MOTORSPORT NZ CHAMPIONSHIP

Transcription

1 OFFICIAL PROGRAMME. $5 MOTORSPORT NZ CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 AT MIKE PERO MOTORSPORT PARK ALL PROCEEDS OF THE PROGRAMME GO speedworksevents.co.nz TO RONALD McDONALD CHRISTCHURCH HOUSE CHARITIES JAN 1 1

2 THERE S GERMAN ENGINEERING. THEN THERE S JAPANESE PRECISION. THE FIRST EVER LC 500

3 SCHEDULE SATURDAY 13 JANUARY NZ SuperTrucks Championship Qualifying BNT V8s Championship OSCA Pirelli Porsche Championship Practice Qualifying Qualifying Toyota 86 Championship Qualifying Part 1 Toyota 86 Championship Qualifying Part 2 Castrol Toyota Racing Series Qualifying Part 1 Castrol Toyota Racing Series Qualifying Part 2 NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda Racing Series Qualifying BNT V8s Championship Qualifying NZ Formula 1600 Championship Qualifying NZ SuperTrucks Championship Race LUNCH BREAK 45 minutes 14:05 Pirelli Porsche Championship Race 1 OSCA Race 1 Castrol Toyota Racing Series Race 1 NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda Racing Series Race 1 Toyota 86 Championship Race 1 BNT V8s Championship Race 1 NZ Formula 1600 Championship Race 1 NZ SuperTrucks Championship Race 2 SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 9:25 Formula 1600 Championship Race 2 NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda Racing Series Race 2 Toyota 86 Championship Race 2 OSCA Race 2 Castrol Toyota Racing Series Race 2 Pirelli Porsche Championship Race 2 BNT V8s Championship Race 2 NZ SuperTrucks Championship Race LUNCH BREAK 35 minutes 13:45 NZ Formula 1600 Championship Race 3 Toyota 86 Championship Race 3 NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda Racing Series Race 3 Castrol Toyota Racing Series Race 3 Pirelli Porsche Championship Race 3 BNT V8s Championship Race 3 OSCA Race 3 NZ SuperTrucks Championship Race 4 EVENTS CONTENTS Schedule... 1 Welcome... 2 A Lap of Mike Pero Motorsport Park... 3 Speed Works Club... 4 Castrol Toyota Racing Series... 5 BNT V8s... 8 Toyota 86 Championship Pirelli Porsche Championship Lady Wigram Trophy NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda Racing Series OSCA Kiwis Overseas Rush Hour...26 NZ Formula 1600 Championship New Zealand Grand Prix New Zealand SuperTrucks PROGRAMME EDITOR Richard Gee PROGRAMME CONTRIBUTORS Simon Chapman Euan Cameron Mark Baker John Coker Bruce Jenkins Media 77 Terry Marshall PROGRAMME DESIGN Kaz Graphic Dezign Ltd ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Geoff Short All contents of this publication are copyright and cannot be reproduced in any format without express permission from Speed Works Events. The opinions expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of the officials of MotorSport New Zealand, Speed Works Events, the race circuit venue or their agencies and representatives. CHRISTCHURCH JAN 1 1

4 CASTROL TOYOTA RACING SERIES IS GO! Christchurch is always a great place to start the season for our international up and coming single seater young guns it s a challenging track and shows the cars and drivers at their absolute best. This year we have several Kiwis to cheer on, as they make their next steps in attempting to emulate some of the remarkable achievements of our drivers on the international scene in recent seasons. WAYNE CHRISTIE President, MotorSport New Zealand It s January and we re at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch. That can only mean one thing in the New Zealand motorsport calendar, the start of the international single seater Castrol Toyota Racing Series. And that s what this Toyota series is really all about it offers up and coming stars single seaters, challenging tracks and fierce competition at the best possible time of the year ahead of European and North American seasons. So be in no doubt that what you are looking at this weekend will be the driving talent that will make it to the higher echelons of racing, be that F1, Indycar, Sportscars, GT or even Formula E. The Toyota racers will rightly hog the limelight this weekend, but it s a great racing spectacle that Speed Works Events and the local car club and its army of volunteers will be putting on for motor racing fans. There are the BNT V8s, which feature Supercar-bound André Heimgartner as well as former Supercar and Bathurst winner Jason Bargwanna. Watch out, too, for Chelsea Herbert in Class 2 of the championship series. She recently became the first female driver to ever win a national V8 championship race in NZ, and definitely has all of the right stuff to be a success in racing speed, race craft and professionalism. Toyota 86s, SuperTrucks and Pirelli Porsche provide further championship status categories at this major motorsport event, and the single seater and Toyota stars of tomorrow will be in action in the double-headed National and South Island F1600 championships. OSCA is a must watch also, packing some enormous fields as it does and offering a very unrestricted rule book that brings some of the wildest and fastest racing machines to the fans. So, in summary, enjoy the fabulous racing you will see this weekend, enjoy the atmosphere at one of our most popular venues and thank you to everyone who has helped put together and who will be a part of this race meeting. And above all, a happy, successful and safe 2018 to you all. 2 CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

5 FROM THE DRIVER S SEAT Join Marcus Armstrong who won the first race of the 2017 Championship here at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, a year ago for a fast lap of the circuit. Ruapuna is a fantastic circuit. It has a good combination of fast and slow corners blending into flowing sequences. Unlike some circuits in New Zealand there is some room for error, especially through the infield where you would be doing well to hit a wall, so we can afford to take extra risks to go faster. My favourite corner would have to be the very quick Turn 2, although this is one corner where you can t afford to make an error! TURN 1: At the end of the start-finish straight is quite a standard left hander, the braking point depends a bit on wind direction but in these great cars you don t need to use the brakes that much. Watch out for track limits on the exit! TURN 2: My favourite corner of the TRS calendar (together with Turn 9 at Taupo) is quite remarkable in these cars as you could almost treat it as kink as appose to a real corner as long as you are on fresh tyres. TURN 3: Hard braking and into first gear. A very tight hairpin which provides good first-lap action. It s a good place to overtake but it s easy to make contact due to the narrow road, as happened to me last year. TURN 6: The start of the good infield sequence, try not to be offline here as it will make the next corner difficult. TURN 7: We can carry a lot of speed through here and this corner seems to improve with grip throughout the weekend, although it s easy to drop a wheel in the dust on exit if you get it wrong. TURN 8: A long right hander leading on to a short straight. Sometimes traction can be an issue here as we try to get a good exit. There is a wall on the outside where I ve seen a few crashes in my younger days. TURN 9: Another quick corner which is fun to drive in this car. In qualifying this corner is one of the best as we can take a lot of speed through. Important not to get greedy though, as we have to immediately prepare for Turn 10. TURN 10: Again it s one of the corners where you need to watch track limits on the outside. It s quite dirty offline with dust, I remember a yellow flag being out almost every lap in testing last year. LAST CORNER: A long left hander, it s a fun one, especially on exit because there is a wall staring you in the face till the last moment. I wish there were no track limits here, in which we could go millimetres from the wall. If you watch closely the cars are normally sliding from the mid-corner. T2 T T4 T T8 T6 3 T1 T T Castrol Toyota Racing Series, gear changes numbers in green speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 3 3

6 JOIN THE SPEED WORKS CLUB CLUB MEMBER BENEFITS INCLUDE: Significantly discounted ticket prices Be the first to be offered pre-sale tickets Gain access to exclusive competitions and give-aways Unlock club only privileged content DOWNLOAD THE FREE SPEED WORKS APP NOW LIVE COMMENTARY LIVE RACE TIMING LATEST MOTORSPORT NEWS LATEST EVENT UPDATES TRACK MAPS BUY TICKETS RACE SCHEDULE 4 CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

7 Richard Verschoor is coming back to NZ for the TRS title CASTROL TOYOTA RACING SERIES FAST FIELD FOR 2018 CASTROL TOYOTA RACING SERIES Let battle commence! The cars and drivers of New Zealand s premier single-seater championship come together at Ruapuna this weekend for the opening round of the 2018 Castrol Toyota Racing Series. Once more TRS brings the best young drivers from Europe to this country to compete against our finest and fastest. This year four young Kiwi drivers go up against racers from Europe, the Americas and Africa. They will race fifteen times, covering up to 3,000 km in the Championship s FT50 race cars over the coming five race weekends. At stake are five prestigious trophies, a rookie title and more. So who is showing top form? Leading entries for the Championship include any number of drivers with extensive single-seater experience who will race against each other in top single-seater categories and championships in Europe. Ferrari Driver Academy is sending a two drivers, with Russian-born Robert Schwartzman joining Christchurch's Marcus Armstrong on the grid. Both will be competing with the Prema Powerteam in the 10-round Formula 3 European Championship when the northern hemisphere season gets underway in May. Schwartzman was third overall in the 2017 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup finishing third overall while Armstrong won the Italian F4 Championship and finished runner up in the ADAC German F4 Series. While Armstrong and Schwartzman are expected to be challengers for the TRS title, it won't be straightforward for either driver, with the announcement of 'The Flying Dutchman' Richard Verschoor returning to compete. In the closest championship in the Toyota Racing Series' 14-year history, Verschoor last season finished third overall, just 12 points behind Australian winner Thomas Randle. Originally from Quito, the Ecuadorian capital, Juan Manuel Correa races under the flag of the United States. He is the first Ecuadorian driver to compete in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series in its 14-year history. Florida-based Correa has competed in Formula 4 in Europe for the last two years, taking in both the Italian and German Championships. Luiz Felipe Branquinho will continue the now well-established tradition of Brazilians racing in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series when he starts at the first round this weekend. He follows in the tracks of Pedro Piquet, Bruno and Rodrigo Baptista, Gustavo Lima and Christian Hahn. Singapore-born but England-based James Pull comes to TRS from finishing runner-up in British Formula 3. He was the model of consistency in the 24-race series, finishing on the podium at least once at all eight rounds of the series. The Championship also welcomes two French teenagers, Charles Milesi and Theo Coicaud. Both have just completed a season of single seater racing in Europe after careers in karting. Milesi from Talant, a suburb of Dijon in eastern France has raced in both the French Formula 4 and Northern Europe Cup Formula Renault Championships, winning five races and finishing on the podium a further five times. Coicaud is from Le Havre in Normandy and came fourth in the Northern Europe Cup Formula Renault series this year. He also raced in a couple of rounds of the main European Formula Renault Championship. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 5 5

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9 CASTROL TOYOTA RACING SERIES THE NEW ZEALANDERS Four Kiwi drivers will contest the 2018 Castrol Toyota Racing Series, each from a different approach and each with their own goals to achieve. Three of the four have also raced the Toyota 86 Championship, all four are graduates of the MotorSport New Zealand Elite Motorsport Academy, and all four have shown excellent form in the FT50 race cars used in TRS. MARCUS ARMSTRONG Returns to New Zealand with a single-minded aim: to win the title. On his first run in TRS in 2017, he scored three wins, eight podiums and one pole position. After the 2017 TRS, he was second overall in the FIA German Formula 4 Championship and then won the Italian Formula 4 title. Marcus is the first New Zealander to be inducted into the elite Ferrari Driver Academy, and will race in European Formula 3 after this year s Championship. REID HARKER Steps up from the Toyota 86 Championship where he finished second in 2017, 22 year old Reid is looking to gain experience in single seaters after solid results in TRS test days at Hampton Downs. With many of the overseas racers already experienced in single-seaters and the aerodynamic grip they generate, Reid is counting on his familiarity on the five circuits used by the Championship and looking to be at the sharp end of the field, banking solid results and grabbing podiums where possible. BRENDON LEITCH Is back in New Zealand from a punishing but rewarding season in the cut-and-thrust of the American Formula 4 Championship, where he finished fourth overall and scored points toward a Superlicence. Brendon is a TRS regular with a best finish of third overall in Invercargill-born and raised, Brendon already has his name on the Teretonga Spirit of a Nation Cup, and is aiming to win the Championship this year. RYAN YARDLEY Is the most recent to commit to the Championship, having tested at Hampton Downs and lapped on race pace. The current Toyota 86 Champion, Ryan like Reid Harker is looking forward to the challenge of TRS and keen to put his car into the front of the field wherever he can. Having run slicks on the TR 86 sports coupes, he knows how to get the best from his tyres and knows the five circuits used by TRS. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 7 7

10 BNT V8S TIGHT AT THE TOP OF BNT V8S After two rounds of the BNT V8s, the championship is still wide open and anything is possible with four rounds still to run. Jason Bargwanna clinched the round wins at both Pukekohe and Taupo and leads the championship by 24 points from his Richards Team Motorsport team mate, André Heimgartner. Both the Class 1 Toyota Camry drivers have claimed wins at Ruapuna in the past and both are eager to get to the fast, yet tight and technical Mike Pero Motorsport Park. I really like Ruapuna, I ve had wins there before and we won there last year, said Bargwanna. At these next couple of rounds down south there is always the potential for weather and we re only two rounds into this championship so anything can happen. Heimgartner, who is preparing for his upcoming season in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with Nissan says he has always gone well at Ruapuna and is looking forward to reeling in Bargwanna. I m looking forward to getting to Ruapuna, I ve done a lot of laps there and it s a track I ve always tended to go well at. I am looking forward to getting some good results. We ve just got to try to keep beating Bargs! Taupo, qualifying second before going on to recording two thirds and a fifth. With experienced team mate Lance Hughes in an identical Hamilton Motorsports Holden Commodore to share data with, he will be one to watch this weekend. Class 2 of the championship is currently being lead by defending champion Liam MacDonald of Invercargill. MacDonald dominated at Pukekohe with a clean sweep of all three races and despite a couple of hiccups at Taupo, still managed to win the round. Claiming their debut wins in the class at Taupo were Chelsea Herbert and rookie Brock Timperley. Both drivers were thrilled to get their first wins. Sitting third in points, Cambridge driver Nick Ross finished third overall at Taupo and is relishing the opportunity to head south. We go OK in Christchurch. It s one of those circuits like Taupo where you have to be on it from the get go, otherwise you re catching up all weekend, he explained. Young Australian driver Jack Smith has also starred in recent rounds. The current Australian V8 Touring Car Champion showed impressive signs of speed at The Class 2 racers are chasing current champion and points leader Liam MacDonald of Invercargill. 8 CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

11 ROOKIE PROFILE: JUSTIN ASHWELL The Richards Team Motorsport teammates of Jason Bargwanna and André Heimgartner lead the way in the championship aboard their Toyota Camry machines. BNT V8S CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS CLASS 1 POS. NO. DRIVER CAR POINTS 1 97 Jason Bargwanna Toyota André Heimgartner Toyota Nick Ross Nissan Jack Smith Holden Lance Hughes Holden Brad Lathrope Ford Matthew Tubbs Holden 126 CLASS 2 POS. NO. DRIVER CAR POINTS 1 69 Liam MacDonald Ford TL Nick Farrier Ford TL Chelsea Herbert Ford TL Justin Ashwell Ford TL Brock Timperley Ford TL Robert Wallace Ford TL Matt Podjursky Ford TL Bronson Porter Holden TL Alan McCarrison Ford TL 39 Sitting fourth in Class 2 points and the highest placed of the rookie drivers is Christchurch driver Justin Ashwell. As we head to his home round, we chat with the Canterbury driver about his season so far. After two rounds you re sitting fourth overall in points and are the top rookie. That must be pretty pleasing? Especially after the first two rounds are tracks you haven t had a lot of experience on? Myself and the team are very pleased with our progression and the banking of points was our priority at each of the two rounds. We are mindful that the racing will be tight this year. Was Pukekohe a baptism of fire/water? Are you pleased to escape unscathed? I ve had a number of wet races in Invercargill mainly. The back straight at Puke was the worst Ive seen. The spin whilst chasing Chelsea down for 3rd in Race 1 was a test for me but yes happy to finish without damage. The first two rounds has been lots of learning about the car, do you feel you re getting on top of it? We are still some what sorting out the car, the slightest of changes can tip it either way. Still a bit away from other cars we suspect. Does racing at your home track give you that extra little bit of confidence? Knowing the track will helps us. This will also give us a better gauge on other cars in comparison to ours. Lance Hughes chases Nick Ross in Class 1. What has surprised you most about the class so far? Some of those kids are pretty quick! Honestly no surprises. Experience in driving the car helps a lot. My body may be old but the heart is young! All we can do is our best at each round. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 9 9 9

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13 HERBERT GETTING STRONGER ON AND OFF TRACK BNT V8S New Zealand s top female racing driver Chelsea Herbert is not sitting on the laurels of her historic race victory at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in December, and has been working hard over the Christmas holiday to arrive in Christchurch even stronger and faster than she has been in the first two rounds of the BNT V8 series, where she has been a revelation. Chelsea became the first female racer to win an NZ championship race in a V8, re-writing the history books and is firmly aiming to build on the big win in the MTF Finance Ford Falcon. Your first win will always be a pretty memorable race, she explained. My race win didn t come easily at all and to pull off a pass in the MTF V8 with four laps to go when it really counted was awesome. I hadn t realised I was making history at the same time so when I found that out it made the win that much more rewarding. Now that I ve got my first win under my belt I m very hungry for a few more. Our speed this season is a combination of a few things. My whole MTF Finance team has a much greater knowledge around the set-up of the car and I haven t really had an off season this year with driving the Mike Racing Aston Martin in the South Island endurance series. Seat time counts for a lot in this sport... And whilst the rest of us have been enjoying some well-earned time out, Herbert has been working hard to arrive in the South Island fitter, stronger and faster than before, which will be bad news for her rivals in Class 2. Leader of the pack Chelsea on her way to an historic win. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 11 11

14 TOYOTA 86 CHAMPIONSHIP TOYOTA 86 CHAMPIONSHIP HEATS UP Two rounds and six races are complete, and the battle for supremacy in the Toyota 86 Championship is white-hot. Racing at the ITM V8s in November on the ultra-fast Pukekohe circuit, Jack Milligan (Christchurch) and Tom Alexander (Bombay) were the early pace setters; Alexander then sealed his advantage with a win in the weekend s last race. A month later, the Championship picked up where it left off at the fast and challenging Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo. Celebrating his 23rd birthday on the Saturday, Michael Scott qualified on pole and ran away with the opening race. Then on the Sunday, it was Connor Adam s turn to step up, the young racer showing a marked step up in his speed over the championship. Tom Alexander salvaged his title hopes by winning the third race. Just a handful of points separates the leaders as the Championship reaches its midpoint. How close has the racing been? We ve had four different winners in the six races to date, and in the outright title battle just eight points separate the top three, with a race win worth 75 points. Now Connor Adam must defend from the hungry pack nipping at his heels. Tom Alexander is back, determined to regain his first-round title lead and maybe score an advantage to carry him though the remaining rounds. Michael Scott, Adam s International Motorsport team-mate, is also looking for the championship lead. CareVets Jack Milligan and Bramwell King can be expected to be asserting their challenges here too. Jaden Ransley was 14 when he made his series debut last year. Still just 15, he has been coached by Christchurch racer, mentor and team manager Andy Neale and is showing strong form, fifth overall. Top rookie going into this round is Jordan Baldwin in the blue Novus car. At Taupo, Nathan Pilcher and Martin Short joined the Championship; this time the grid welcomes a young racer in a hurry: Peter Vodanovich is just 16 years old, a recent convert to motor racing and has already competed in two other single make series. Set on a flat, river stone base, the series of turns that comprise the 3.3km multi-configuration circuit make Ruapuna fast and technical. Rewarding for the bold and precise, the circuit offers a range of passing opportunities and the wide approach to turn one often sees up to four cars go into the corner side by side on the start lap CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

15 Jordan Baldwin and Ben MacDonald battle it out. MEET: CONOR ADAM TOYOTA 86 CHAMPIONSHIP TOYOTA 86 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS POS DRIVER POINTS 1 Connor Adam Tom Alexander Jack Milligan Michael Scott Jaden Ransley Ben MacDonald Jordan Baldwin Bramwell King Reid Harker Sam Wright Callum Quin Martin Short Dylan Gulson Nathan Pilcher Cameron Hill 93 Consistency is everything at this point in the Championship. Drivers must stay out of trouble, make sure they score points in every race yet they must also race as hard as they can, knowing every other driver is going to do the same. A dominant performance here could set a driver on their way to the title. The smallest mistake could cost them the title. Michael Scott qualified on pole and ran away with the opening race at Taupo. CAR NO# 9 LOCATION. Auckland DOB AGE AT START OF 2017/18 CHAMPIONSHIP. 19 International Motorsport driver Connor Adam is back for a second shot at the title, and he s looking very quick. With two rounds done, Connor has surged to the front of the Championship. He made his Toyota 86 Championship debut in last year s series, taking a podium finish and finishing eighth in a field of 20. The Auckland-based 19 year old started his racing career in karts at the age of seven and has been racing for an unbroken 12 years with a best karting result of second in the ProKart Championship in KZ2. The Toyota 86 Championship was his first experience in full-sized cars. It was a transition he found relatively easy. Connor says his favourite circuit is either Ruapuna near Christchurch or Pukekohe, where racing in front of the massive V8 Supercar crowd at New Zealand s biggest sporting event gives drivers a huge boost. Having taken the Championship lead on the fast and challenging turns of Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at Taupo he admits he may revise his favourite circuit list. This year the Championship runs on a semi-slick Hankook tyre which Connor says are predictable and have good cornering grip. Connor s goal this year is to be in the top three at the end of the six round Championship. So far, he hasn t put a foot wrong. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 13 13

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17 MIGHTY PORSCHE FIELD SET TO THRILL PIRELLI PORSCHE CHAMPIONSHIP Robert Dong at speed in his beautiful 996 Cup car. The Pirelli Porsche Championship is back at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park as part of the Speed Works Motorsport Championship for the second year in a row and once again will give fans of the marque the best possible opportunity to see cars from the North and South Island do battle in a packed field of iconic racers. With a huge field coming down from the North Island complemented by the fastest Porsches on the South Island, there will be something for all race and Porsche fans. From the very latest 991 specification Cup cars to classics like the 944S2, all of the recent and not so recent racing Porsche legends are covered. There are classes for 997 and 996 Cup cars too. Watch out for the mighty 991s of Paul Kelly and Tim James, and for the slightly older 997 Cup Car of long time Porsche racer Brian McGovern, who was potent last time out in the championship s first round at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo, winning Class B for the weekend and taking victory in the one hour Rush Hour endurance race. PIRELLI PORSCHE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS NO. NAME CAR CLASS OPEN CLASS 78 Sean Kirkpatrick Porsche 997 GT3 Cup CLASS A 90 Paul Kelly Porsche 991 GT3 Cup Tim James Porsche 991 GT3 Cup 246 CLASS B 11 Brian McGovern Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Kevin Etches Porsche 997 GT3 Cup David Mackrell Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Keith Miller Porsche 997 GT3 Cup 266 CLASS C 888 Robert Dong Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Brent Greer Porsche Phil Jones Porsche 996 GT3 Cup 262 CLASS D 48 Dave Allison Porsche 968 SC Jim McKernan Porsche 944 SC 246 CLASS D 356 Tony Houston Porsche 944S Neil Dewar Porsche 944S Steff Chambers Porsche 944S Adrian Redding Porsche 944S2 278 Robert Dong at speed in his beautiful 996 Cup car. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 15 15

18 LADY WIGRAM TROPHY LADY WIGRAM A TROPHY FOR CHAMPIONS One of the country's most prestigious motorsport trophies, the Lady Wigram Trophy was formerly awarded to the winner of the Wigram Airfield race. It made up part of the Tasman Series and classes like Formula Holden, Formula 5000, Formula Pacific and Formula Three have all competed with the trophy as the prize before the current genre of Toyota single seaters. It is now contested annually by the Toyota Racing Series at Mike Pero Motorsport Park. There have been many notable winners over the decades, including arguably some of the greatest names in motorsport. Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham to name just a handful. Last year marked the 56th running of the Lady Wigram Trophy and served as the first round of the 2017 Toyota Racing Series. As this year, the event was held at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, and was won for the second year in succession by Force India protégé, Jehan Daruvala. Current holder Jehan Daruvala won the trophy in 2016 and PREVIOUS WINNERS 1951 Les Moore, Alfa Romeo Tipo B 1952 Les Moore, Alfa Romeo Tipo B 1953 Ron Roycroft, Alfa Romeo Tipo B 1954 Peter Whitehead, Ferrari Not contested 1956 Peter Whitehead, Ferrari 500/750S 1957 Peter Whitehead, Ferrari 555/ Archie Scott-Brown, Lister 57/ Ron Flockhart, BRM P Jack Brabham, Cooper T Jack Brabham, Cooper T Stirling Moss, Lotus Bruce McLaren, Cooper T Bruce McLaren, Cooper T Jim Clark, Lotus 32B 1966 Jackie Stewart, BRM P Jim Clark, Lotus Jim Clark, Lotus 49T 1969 Jochen Rindt, Lotus 49BT 1970 Frank Matich, McLaren M10A 1971 Graham McRae, McLaren M10B 1972 Graham McRae, Leda GM Graham McRae, McRae GM John McCormack, Elfin MR Graham McRae, McRae GM Ken Smith, Lola T Tom Gloy, Tui BH Larry Perkins, Ralt RT Dave McMillan, Ralt RT Dave McMillan, Ralt RT David Oxton, Ralt RT4/ Roberto Moreno, Ralt RT4/ Allen Berg, Ralt RT4/ Davy Jones, Ralt RT4/ Ross Cheever, Ralt RT Jeff MacPherson,Ralt RT Paul Radisich, Ralt RT Dean Hall, Swift 1989 Hiro Matsushita, Swift 1990 Craig Baird, Swift 1991 Ken Smith, Swift 1992 Craig Baird, Reynard 92H 1993 Craig Baird, Reynard 92H 1994 Paul Stokell, Reynard 90D Not contested 2003 Darren Palmer, Dallara F Daniel Gaunt, Dallara F Not contested 2006 Matthew Hamilton, Tatuus TT104ZZ 2007 Daniel Gaunt, Tatuus TT104ZZ 2008 Earl Bamber, Tatuus TT104ZZ 2009 Ken Smith, Lola T Roger Williams, Lola T Jay Esterer, McRae GM Steve Ross, McRae GM Not contested 2015 Lance Stroll, Tatuus FT Jehan Daruvala, Tatuus FT Jehan Daruvala, Tatuus FT-50 When F1 stars and cars contested the trophy Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt to the fore in Lotus 49B Cosworths CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

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20 NEXEN TYRE PRO 7 MAZDA RACING SERIES ROTARY BOYS SET FOR FIRST STAGE OF NATIONAL TITLE BATTLE NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazda racers will be out in force for the weekend at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park with the first of the two round national championship attracting the best of the marque devotees from both the North Island and the South Island. NEXEN TYRE PRO7 MAZDA ENTRIES NO. DRIVER CLASS MAKE 1NZ Mitchell Hamilton Pro7 RX7 8 Hunter Roland Pro7 RX7 9 Justin Allen Pro7 Plus RX7 11 Blake Mclennan Pro7 RX7 14 Darren Leith Pro7 RX8 RX8 21 Andrew Jackson Pro7 RX8 RX8 23 Greg Wilson Pro7 Plus RX7 24 Rob Williams Pro7 RX8 RX8 27 Daniel Taylor Pro7 RX7 43 Brayden Phillips Pro7 RX7 48 Wayne Elliott Pro7 RX7 44 Hamish Collins Pro7 Plus RX7 50 Simon Askin Pro7 RX7 77 Russell Burguss Pro7 RX8 RX8 88 Sam Wallace Pro7 RX7 97 Roger Beuvink Pro7 RX8 RX8 98 Leo Bult Pro7 RX8 RX8 99 Rowan Shepherd Pro7 Plus RX7 The Pro 7 Plus and RX8 cars from the North Island championship will face the best of the same class of vehicles from the Mainland series. In RX8s, watch out this weekend for Roger Beuvink, Leo Bult, Matt Horne, Andrew Jackson, Rob Williams and Darren Leith who have all made the trip from the North Island, whilst Russell Burgess will likely be the main RX8 threat to them, on a circuit he knows well. 18 CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

21 NEXEN TYRE Pro7 Mazdas race hard! MEET: LEO BULT NEXEN TYRE PRO7 MAZDA RACER Pro 7 racers from the South Island outnumber their fellow RX7 North Island devotees, so watch out for Brayden Phillips, Daniel Taylor, Blake Wallace, Sam Wallace, Simon Askin, Wayne Elliott and Toby Marsh as they take on North Island competitors Justin Allen and Rowan Shepherd. The second round of the two stage National Championship takes place at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting in February, but this will be the best chance in a long time for Mazda racing and rotary fans to enjoy the unique noise and atmosphere these amazing race cars put on. Picking a winner? Just too hard - but enjoy the action...! Rowan Shepherd will be one of the North Island challengers in Christchurch this weekend. Making sure he is in a position to win the championship is the goal for Leo Bult this season. The Pro7 RX8 competitor started karting at 17 before he traded the track for the rally navigation hot seat. I raced karts for three years then got involved in rally navigation. I progressed from Club to the National Championship and with driver Reece Jones won five GRP National Championships and two overall New Zealand titles. I also competed over a four-year period in many Asia Pacific rounds and competed for two years in the World Rally Championship in events held in Spain, Portugal, Corsica and Rally GB. Bult, 52, returned to karting at the age of 46 and became a founding member of the Masters KZ2 Championship which he raced in until A challenge and one he couldn t turn down from Pro7 RX-8 competitor and Bult s son-in-law Andrew Jackson was the reason why Bult traded the kart track. I was challenged by my son in law Andrew to rent a car and see if I could beat him. This was following a round of the KZ2 kart championship which I had given him a beating at. In 2016 I decided to have a go at circuit racing and joined my sonin-law in the Mazda Pro7 championship. With the help of friends and SMS motorsport, I built two Mazda RX8s and in our first year (2016) had a first and second in the championship. We started the 2017 year with another new car (Sucker for Punishment) and we are looking forward to another rewarding result this season. Last year, Bult led the Pro7 RX8 championship until the second to last round. Rally drivers Reece Jones, who he sat alongside for 11 years, Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz are Bult s inspiration behind the wheel. He has also started a project building a LHD Mazda RX8 for the GTRNZ class. I plan to run a 20B/Sequential combination and hope to have the car on the track in speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 19

22 OSCA ANYTHING GOES AND GOES FAST IN OSCA OSCA - It s fast, it s furious, and it s simply packed with awesome cars. You could, in fact, see up to 40 cars racing around the Mike Pero Motorsport Park this weekend and whatever your petrolhead fix is, you are in for a rare treat when the OSCA field heads out for qualifying ahead of its first race weekend of The Lucas Oil NZ and Koba Batteries backed series has three main classes - GT2, GT3 and GT4 plus an overall championship which has been won over the years by some of the country s finest drivers. The classes are based on cc capacity so GT4 is from c, GT3 is and GT2 is The GT1 class is what s known, rather coolly, as the Outlaw class and is there purely for cars that don t fit into the rules, such as having too large an engine or run in other series like endurance. They can race but don t get overall championship points. The GT2 class has rules to help contain costs and speed so the gap between the haves and have nots is not too big and its worked a treat as the front of the field has not progressed dramatically in speed terms in around 25 seasons of racing. So take a deep breath, sit back and enjoy some of the finest domestic racing and domestic racing cars not only New Zealand, but also the world. The fast and the furious OSCA fields really are packed CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

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24 OSCA OSCA ENTRIES NO. DRIVER CAR/CLASS 1 Glenn Smith Crawford DP 03 6 Bo Houston Nissan Skyline GTR 7 Michael Gallagher Mazda RX7 8 Russell Mortimer Nissan 180SX 11 Geoff Washbourne Aston Martin Vigilante 16 Johnny Waldron Nissan Skyline GT-R 19 Michael Pearce Ford Escort 21 Laurie Knowler Brennan Camaro 22 Danielle Mitchell Toyota Starlet 23 Craig James Nissan Silvia S13 25 Neville Stowell Seat Leon Supa Copa 26 Gary Duncan Mazda RX7 Batman 26 Reece Etwell Toyota Starlet 30 Garreth Mackenzie Toyota Corolla 31 Kyle Dawson Nissan Skyline 33 Jon DeVeth Crawford DP Mark Meadows Lotus Exige 35 Bruce Davidson Corvette C6R 37 Chris Henderson Toyota Corolla 46 Alan Turner Mitsubishi Mirage NO. DRIVER CAR/CLASS 48 Michael Yorwarth Mazda RX3 Coupe 51 James Storey Mitsubishi Evo 1 52 Ben Coffin Mazda RX7 53 Brian Scott Chevrolet Corvette C3 58 Pierre Neame Ford Mustang 66 Conrad Waldron Mazda RX7 69 Dion Prentice Chevrolet Corvette 81 Taylor Quine Mazda RX7 88 Lyndon Ball Mitsubishi EVO 94 Gareth Evans Nissan R32 96 Terence Phillips Honda Integra 97 Geoff Gray Mitsubishi Evo 5 99 Noel Parish Nissan 300 ZX 117 Daniel Currie Subaru WRX 126 Mitchel van der Weert Honda Integra 187 Matt Edgar Mazda RX7 194 Rod Gimblett Holden Commodore 666 Cameron Jones Mazda RX666 Anything goes in OSCA and it s all fast! CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

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26 KIWIS OVERSEAS A MASSIVE YEAR Who d have thought? At the start of the year if anyone in motorsport (well, maybe apart from one or two seriously in the know ) had said that by the end of the year Scott Dixon would have wrapped up another top three finish in the Indycar Championship, two Kiwis would have shared a car that won a dramatic Le Mans 24 hour race before going on to win the World Endurance Crown and one of them would have become the first New Zealander in 33 years to start a Formula One Grand Prix, the chances are they d have been laughed out of the room. And if you d then said that with the exception of Jamie Whincup, the Supercar series across the ditch would largely be dominated by three Kiwis, it wouldn t have helped your cause. Yet that s exactly what 2017 has brought us and in many ways it s put New Zealand firmly back on the map as a country still fully capable of producing amazing young driving talent. But it didn t stop there. Marcus Armstrong took on the best in the Italian Formula 4 Championship and won it, and Nick Cassidy continued to blaze his successful trail by becoming the youngest ever winner of the Japanese Super GT series. Others to excel included Jaxon Evans and Will Bamber and after the dust settled, we could reflect on some genuine and timely successes. MotorSport New Zealand President Wayne Christie has rightly highlighted that all of these young stars came in one form or another from the New Zealand summer series. We wonder who amongst the drivers racing this weekend will eventually make the big time proves that it can still be done. Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber, Scott Dixon, Nick Cassidy, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong, Shane van Gisbergen and Fabian Coulthard we salute you. Marcus Armstrong Scott Dixon Scott McLaughlin Brendon Hartley rekindled the country s interest in motorsport with a seat in Formula One for the final four Grand Prix of the 2017 World Championship CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

27 23-25 MARCH 2018 THE TOYOTA FESTIVAL WHERE? WHEN? HIGHLANDS MOTORSPORT PARK, CORNER SH6 AND SANDFLAT ROAD, CROMWELL 9342 FRIDAY 23 MARCH UNTIL SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 DRIVE YOUR TOYOTA ON ONE OF NEW ZEALAND S PREMIERE MOTOR RACING CIRCUITS! WIN! A RIDE OF YOUR LIFE Be in to win a ride around Highlands circuit with a professional driver Terms and conditions apply HEAPS OF FUN AND GIVEAWAYS! Don t have a Toyota? There s plenty more to see and do, including competitions, amazing driving, vehicles on display, and cool giveaways on the day. REGISTRATIONS OPEN SOON ON:

28 RUSH HOUR RUSH HOUR FORTUNE FAVOURS THE FAST Rush Hour it s something new, and it s got everyone talking about it. Why? Well, at the most basic level it s a one hour race, pure and simple. But it s more than that. It s specifically tailored for the fastest cars at one of the Speed Works Events race meetings and a few more cars besides. It s live streamed and televised of course, so there is an added incentive for competitors. The first Rush Hour blazed its trail at Taupo in December and the next event will be at Teretonga next weekend when there should be Porsches, GTs, hopefully a few from the BNT V8s and OSCA cars on show when the Saturday feature race blasts off at around 6.30pm. Fortune won t favour the brave, or the smartest - it will favour the fastest. That s because each car HAS to make a pit stop and that pit stop time is determined by the car s qualifying lap or the time nominated by the team. So being consistently very close to that time throughout the race is what is going to keep you at the front of the field. Predicting a slow lap time and sticking to that isn t really going to work, because you punish your ability to attack faster cars. How? Well because every second you go under your breakout time, you will be penalised two seconds and every two seconds you go under your predicted time, you lose four It was Porsche driver Brian McGovern who got it right in the first ever Rush Hour. He nailed a great qualifying lap and then drove hard throughout the race, pitting late, resting his tyres and lapping consistently close to that qualifying time. He emerged from the pit stop window with a narrow lead that he maintained through to the end. With the first six cars within half a lap of each other at the ended, it was clear the Rush Hour formula was just about right. McGovern himself is back for the second Rush Hour, but reckons it will be tough challenge to replicate his win on a South Island circuit. South Island Rush Hour is going to be difficult to achieve a good result at with a good number of local drivers familiar with the track competing in the race, he explained. I am hoping to keep up the consistent lap times we were able to achieve at Taupo. The Taupo strategy was changed to run deep into the Compulsory Pit Stop window due to the race being run in the middle of a very hot day. This was to give the tyres a chance to cool down as late as possible in the race and ready for a last spurt. Fortunately this worked out well for us. Brian McGovern kept the lap times coming to win the first Rush Hour race in his Porsche CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

29 Anything goes in Rush Hour open top sports cars are permitted as are GT spec machines. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 27 27

30 NZ FORMULA 1600 CHAMPIONSHIP YOUNG GUNS ON SHOW IN F1600 Some of the finest young drivers in New Zealand will be putting their skills to the test this weekend in F1600, long established as the proving ground for tomorrow s champions. Callum Hedge will be one the quickest in his Mygale SJ08. This weekend s action incorporates two championships for the class; the New Zealand Championship of which this is the second round and the South Island series, of which it is the fourth round. Southland s Jordan Michels leads the New Zealand Formula 1600 Championship after one round at Timaru late last year. He s going to face a stern challenge, however, from Auckland s Callum Hedge (Mygale) who was incredibly fast on his debut in the category. The 13 year old topped the time sheets early in the Timaru meeting and went on to comfortably win the first two of three races. However, a slipping clutch in the final 12-lap race saw Hedge retire, the round win slipping out of his grasp. Rookie Christchurch driver Bailey Paterson is the one to watch in the 2017/18 South Island Formula 1600 Championship at the halfway point of the season. At the third round of the series at Teretonga Park, Invercargill, Paterson finished on the podium three times including taking his second race win of the season. Second for the round showing consistent form was Kurt Peterson with Robert Toshach third, in an older Class 2 car. FORMULA 1600 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS POS. NO. NAME POINTS 1 23 Jordan Michels Ethan Anderson Josh Bethune Callum Hedge Bailey Paterson Robert Toshach Steve Edwards Matthew Butchart 58 9= 36 Kurt Peterson 50 9= 91 Ben Stiles 50 9= 8 Stephen Heffernan Derek Wilson Simon Spencer-Bower Joseph Oliver Noel Atley Roger McKenzie Dave McKenzie Andy Downs 10 F1600 action is always fast and furious on New Zealand s tracks CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

31 NEW ZEALAND GRAND PRIX It s nose to tail action with the Toyota single seaters and the Grand Prix provides intense action. GRAND PRIX BACK IN TOP GEAR New Zealand s Grand Prix comes around just once a year and the 2018 event looks all set to be the first sell out for our premier single seater event in many a year. Ticketing promotions have proved phenomenally successful with more already confirmed one month ahead of the GP than attended last year s event, so it does look like it s going to be an absolute blockbuster. With local boy Brendon Hartley s phenomenal success this past racing season propelling him to Formula One, single seater racing is right back in the public eye. The Castrol Toyota Racing Series has been the single seater series to be in at this time of year for several seasons now. It falls nicely in the Northern hemisphere winter when the up and coming F1 stars of the future are eager to get track time in wings and slicks single seaters head of the European or North American series and being a compact five weekend championship with state of the art racing machinery, it ticks all of the boxes. Add in some fantastic support categories and back to back racing action for two days at the Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild and the build up to the Grand Prix itself, the last race of the weekend, will also be packed with excitement and action. And the quality of the racing card will only be surpassed by the quality of the drivers competing for our historic GP trophy. In recent years it s had driver representation from Ferrari, Force India, Red Bull and McLaren and this year the race - which is of course one of only two events outside of the world of Formula One which can call itself a Grand Prix - looks more than likely to have a crowd and an atmosphere to match the quality of the drivers and the racing. Last year s Grand Prix winner, Sahara Force India s Jehan Daruvala. Battles to win New Zealand s most coveted trophy will be close throughout. There are some great ticket packages available on Speed Works web site at - check it out and join the crowd for the action. Bring it on! speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 29 29

32 NZ SUPERTRUCKS The trucks, like cars, are highly strung racing machines that can go wrong. CLASH OF THE TITANS What racing weekend here at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park would be complete without the awesome, jaw-dropping NZ SuperTrucks - and the chase for the 2018 New Zealand Championship for these monsters starts right here this weekend CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

33 Truck racing has been a regular on the Kiwi motorsport calendar since the late 80s and has drawn crowds around the country who have all flocked to see these massive machines battle it out. And what a season the trucks have lined up this time around. After racing in Christchurch this weekend, they head South to Teretonga next weekend before re-convening in March for their annual crowd puller at the Levels track in Timaru. From there they head to the North Island for weekends at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo and their season finale at Pukekohe Park. First thing to note when watching the racing is that these mountains of horsepower will use the short circuit this weekend and this will provide even closer racing. Although they are obviously the heaviest racing machines in the circuit racing world, their sheer horsepower, torque and braking power give them speeds and lap times that rival many regular racing categories. As a result of that, they are awesome to watch and the spectacle is second to none. NZ SUPERTRUCKS ENTRIES NO. DRIVER CAR/CLASS 8 Tony Brand Bedford 14 Malcolm Little Freightliner 26 Dave West Freightliner 28 Troy Wheeler Freightliner 47 Garry Price International 66 Alex Little Freightliner 77 Rob Waters Kenworth 99 Steve Walling Mack 111 Tim Wheeler Freightliner Racing is almost always this close. speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 31 31

34 Ronald McDonald House South Island was established in 2003 based on the simple idea that when a child is sick, nothing else should matter. Ronald McDonald House South Island operates three facilities, Ronald McDonald House South Island in Christchurch, the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Christchurch Hospital and the Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital. Ronald McDonald House South Island is located just a few minutes from Christchurch Hospital and provides free accommodation and support to families who must travel to Christchurch for their children s medical care. The Ronald McDonald Family Room, Southland Hospital, is linked to the Children s and Neo Natal wards and acts as a day room for the families of admitted children. It also has four overnight bedrooms that are occupied by families on a greatest need basis. Ronald McDonald House South Island supports families of children up to and including the age of 21. They are never charged for their stay, regardless of whether it is for one night, or many months. Ronald McDonald House South Island receives no direct Government funding so the facilities are reliant on public donations, grants and generous corporate sponsorship to support families now and into the future. The Moore Family from Cromwell The Moore family from Cromwell called Ronald McDonald House South Island home for 133 nights while Grace received treatment at Christchurch Hospital. The House was a space of solace for this incredible family. I am forever grateful for Ronald McDonald House South Island and for supporters like you. Paula, House mum, Cromwell rmhsi.org.nz/donate CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz

35 WIN THE ULTIMATE NZ GRAND PRIX VIP PACKAGE FOR 2 WORTH $5000 RETURN FLIGHTS FOR TWO ACCOMMODATION PACKAGE INCLUDING MEALS AIRPORT & MANFEILD TRANSFERS 2X VIP WEEKEND PASSES 2X V8 HOT LAPS COMING UP NEXT... FOR MORE DETAILS SEE speedworksevents.co.nz CHRISTCHURCH JAN 33 33

36 CHRISTCHURCH JAN speedworksevents.co.nz EVENTS