Huge Battle Expected for NZV8 TL Championship

Media release: Friday 16th January 2015

NZV8 Touring Cars
www.nzv8touringcars.co.nz

Huge Battle Expected for NZV8 TL Championship

A late entry from current points leader in the NZV8 Touring Cars TL Championship Kevin WIlliams has certailny added some excitement leading up to this weekend's round at Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna Christchurch.

Williams kept his entry quiet until nearer the weekend adding fuel to the speculation that he was planning on not competing at the South Island rounds.

"Well we decided that we are in the lead so we must go, so we will be competing this weekend and next to try and take this championship." said Williams.

Further motivation for the decision was the addition of Angus Fogg to the team who will be running the car this weekend for Williams.

"Well it's kind of strange because it has been me running his car all this time and now it's the other way around. The last time we were at Ruapuna together was the season where he won the championship." he said.

In addition to the peculiarities of the weekend is the fact that Angus Fogg's championship winning Ford Falcon will also be at Ruapuna but this time under the control of young talent Liam McDonald from Invercargill.

Last season but in another Ford, McDonald won his home round at Teretonga Park when just 16 years old.

This weekend he will have fellow Ford driver and Invercargill local Grant Molloy right there looking to keep the youngster honest and also try to be the one to take the local event next weekend at Teretonga Park.

The strongest runners in the opening two rounds of the NZV8 Touring Cars TL Championship have been Williams, Craig Baird, Andrew Anderson and James McLaughlin.

Auckland driver Anderson missed the Pukekohe round and will not compete in the South Island so is out of the title chase.

Lower Hutt's James McLaughlin had a horror of weekends at Pukekohe when he took home no points in complete contrast to his strong weekend at Hampton Downs where he placed third overall.

Consistent runners Steve Taylor from Hamilton and Auckland's Brad Lathrope hold third and fourth place respectively and are most definitely on the hunt for the title chasing leaders Williams then Baird.

Followed by Featherston's Brendon Murphy in his rookie season and Winton's Nathan Pilcher in his first full season these newcomers will be looking to also make a move up the points ladder over the next two rounds before the field heads back to the North Island.

Jamie Gaskin from Wellington joins the championship driving a Ford TL this weekend for his debut.

In the NZV8 Touring Cars TLX category a new driver has entered the ultra quick ranks in the guise of Bronson Porter who will pilot Concept Motorsport's championship winning Holden TLX.

Porter from Hamilton competed last season in a Holden TL car and demonstrated his ability to be quick on several occasions including a race win at Taupo Motorsport Park.

After testing on Friday the NZV8 Touring Cars action gets underway fully on Saturday morning at 11.36AM with a qualification session followed by the first race of 2015 with a 12 lap sprint at 3.41PM.

On Sunday the action heats up with race two at 11.36AM which is a top five reverse grid 14 lap race. This is followed by race three at 3.38PM which is 18 laps long and includes a mandatory wheel change for the TLX cars.

ends

NZV8 Touring Cars Entry List - Round Three Ruapuna
TL
Car# Driver Hometown Vehicle Type
2 James McLaughlin Lower hutt Holden TL
5 Jamie Gaskin Wellington Ford TL
8 Kevin WIlliams Auckland Holden TL
21 Craig Baird Queensland Holden TL
23 Brendon Murphy Featherston Holden TL
33 Steve taylor Hamilton Ford TL
55 Nathan Pilcher Winton Holden TL
69 Liam McDonald Invercargill Ford TL
73 Brad Lathrope Auckland Ford TL
99 Grant Molloy Invercargill Ford TL
TLX
Car# Driver Hometown Vehicle Type
1 Nick Ross Cambridge Nissan TLX
02 Jason Bargwanna Warragul Toyota TLX
22 Steve Taylor Queensland Toyota TLX
84 Lance Hughes Hamilton Holden TLX

NZV8 Touring Cars Standings (after Round Two)
TL
Kevin WIlliams Holden Commodore TL 434
Craig Baird Holden Commodore TL 393
Steve Taylor Ford Falcon TL 313
Brad Lathrope Ford Falcon TL 306
Nathan Pilcher Holden Commodore TL 265
Brendan Murphy Holden Commodore TL 256
Brock Cooley Ford Falcon TL 252
James McLaughlin Holden Commodore TL 174
Andrew Anderson Holden Commodore TL 114
TLX
Jason Bargwanna Toyota Camry TLX 442
Nick Ross Nissan Altima TLX 410
Lance Hughes Holden Commodore TLX 342
Ian Booth Holden Commodore TLX 288
Scott Taylor Toyota Camry TLX 147

NZV8 Touring Cars Calendar
November 1-2 Hampton Downs (completed)
November 29-30 Pukekohe Park Raceway (completed)
January 17-18 Ruapuna Raceway
January 24-25 Teretonga Park
February 14-15 Manfeild Park
April 25-26 Pukekohe Park Raceway

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