Motor racing world comes to New Zealand

12 January 2012

Motor racing world comes to New Zealand

New Zealand’s premier motor racing series goes fully international for its third round at Invercargill’s Teretonga circuit this weekend.

In the top class, the BNT New Zealand V8s, V8 Supercar driver Jason Bargwanna continues his quest to become the first Australian to win the Kiwi championship.

The meeting also sees the start of the Toyota Racing Series – with no fewer than 15 overseas drivers looking to make their name in single-seater racing, and a young Kiwi out to beat them all and launch his own international career.

Three drivers have dominated the first two rounds of the V8 championship: Bargwanna and Aucklanders Angus Fogg and Tim Edgell. All drive Ford Falcons that were extensively rebuilt after big crashes in round one at Pukekohe.

Fogg won both rounds, though the other two have both won races. He was clearly the fastest at Ruapuna, saying the enforced rebuild had improved his car.

“Our plan is go out and dominate again,” Fogg said.

However that will not be straightforward, as he has to change the car from its winning form at Ruapuna.

“Teretonga needs a special setup because of the track surface and the particular sequence of corners,” Fogg said. “We do enjoy Teretonga because of the track and the enthusiastic and characterful crowds we get there.”

Teretonga has a long front straight, which could benefit Edgell – his father Randell is one of New Zealand’s top builders of race engines, and the car always has plenty of power.

Former Bathurst winner Bargwanna is always a major threat with all his top-level experience and he is helping his Tulloch Motorsport team-mate, Auckland rookie Simon Evans, come up to speed. Evans should be scrapping with Hamilton drivers Simon Richards and Martin Short (all in Fords) in the group after the top three.

The record field for the Toyota Racing Series (TRS) includes former F1 world champion Damon Hill’s son Josh back for a second Kiwi season, Ferrari protege Raffaele Marciello from Switzerland and Austrian Lucas Auer, nephew of former F1 star Gerhard Berger.

Seventeen-year-old Aucklander Nick Cassidy finished second in the 2011 TRS championship and, after experience in Europe last year, is out to go one better and set himself up for a full season overseas.

"Normally we have to go offshore to race against so many internationals but it's like Europe has come to us this year and that's given me even more motivation to win the championship," Cassidy said. "However I have no illusions that it's going to be an easy task."

The TRS was well respected internationally and success in it would help drivers find places in overseas teams, he said. “Not just Europe but Australia too – the V8 Supercar teams keep an eye on the TRS,” he added.

The V8s and the TRS cars both have one race on Saturday and two on Sunday.

ENDS

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