McIntyre takes opening round of NZ Truth V8s
Sunday 4 November 2007, 8:42PM
By The MotorSport Company
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John McIntyre, the defending V8 champion, had the best possible start to his title defence at this weekend’s opening round of the NZ Truth V8s Championship at Pukekohe.
Having blasted into pole position with a super-quick time during Saturday’s qualifying, McIntyre then went on to win the weekend’s first 14-lap race in his BP Ultimate Ford from two-time V8 champion Andy Booth in the Tasman Motorsport Holden.
With the starting grid for the V8s’ second race of the weekend determined by the fastest lap time each driver set in the first race, Booth was in the prime pole position with Angus Fogg in the Havoline Ford beside him. McIntyre took slot three with Paul Radisich in the HPM Racing Ford in slot four.
Booth had Fogg practically glued to his side as the pair went over the start line and into Pukekohe’s big left-hand sweeper. With a wheel in the dirt, Booth momentarily looked like he might lose the lead, as Fogg nosed ahead. But, coming out of ‘railway’, Booth had the better inside line, getting a clear run at the lead and, with McIntyre tucked right in behind Booth, Fogg found himself relegated to third place.
As they completed lap three, Booth and McIntyre swept from the hairpin, over the hill and down the start-finish straight side-by-side. McIntyre showed 100 per cent commitment to power around the sweeper to take the race lead from Booth.
“It takes a lot of trust to race side-by-side like that and it also shows the calibre of the drivers we have running in this series,” commented McIntyre.
Not far behind, Pinepac ITM Holden driver Andrew Anderson, who had started well in seventh place, got caught up in an incident that dropped him down the field. This put him in the wrong place at the wrong time as four cars came out of the hairpin together, causing Anderson to spin hard into a tyre barrier. With nowhere to go, Julia Huzziff hit Anderson’s Holden heavily in the side. Anderson was unhurt although his car was seriously damaged. Huzziff was taken to hospital for a check-up and the race was red-flagged while the armco was rebuilt.
Light rain started as McIntyre led the NZ Truth V8s away for the remaining 14 laps. On ‘dry’ Dunlop tyres, some drivers were finding the damp track a challenge, but the heat of the battle never slowed with Simon Richards in the Turtle Wax Ice Ford and Inky Tulloch in the Cat Rental Ford, and others, dicing closely. McIntyre and Booth were extending their lead over the rest of the field when Tulloch went off in the esses, bringing the safety car out, and allowing everyone to close up. This was particularly valuable to Powerbuilt Ford driver Luke Youlden, who had earlier been awarded a drive-through penalty for contact with Anderson and was driving alone at the back of the field. When racing resumed, Youlden was able to power through to 18th place.
With increasingly heavy rain and a wet track, McIntyre managed to extend his lead over Booth while Australian V8 Supercar driver David Besnard was all over the back of 2005-06 V8 champion Kayne Scott in his second-ever race in the new Fujitsu Ford. Behind Fogg in third place, Radisich had a ‘moment’ which dropped him back, and then Scott was swiftly past Fogg. The top five to cross the line were: McIntyre – for maximum points from two races, Booth, Scott, Fogg and Besnard. Radisich was sixth and Paul Manuell, Clark Proctor, Cameron McLean and Dean Perkins completed the top ten.
The NZ Truth V8s Championship comprises three races at each event with the starting grid for race three determined by adding together the points earned in the first two races, then reversing the entire line-up. At Pukekohe’s Fujitsu 200, this classification process put last year’s inaugural Mini champion and V8 rookie Eddie Bell on pole in the green Bartercard Holden with fellow Canterbury driver Adam Brook beside him, while this weekend’s leading drivers, Booth and McIntyre, started in positions 28th and 29th respectively.
With the track declared ‘wet’ and all V8s on their wet Dunlop tyres, a full-reverse grid race was always going to be action-packed. Former three-time V8 champion Mark Pedersen, starting from a well-positioned ninth place, was caught in a tight bunch on the sweeper. His boot flew open and then off as the United Video Ford driver was unable to avoid spinning. Pedersen tried to continue without the boot lid, but, with no down force, took the prudent action of retiring.
From the intensity of a V8 race rolling start, Bell did well to hold the lead for a complete lap, but it wasn’t long before the faster drivers caught and passed him. Dave Stewart, another V8 rookie in the Altherm Holden, took to the front of the field for nine laps and drove with determination and skill to hold off the more experienced Adam Brook in the Versatile Ford.
Brook took the lead at the half-way point and, behind him, some serious challenges were being laid down. Radisich had improved from 23rd to 10th before problems with his windscreen wipers forced him to slow; he came home in 21st. In the SCG Racing Ford, Besnard also looked to be making a determined drive, improving from 25th to 6th, but a spin and other issues meant he was unable to finish the race.
From the back of the grid, the ‘freight train’ of Fogg, Booth and McIntyre cut a swathe through the field with the trio agreeing that track conditions were some of the slipperiest they had ever encountered. From the back of the grid, all three were well past the middle of the pack when, having lost the lead to Brook and Australian V8 Supercar driver Cameron McLean in the Tex Onsite Ford, Stewart then went off the circuit, requiring safety car intervention to retrieve his car safely.
This allowed the field to close up and after a strong performance improving from 12th to as high as third, young Hamilton driver Cam Hardy in G & M Autospares Holden copped serious pressure from experienced drivers like Perkins in the GT Radial Ford. Just a couple of laps from the end, McIntyre made his move to pass both Booth and Fogg, then tussled with Perkins for third.
Ultimately, Brook crossed the line as the winner, much to the delight of a vocal and enthusiastic group of supporters. McLean took a well-earned second, with Perkins holding off McIntyre to take third. McIntyre, Fogg and Booth were next, followed by Booth’s team-mate Paul Manuell in the Orix Holden, Scott, Hardy and Youlden.
“It’s the best possible start to our season, and the whole team has worked really hard to give us this kind of race pace,” said McIntyre. “But those last six laps were getting really dangerous.”
Fogg added: “As we came over the ‘mountain’, the track was virtually a sheet of water. It wasn’t a case of poor grip; there was no grip!”
“The whole field did a really good job of actually staying on the track in these conditions,” commented Booth, who is looking forward to continuing to wave the Holden flag strongly at the upcoming round at Ruapuna outside Christchurch at the end of November.
The NZ Truth V8s Championship entrants contest their three races at Ruapuna on the weekend of 24 and 25 November. McIntyre heads the points’ table with 204, from Booth with 179, Fogg with 163, Scott with 148 and Perkins with 132 points. The championship comprises six events: Pukekohe, Ruapuna, Taupo, Manfeild, Timaru and Teretonga. A non-championship trophy round will be run at the Hamilton V8 Supercar event in April as well.
For more information about the NZ Truth V8s Championship, go to www.nzv8s.co.nz .
ENDS
The 2007-08 NZ Truth V8s Championship
Fujitsu 200, Pukekohe Park, 3-4 November
Race 1 results, 14 laps
Car no., Driver, Hometown, Car
1, John McIntyre (Nelson) Ford Falcon BA
2, Andy Booth (Auckland) Holden Commodore VZ
3, Angus Fogg (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
4, Paul Radisich (Melbourne) Ford Falcon BA
5, Kayne Scott (Hamilton) Ford Falcon BA, 49
6, Paul Manuell (Auckland) Holden Commodore VZ
7, Luke Youlden (Melbourne) Ford Falcon BA
8, Dean Perkins (Pukekohe) Ford Falcon BA
9, Clark Proctor (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
10, Andrew Anderson (Auckland) Holden Commodore VY
11, Michael Wallace (Dunedin) Holden Commodore VY
12, Tim Edgell (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
13, Dale Lambert (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
14, Nick Ross (Cambridge) Holden Commodore VZ
15, Darryn Henderson (Wellington) Holden Commodore VZ
16, John Penny (Taupo) Ford Falcon BA
17, Cam Hardy (Hamilton) Holden Commodore VZ
18, Simon Richards (Hamilton) Ford Falcon BA
19, Haydn Mackenzie (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
20, Connel McLaren (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA, 12
21, Inky Tulloch (Gore) Ford Falcon BA
22, Chris Adams (Mosgiel) Holden Commodore VY
23, Cameron McLean (Brisbane) Ford Falcon BA
24, David Besnard (Gold Coast) Ford Falcon BA
25, Andrew Fawcet (Wellington) Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Adam Brook (Christchurch Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Andrew Porter (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Dave Stewart (Wellington) Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Eddie Bell (Christchurch) Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Julia Huzziff (Auckland) Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Kevin Williams (Auckland) Holden Commodore VZ
DNF, Mark Pedersen (Auckland) Ford Falcon BA
The 2007-08 NZ Truth V8s Championship
Fujitsu 200, Pukekohe Park, 3-4 November
Race 2 results, 18 laps
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA
2, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
3, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA
4, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
5, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA
6, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
7, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
8, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
9, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA
10, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA
11, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
12, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
13, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA
14, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
15, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ
16, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ
17, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY
18, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
19, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
20, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
21, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY
22, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
23, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA
24, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA
25, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY
26, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA
27, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore VZ
28, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY
DNF, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
The 2007-08 NZ Truth V8s Championship
Fujitsu 200, Pukekohe Park, 3-4 November
Race 3 results, 22 laps, reverse grid
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car
1, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA
2, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA
3, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA
4, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA
5, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
6, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
7, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
8, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA
9, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ
10, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
11, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA
12, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA
13, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
14, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
15, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore VY
16, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
17, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ
18, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
19, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY
20, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
21, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
22, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY
23, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
24, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
25, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore VZ
DNF, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY
DNF, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA
DNF, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
The 2007-08 NZ Truth V8s Championship
Provisional points after round one
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 204
2, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 179
3, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 163
4, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 148
5, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 132
6, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 129
7, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 111
8, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 109
9, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 99
10, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 91
11, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 80
12, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 76
13, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 70
14, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 63
15, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 62
16, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 62
17, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 62
18, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 56
19, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 54
20, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 43
21, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 37
22, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 34
23, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 33
24, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 28
25, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore VZ, 26
26, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore VY, 25
27, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 24
28, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 24
29, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 22
30, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 10
31, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 6
33, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 0