SS2000 CLUB NEWSLETTER

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1 SS2000 CLUB NEWSLETTER Series Sponsors: SS2000 Club Contacts: President: Terry O Brien Ph: Or: Secretary: Brent Thompson Ph: Or: Treasurer: Shayne Morgan Ph: Or PR & Sponsorship: Committee Members Series Co-ordinator: Scott Smith Ph: Or: Sam Elliot (Assistant) Ph: Or: Litre Racing at it s Best!! Season: June/ July/ Aug 2010 Issue #: 65 Few Changes at Long AGM!! There was plenty to discuss at the 2010 AGM and whilst it seemed longer than normal, few changes eventuated. The most significant changes included the lowering of the boost for Open Class turbo cars to 16psi maximumthe allowance of rear under trays/ diffusers and restricted use and application of handicap nominated times. The more contentious proposals to change class weights and race formats did not receive the required support from the voters present, so remained unchanged. The rules for the Honda Challenge, written since its inception, received a huge tidy-up and hopefully these updated rules will make it a bit clearer and fairer for all those concerned. It was also the general consensus of those present, to continue to promote growth of our class and not to abolish any of our classes that have or did not receive support of competing numbers in the past (eg: Rotary Class). Seemingly this may be a direct result of some signs of a downturn in numbers cur- rently being experienced in various Winter Series and events so far. So once again common sense prevailed and our past winning formula has continued to be refined. All the changes can be viewed on our website under Documentation. Series Scrutineer: Alan Stewart Ph: Committee: Kevin Hyde Ph: Bob Louie Ph: Nicky Watt Ph: Phil Brown Ph: Newsletter Editor: Bob Louie Ph: Or: bob.louie@xtra.co.nz Website: Brent Thompson Ph: Year 2 for IRC series The countdown is well and truly on for the start of our next season s racing which is barely a month away. It is also the second year of our participation in the IRC series, a series generally regarded as Tier 2 amongst those in various Motorsport circles. Last season the IRC Series received good support by both competitors and spectators alike and at times was the envy of the top level Tier 1 classes. Certainly many have said that the IRC provided what the spectators wanted to see, great and interesting race classes with competitive and close racing. This season the participating classes are much the same featuring our class along with Minis, GTNZ, GT1 & 2, SCRANZ, Formula First, Sports Cars, Pre 65, Pro 7s Porsche, with Muscle Cars joining in on a more regular basis. It is envisaged that there will be a greater push on the promotional side of things, with the possibility of a complete printed season s program, race cars rides and a greater commitment from the classes to participate in race weekend car displays. Whilst a number of other initiatives are still being finalized, there is already the promise of some rounds being televised and the hope of a Corporate sponsor being sought. So all in all, the IRC Series looks to be in good shape and the outlook looks very positive come the first round in October.

2 Page 2 Captain s Calls Hi Everyone, Welcome to a new season, one that will hopefully be every bit as good as the last. Firstly, I wish to extend a big thank you to all those that attended the recent AGM and I wish to congratulate all the trophy winners as well. Whilst it was a fairly lengthy affair, it promoted some good healthy discussion and in the end common sense prevailed when it came to voting on remits. The end result was not too many major changes to our rules which I am sure will put a lot of minds at ease. However, no matter whether they are major or minor changes, I urge all intending competitors to familiarise themselves with our Series Articles and Technical Regulations (refer our website under documents, for a copy). It is important that your car complies to these rules and in particular the placement of our sponsors decals. Also of more importance, are the fuel handling rules (refer NZ Motorsport manual) which all the tracks will be looking to enforce this season. So get reading!! This season we again welcome the continued support of our major series sponsor, Motul Oils. It is really fantastic to have such a loyal sponsor stick with us for so many years, so thanks to Tim & Kay at Motul. Auckland Engineering Supplies (AES) are also stepping up this year in their support and I am sure a number of you will again enjoy the lucky draw prises donated courtesy of Steve Harris. Don t forget if you need any help, please feel free to ring me on See you all at Manfeild Round One!! Cheers.. Terry Motul Products now available through an authorized Dealer network in most main cities throughout NZ. Ensure you identify yourself as an SS2000 Club member. Imported and Distributed by Makay Imports Ltd Motul Oils SS2000 Race Calendar Rd 1 October 2nd/ 3rd Manfeild Rd 2 October 23rd/ 24th Taupo Rd 3 December 4th/ 5th Pukekohe Rd 4 January 8th/ 9th Taupo Rd 5 February 5th/ 6th Manfeild Rd 6 March 5th/ 6th Hampton Down Rd April 23rd/ 24th Taupo

3 Page 3 Who won What!! For those who did not attend the prize giving following the AGM, here is a list of trophy winners for last season: Motul Oils SS2000 Overall Championship: 1st 2nd 3rd Malcolm Glen (Nissan 200SX) David Geraghty (Mitsi Lancer) Rick Bone (Datsun Coupe) Honda Challenge Overall: 1st Martin Dunn (Honda Integra) 2nd Brent Thompson (Honda Civic) 3rd Phil Noblett (Honda Integra) Best presented Honda Tim Pollard Class: cc 1st Rick Bone (Datsun Coupe) 2nd Phil Brown (Toyota Corolla) 3rd Brent Thompson (Honda Civic) Class: cc 1st Brent Thompson (Civic) 2nd Gary Wilson (Civic) 3rd Scott Smith (Civic) Class: cc 1st Martin Dunn (Honda Integra) 2nd Matt Foster (Ford Telstar) 3rd Phil Noblett (Honda Integra) Class: cc 1st Martin Dunn (Integra) 2nd Phil Noblett (Integra) 3rd Tim Pollard (Integra) Class: Open 1st Malcolm Glen (Nissan 200SX) 2nd David Geraghty (Mitsi Lancer) 3rd Tony Oliver (Nissan Sylvia) Club Trophies: Most Helpful non Competitor Most Improved Driver Hard Luck trophy Cran Judge cup (Rookie of the season) Guy Latham trophy (winner last race Taupo) Nilson Memorial cup (most points Taupo) Sports Person of the Year Geoff Page Phil Brown David Geraghty Gary Wilson Malcolm Glen Rick Bone Tim Pollard FOOTNOTE: To all winners of AES vouchers from the prize giving, please take advantage of your purchase prior to the voucher expiry date. Contact Nicky on if you need any help. Pit shirts still available!! Pit shirts are still available for all Club Members and supporters for this coming season. Cost to Club members is $40.00 and to non members $ Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL. Contact: Bob on

4 Page 4 Club Noticeboard: Dunlop Tyre Prize details Congratulations to Phil Brown & Scotty Smith who were the winners of the Dunlop tyre prizes. Each get 2 Dunlop tyres of their choice and size, courtesy of Dunlop Tyres NZ. As a prerequisite for this season s Dunlop tyre prize, competitors choosing Dunlop tyres are required to provide a copy of their receipt or proof of purchase to committee member, Kevin Hyde. However, you must still be present at the AGM-Prize giving to be fully eligible for the lucky Dunlop Tyre prize draw. SS2000 Pit Tent for Tender The Club s old pit tent has gone past its used by date and is now up for tender to any interested Club Member in the first instance (refer sample photo of what it looks like). Tent can only really be pitched on grass areas, can easily house a race car, any spares with heaps more room after this and shelters you from any type of weather elements. It takes a minimum of 2 people to erect and is easily transportable in a carry bag. Tent is a 2-colour scheme of dark blue and black. Brand new, this tent has a value of approximately $1500 and about $600-$700 secondhand. Any reasonable tender will be considered and it doesn t have to be money orientated (eg: could be payment by beer/ product etc). All tenders or expressions of interest should be directed to a Committee member in the first instance. Interested in a Southern Excursion?? In a recent bulletin issued by the Historic Racing Club (HRC) regarding their race meeting scheduled for 13th/14th November, there was mention of the inclusion of SS2000 as one of the competing classes. This information is incorrect and we are not attending this race meeting (refer our Race Calendar elsewhere in this newsletter or visit our website for this info). Accommodation Manfeild Round 5 5th/6th Feb 2011: As this round clashes with the NZ Stockcar Teams Championship in Palmerston North, accommodation availability is tight and you may find it hard to find anywhere to stay even as early as now. Julian Hardy from the Manawatu Car Club has suggested utilizing the Massey University Halls of Residence as a solution. However, you will need to let him know promptly if you are interested in this arrangement (refer also Announcements in the Forum section of our website for more details). You can contact Julian on ph: or or manawatucarclub@xtra.co.nz. Don t leave it to the last minute!! We are currently requesting expressions of interest from those competitors wanting to venture down to the South Island for a non-championship race meeting at Levels circuit in Timaru on the 26th/ 27th March 2011courtesy of an invitation from the Kumho Sports Saloon class. This meeting will also host the Super Trucks which is one of their bigger meetings of the season. The Timaru International Motor Raceway (formerly known as Levels) is situated 10 minutes out of Timaru (approx. 8kms). It is a 2.4km track that runs in anticlockwise direction, asphalt concrete surface, has a really good pit area and it has a unique esses configuration after the start/ finish line that catches out many a driver. If you are interested in making the trip, please contact our Club Secretary, Brent Thompson.

5 Page 5 Main Sponsors Return For yet another season, Motul Oils returns as our series main sponsor. Their continued support is most welcome particularly since we are still experiencing the aftermath of the recession. This will be Motul Oils fourth year as our series sponsor and they would rate as one of our series longest sponsors to date. So please ensure you support them by using some of their fine oils and lubricants that they have in their range. Tim and Kay are very approachable if you want to find out more info about these too (refer contact details elsewhere in this issue). Auckland Engineering Supplies (AES) are also returning with their support and this year their stickers will take a prime spot above the door numbers. Last season, AES generously donated a huge pool of prizes as giveaways at each round and this looks set to continue for this season. Steve Harris is the man behind AES and he is a very passionate supporter of our class of racing. Once again I urge you to support AES as they have a huge range of automotive products and tools available. Dunlop Tyres will again offer a number of tyres, based on our season s purchases, as a lucky draw prize at our AGM (refer Club Notices elsewhere) and details on Racetech sponsorship of another race seat are still being finalised. Suppliers of a broad range of tools and products for the engineering Pit Exit Once again the off season has gone by all but too fast and the start of yet another season is only just around the corner. It was good to see a number of our regular competitors involved in the various winter series around the country and also a number of our Honda drivers getting some valuable track time in the Honda Cup series as well. Hopefully your efforts will pay off for the new season ahead. Whilst on the subject of the Winter series, the hard cold facts show competitor numbers were much reduced when compared to last season. In fact the second round of the Honda Cup winter series had to be cancelled due to a lack of entries for that particular race meeting. Yet at a recent Manfeild club dual car sprint, quite large numbers turned up. So what s going on out there?? Has the recession finally hit motorsport at our level??. Perhaps it has. As I write this column, entries for our first round at Manfeild are sadly at an all time low. So if you are intending on competing, then you had better get your entry in otherwise you will be paying a late entry fee!! Recently I learnt that hard times have affected a long time favorite magazine of mine, NZ Speedsport. After 20 solid years of this monthly publication, it all finally came to a halt after the July 2010 issue. It has been suggested that a lack of advertisers contributed to its demise. The free magazine NZ Racer, has also suffered a few set backs but more to the ill health of editor, John Hawkins. John is currently seeking a new owner and remains upbeat about keeping this publication going as best as he can. Currently we contribute articles on our series to NZ Racer, so it would be a shame to see it disappear too. I will have free copies of the latest issues at Manfeild if anyone wants one. On a more positive note, it was good to see Rick Bone s Datsun Coupe feature in a recent issue of NZ Performance Car. I am also informed that Tim Pollard s Integra will also feature in this same publication and we too may be contributing regular articles on our racing in the not too distant future. Lastly as a part of your pre-season checks, whilst a lot of attention has probably been paid to your car preparation, don t forget your safety gear. Ensure your fire extinguisher has been filled and checked, you seat belts are still current, your helmet complies and your overalls, gloves, boots and balaclava are still in good condition. Don t face the disappointment of finding out something has expired or does not comply and you are relegated to being a spectator!! So here s to a new season. See you all at Manfeild round one... Cheers, Bob