Baird wins second BNT V8s race at Pukekohe; McIntyre holds championship lead with 21 points advantage over Scott

After Angus Fogg was penalised for contact with Craig Baird during Saturday’s 12 lap race, Baird earned both the 75 points for a race win and the pole position for the weekend’s second BNT V8 race that would have gone to Fogg if officials had decided he wasn’t at fault during the racing incident.

 

 

 

Baird took full advantage of the clear track in front of him to romp home to an easy win in the 16 lapper in the United Video Ford, just an hour after he’d won the second Porsche GT3 Cup race of the weekend as well.

 

 

 

In beautiful sunny conditions, the BNT V8s had a relatively incident-free second race although second-placed Andy Booth, the best of the Holden drivers in the Big Ben Pies Commodore had to contend with a broken windscreen from early on in the race which would have been challenging in the bright sunshine.

 

 

 

Behind Baird and Booth, Kayne Scott took the Fujitsu Ford around for a trouble-free run to score 60 points for third place, inching him slightly closer to McIntyre at the top of the points’ table. However McIntyre wasn’t letting Scott get too much of an advantage, making sure he got past Tim Edgell in the Chesters Ford who started one place in front of him in fourth.

 

 

 

At the chequered flag, Baird was followed home by Booth, Scott, McIntyre and Andrew Anderson for a well-earned fifth place. Fogg drove superbly from 16th to finish sixth, ahead of Eddie Bell, Paul Manuell, Luke Youlden and Michael Bristow.

 

 

 

McIntyre now has 1125 points, 21 points ahead of Scott while, in third place, Baird’s two wins reduced his points’ deficit to Scott to 98 points.

 

 

 

With a 20 lap reverse grid race to complete the BNT V8s Championship races for the season, McIntyre will start just one place in front of Scott, his 21-point advantage probably sufficient to ensure McIntyre wins his third consecutive BNT V8s title, a record-making achievement in this class. The 20 lap race is scheduled for 3:55 pm.

 

 

 

ENDS/

 

 

 

BNT V8s Championship – Race 2, Round 7, Pukekohe

 

Position, driver, hometown, car, provisional points earned

 

1, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 75

 

2, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 67

 

3, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 60

 

4, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 54

 

5, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 49

 

6, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 45

 

7, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 42

 

8, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 39

 

9, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 36

 

10, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 33

 

11, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0

 

12, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 30

 

13, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 28

 

14, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 26

 

15, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 24

 

16, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 22

 

17, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 20

 

18, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 18

 

19, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 16

 

20, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 14

 

DNF, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 0

 

 

 

* Please note that Dean Perkins is competing under a “parked V8 franchise” agreement and therefore is ineligible for championship points.

 

 

 

 

BNT V8s Championship – Provisional points after Race 2 of Round 7

 

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Provisional points

 

1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 1125

 

2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 1104

 

3, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 1006

 

4, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 961

 

5, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 816

 

6, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 722

 

7, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 689

 

8, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 658

 

9, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 617

 

10, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 617

 

11, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 590

 

12, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 577

 

13, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 533

 

14, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 526

 

15, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 445

 

16, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore, 436

 

17, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 425

 

18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 372

 

19, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 309

 

20, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 297

 

21, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 273

 

22, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 197

 

23, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 197

 

24, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 181

 

25, Steve Owen, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 144

 

26, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 114

 

27, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore, 104

 

28, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 88

 

29, Mack Peach, Bombay, Ford Falcon, 74

 

30, David Hopper, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 67

 

31, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 54

 

32, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 48

 

33, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 18

 

34, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0

 

 

 

* Please note that Dean Perkins is competing under a “parked V8 franchise” agreement and therefore is ineligible for championship points.