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Booth cracks first win in V8 SuperTourers

Relish Communications

Monday 2 September 2013, 2:30PM

By Relish Communications

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Andy Booth (front) battles with Greg Murphy on the way to Booth's first race win in the BNT V8 SuperTourer series.
Andy Booth (front) battles with Greg Murphy on the way to Booth's first race win in the BNT V8 SuperTourer series. Credit: Euan Cameron

Andy Booth and his Woodstock Racing team are delighted to have secured their first race win in the BNT V8 SuperTourers championship. Booth took the chequered flag in the third race of an action-packed fourth round of the series at Taupo Motorsport Park which ran 31 October and 1 September.

The combination of solid results – 11th in race one, third in race two and victory in the final 28-lap race – put Booth into second place for the round behind top points-scorer Shane Van Gisbergen, while Greg Murphy took out the four-round sprint series for the 2013 V8 SuperTourer season.

Booth says it was a real breakthrough win for the team.

“In previous events, we have been the race leader for something like 60 laps without being able to convert that pace and position into a race win so it’s a perfect reward for the whole Woodstock Racing team who have worked incredibly hard,” Booth says.

“The win is particularly sweet considering what we’ve been through in recent months. Round three, at Pukekohe, was obviously hugely disappointing when we were taken out on the very first corner. Coming to Taupo this weekend, virtually the entire left-hand side of the car is new, complete with its fresh-look Woodstock Smoked Bourbon livery, and I hadn’t done any testing before we headed out for practice on Saturday morning. We struggled a little for pace in those early practice laps, so the team put their heads together and tweaked a few little things that turned things around for qualifying.”

A new qualifying routine now sees V8 SuperTourer competitors run two 15-minute qualifying sessions to decide the start order for the weekend’s first two races. The grid for race three is decided by combined points from the first two races.

“The new qualifying format is excellent, much more exciting and good to know that your weekend isn’t over if you’re not fast in the first qualifying session,” Booth says.

Having been 10th quickest in the first qualifying in the 18-strong field, Booth’s crew adjusted the tyre pressures. “We were fourth quickest in the second session which goes to show just how sensitive these cars are – the slightest adjustment can make all the difference and if I’d managed to be just another seven one-hundredths of a second quicker, I’d have been on the front row for race two.”

Booth reports the first race of 14 laps was a bit of a dud. “Started 10th, finished 11th. But the new start rules worked well for those first two races. In the second race, I went straight into third from fourth on the grid on the first corner and chased Ant Pedersen and Johnny Mac to create a breakaway group out in front. Murph charged into make a sustained attack – 12 laps of intense pressure – he was strong under brakes, while the Woodstock Holden seemed to have better drive out of corners. We had a great battle; what this racing is all about and I was rapt to hold him out to take third place.”

The start of race three, in contrast, Booth describes as mayhem which took several competitors out of the race. After the restart, Pederson, McIntyre, Murphy and Booth cleared out in front and after several laps of close, intense racing, Murphy turned McIntyre and Pedersen cut a corner, earning drive-through penalties.

“That left me relatively cruising, clear in front with an incredibly strong, fast race car,” says Booth. “It was disappointing the four of us couldn’t have kept on with that ultra-competitive racing; it robbed the crowd of a more exciting race finish and with the Woodstock Holden being the fastest car on track I’m 100% confident we had the pace to come out on top regardless. Having been able to run quite conservatively for several laps, once Shane Van Gisbergen charged through the field into second, I could easily pick up the pace a bit to hold him off and take that chequered flag.

“All in all, the results this weekend were what we needed for all our sponsors. Being able to bounce back after the bitter disappointments of Pukekohe is fantastic and I’d like to thank Woodstock Bourbon and Cola, Wynn’s, SG Fleet, Advanced Transaction Systems, Toptul, Precision Autowerk, Central Towing and New Balance for their on-going support.”

The next V8 SuperTourer event is the 28 and 29 September running of the first of three endurance events. Booth expects to announce who’ll be his co-driver at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park for this event within the next week.
Follow Woodstock Racing via Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/andyboothracing