Booth excited about Pukekohe changes - long it's not wet

Ahead of the third round of the 2013 BNT V8 SuperTourers series, Andy Booth is confident the Woodstock Racing Commodore will be competitive at the revamped Pukekohe circuit, but is concerned about safety with some of the revised track if it’s wet.

“I’ve now driven on the new layout at Pukekohe twice, both times in the wet and I have to say I have concerns about safety for all competitors if we experience heavy rain while racing,” says Booth.

Booth raced at Pukekohe during the rain-wrecked Honda Cup one-hour enduro final earlier in May and also took the Woodstock Racing Commodore to Pukekohe for a shower-strewn fundraising hot lap day last Friday for Auckland’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

“The Honda Cup event, while enormous fun, highlighted the dangers of water on the circuit particularly exiting the new section on the run to the hairpin. New concrete barriers remove any margin of error when grip levels are comprised by water on the track.

“Having said that, the circuit is looking absolutely fantastic with the recent revamp and the whole Woodstock Racing team is looking forward to getting out to Pukekohe this weekend. We’ve had a long break since the last V8 SuperTourer round in Christchurch, so it’s been great to have had the chance to learn the new three-turn sequence going into the hairpin even if both times we’ve been running were wet.”

Currently 11th on the championship points-table after fast but luckless runs in the first two rounds, Booth is confident of running strongly for the three-race round. “We’ve traditionally been competitive at Pukekohe – it’s the first circuit I ever raced on and I must have done literally thousands of laps there. To get to race on one of my favourite high speed circuits in the Woodstock Racing SuperTourer is great. Can’t wait.”

With round three dubbed the ‘Brother 350’, fans can see Booth and fellow V8 SuperTourer competitors contest 15 lap, 20 lap and 32 lap races on Sunday after two 45-minute practise sessions and a 20-minute qualifying session take place on Saturday. Fifty years of motorsport at the Pukekohe track is being celebrated with a display and demonstration runs both days by around a dozen cars with significant historical connections to the track. Full race schedules and ticket information is available from the series website www.v8st.co.nz.

Andy Booth and the Woodstock Racing Commodore compete in the BNT V8 SuperTourers with the support of Woodstock Bourbon and Cola, Wynn’s, SG Fleet, Advanced Transaction Systems, Toptul, Precision Autowerk, McDonald & Co Accountants, Central Towing and New Balance. Follow Woodstock Racing via Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/andyboothracing