Media Release
18 March 2009

Edgell Cracks The Championship Top Ten

Tim Edgell of Auckland ended his hard fought campaign in the 2008/2009 BNT V8s Championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend by securing a top ten position in the championship. Edgell has been a real force throughout the season in his Chesters Ford Falcon and since overcoming some ill fortune at the opening rounds of the championship he has become a consistent pacesetter, always to the fore in the extremely talented field.

At Pukekohe this weekend Edgell took seventh place overall for the round in what he described as an "up and down" weekend. He also received a well deserved Meritorious Award at the prizegiving following Sunday's final race, an acknowledgement of many fine performances throughout the championship.

Qualifying again went well for the young Aucklander as he was comfortably in the running throughout each segment before nailing fourth place on the grid for the first race of the round. However while he secured a top result of fourth place in the first race and was running strongly in the second until a tyre delaminated he said later the car was not right in either race. "It just wasn't quite there." The tyres were changed for the third outing, a reverse grid race, and Edgell said the car was "on it's way". He showed it too by scorching through the field and putting himself in a position to challenge Andrew Porter for the lead. Unfortunately he and Porter touched as the move was made at the hairpin, costing Tim several places. Edgell recovered quickly however and brought the car home in fourth place.

'We struggled on Friday but went well in qualifying. In the first race we got served up in turn 1 but managed to take fourth place. We were pretty much heading for fifth in Sunday morning's race until the tyre let go." A trip to the pits meant Tim emerged at the back of the field, going on to place nineteenth. "In the third we were making moves and going great. When Porter and I touched the car got unsettled and I went off and lost three places." However the Chesters Ford Falcon was quickly back on track and another great result was achieved with seventh for the round. Even more importantly Tim and Team EPR had cracked the extremely competitive top ten for the first time.

The final outing of the season will take place at the non-championship Hamilton Street Circuit event from 17-19 April.

Tim's 2008/2009 BNT V8s Championship campaign is supported by Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom, BNT, Marley N.Z. Ltd, IMG, Enviropeel, Fuchs Oils and Wurth NZ.

CALENDAR 2008/2009 BNT V8s CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 1 - 3-5 October 2008: Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo
Round 2 - 7-9 November 2008: Pukekohe Park Raceway, Auckland
Round 3 - 28-30 November 2008: Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway, Ruapuna, Christchurch
Round 4 - 9-11 January 2009: Timaru International Motor Raceway, Timaru
Round 5 - 16-18 January 2009: Teretonga Park, Invercargill
Round 6 - 27 February - 1 March 2009: Manfeild Park, Feilding
Round 7 - 13-15 March 2009: Pukekohe Park Raceway, Auckland

Non-Championship Trophy Race - 17-19 April 2009: Hamilton 400, Hamilton

Photograph - Tim Edgell of Auckland and the Chesters Ford Falcon lead the field into a corner during the final round of the 2008/2009 BNT V8s Championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway this weekend - please credit - SportProMedia.com

ENDS