Pukekohe: A Track To Enjoy Says Melhop

Wellington driver Brent Melhop takes his first drive of the season this weekend at Pukekohe Motorsport Park for Round Two of the New Zealand Mini Challenge.

Sharing drives in the MoneyWorks-TypeFace Mini Cooper S with co-owner Marty Hunt, the mild mannered accountant will be one to watch out for as he transforms into a hard-nosed race driver over the weekend.

Although the name of the game for Melhop is to have fun at any cost, his first drive of the season last year showed that he was capable of mixing it up with some of the more experienced drivers in the field finishing a credible eighth overall at Powerbuilt Raceway Ruapuna.

This year however the second round of the seven round season is being held at Pukekohe Park Raceway near Auckland and Melhop has never raced there before.

"I have driven a few laps at Pukekohe in a standard mini but never raced there and with only two 20 minute practice sessions on Friday I am not going to expect too much against most of the drivers who have been here a few times already... this weekend will be all about just enjoying it and having a good time." says Melhop.

But once buckled in and on the track anything can happen and Melhop could quite possibly raise the bar a notch and take the opposition by surprise as in Christchurch one year ago.

Also on his side is his handy dandy notebook with which he can gain some extra knowledge of the circuit even before he arrives at the South Auckland track.

"I will be reading Mike Eady's Tracktime book this week for sure which will help me to work out where I should be and where I should be going." said Melhop.

The New Zealand Racetrack Manual by Eady has hints and tips about the country's circuits derived from a host of top local drivers and can help to bring any driver up to speed even before heading out on to the track itself.

A friendly rivalry between the MoneyWorks-TypeFace team of Melhop and Hunt with newcomer Simon McLennan has developed this season, especially after a collision on the first corner at Taupo last month in the very first lap of the first race of the season.

Marty Hunt, who was in the team's racecar at Taupo, was knocked off the circuit by McLennan as the hungry pack of Minis rounded the very first corner of the season, something that both Hunt and Melhop rib McLennan about at every opportunity.

Remembered all in good humour, come the start of the racing at Pukekohe this weekend Melhop will however no doubt have one eye on the other Wellington driver to ensure there is not a repeat of the unfortunate incident.

"Simon and I are in the same boat having not raced at Pukekohe before, so the weekend will be interesting I think."

"I have raced with Simon before in karts and he beat me to win a karting championship so I am keen to seen if I can get ahead of him at Pukekohe and leave him second in the Wellington driver race. But that might be a big ask especially seeing as I am
twice his age... at least!" laughs Melhop.

But Brent Melhop looks ahead to weekend as an event to enjoy rather than one to win as he has much to learn about the old circuit.

"I will be back in the field a bit - I can drive but whether I can get to grips with the track fast enough is another story. It should all come together nearer the end I expect, but I'm up against drivers that already know where the bumps are and where their breaking points are and everything like that." says Melhop.

"By the end of the weekend I will know all that too, but by then it will be the end of the weekend! So I am going there with the intention to have a lot of fun."

Brent Melhop will be driving back to back rounds where after this weekend he will be back in the car for Round Three at Powerbuilt Raceway Ruapuna at the end of this month.