March 1, 2008

Andy Booth led from the front to win the weekend’s first New Zealand V8s race at the Timaru International Motor Raceway in the VnC Cocktails 200.

With fresh support from Big Ben Pies for his Tasman Motorsport Holden, the two-time V8s champion took pole position in the rain-affected qualifying sessions from defending V8s champion and current series leader John McIntyre, and then went on to win the 14 lap race – his first official win of the season.

On a rain-soaked circuit, the race was started with the first three corners under yellow flag, meaning no passing was allowed. Taking the top two slots behind Booth were McIntyre in the BP Ultimate Ford and Paul Radisich in the HPM Ford. All three drivers agreed that it was sensible for officials to have started the race in this way.

“In the rain, the pole position is the wettest,” said McIntyre. “So it’s really a disadvantage for the pole-sitter in these conditions.”

“It was amazing the difference in grip around the circuit,” said Booth who was delighted to have a race win which wasn’t taken away by officials as happened in Taupo earlier in the season.

In such wet conditions, the race itself was relatively uneventful as drivers kept a safe distance behind the car in front, except when GT Radial Ford driver Dean Perkins hit the tyre wall hard midway through the race. Although the safety car came out for several laps, officials decided not to extract the car from the wall.

“Restarting the race with Perkins’ car in the wall wasn’t great,” said Radisich who was pleased to finish third in the difficult conditions. “It’s hard to challenge in the wet here – it’s quite a narrow circuit and as soon as you stepped off the racing line there wasn’t much grip.”

McIntyre’s second place extended his points’ lead over Angus Fogg, the next best-placed driver in the New Zealand V8s Championship, who finished fourth behind Radisich.

David Besnard was fourth in the SCG Motorsport Ford while Fujitsu Ford driver Kayne Scott improved from his tenth qualifying position to finish sixth. Young Auckland driver Tim Edgell held on well from his fourth qualifying position to finish seventh, with Paul Manuell and Andrew Anderson taking eighth and ninth respectively.

Michael Bristow finished tenth having been asked to drive the Tex Onsite Ford for the last two rounds after the team and long-time driver Cameron McLean decided to part ways. Bristow is currently leading the First Windows & Doors V8 Development Series and is racing both his development V8 Holden and the Tex Onsite Ford at Timaru and Teretonga.

The starting grid for Sunday’s 18-lap race is determined by the fastest times that each driver set in the first race. This sees McIntyre on pole, giving him a further opportunity to extend his series’ points lead. Booth, Scott, Radisich, Anderson and then Fogg line up behind McIntyre.

The New Zealand V8s then have a third reverse grid race to wrap up the weekend’s racing atTimaru in the VnC Cocktails 200 before heading to Teretonga for their season finale, the Hydraulink 200.

The competitors in the First Windows & Doors V8s Development Series are also racing at Timaru. Auckland’s Peter Butler was the fastest qualifier in a Ford with Pukekohe’s Michael Bristow beside him on the front row of the grid in a Holden. Bristow won the eight lap race with Dunedin’s Blair Sutherland in second and Butler third.

1 Andy Booth 18:53.122
2 John McIntyre 18:53.561
3 Paul Radisich 18:57.344
4 Angus Fogg 18:58.147
5 David Besnard 18:58.969
6 Kayne Scott 18:59.483
7 Tim Edgell 19:02.993
8 Paul Manuell 19:03.341
9 Andrew Anderson 19:04.061
10 Michael Bristow 19:05.639

Source: NZV8S.com, ams.cranialcavity.net

Photo: NZV8S.com