not too sure how I'll go this weekend - hopefully aiming for the top ten but will have to blow a few cobwebs out and be a bit cautious for the first time out being in someone elses car - there are some bits to learn again and then go on from there." he said.

Peach looks forward to competing in a fully prepared race car after the very heavy and restricted V8 ute which can be a handful with plenty of power and little grip.

"It's great to be in a car with more grip than the utes which at 1800kgs are hard work to control on a 235 DOT rated tyre, so I am very much looking forward to it." he said.

Being a little on the backfoot with being away for a number of years Peach expects to have an exciting re-entry into the top echelon of New Zealand motor racing.

With only two prior race meetings at Timaru International Raceway there will be some hard work needed but Peach believes he has a good package underneath him for his debut in the newly branded BNT V8s.

"The SCG cars are very good, they've had the engines out on the dyno and they've certainly put some work into them and look very promising."

The teaming up of Dale Williams and Mack Peach is expected to be a promising partnership with the two becoming close friends early on in their racing careers.

"I did about eight years with Dale in karting and we should be able to work really closely together which will be beneficial for the both of us."

The Taupo based Team SCG Racing head to Timaru this weekend with their drivers Mack Peach and Dale Williams for practice sessions on Friday the 9th January followed by qualification on Saturday morning.

The first of three races is to be held on Saturday afternoon with race two on Sunday morning and the notoriously brutal reverse grid race three in the afternoon.

The very next weekend the BNT V8s move to Invercargill's Teretonga Park for round five over the weekend of 16-18th January 2009.