The premier motor racing series of New Zealand motorsport take to the Teretonga Park circuit in Invercargill this weekend.
The hugely popular BNT V8s, Toyota Racing Series, Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup, Suzuki Swift Sport Cup, MINI Challenge, Production Racing Series and Zoagn Formula Ford Championship are ready for battle. Many of New Zealand's best racing drivers plus several international stars adorn the grids in the various categories.
For most, the Ford versus Holden battle in the BNT V8s Championship is the highlight. This season sees an interesting situation where the established stars of the class are being challenged by the new breed of drivers who are making a huge statement in the series.
Established stars such as two-time champions John McIntyre, Kayne Scott and Andy Booth as well as drivers such as Angus Fogg are the old guard of the series while relative newcomers .
Eddie Bell, Tim Edgell and Andy Knight are pushing their claims this season, all well placed in the point standings after two rounds of the series. Then there is one of the country's most successful drivers, Craig Baird, always tough to beat despite the fact that for all his experience Baird is only in his second season in the category.
As they arrive at Teretonga McIntyre leads the point standings in his Talleys Falcon from Baird in the United Video Falcon with Bell, the opening round winner in his Independent Fisheries/Hydraulink Falcon third. Booth, in the first of the Holden's, Scott, Edgell, Knight and Fogg round out the top eight in the championship to date.
Teretonga is also the opening round of this year's Toyota Racing Series with the added bonus of also being one of the separate international rounds contained within the series. Consequently an exciting line up will arrive in the south with several top young New Zealanders set to match their skills with the visiting internationals. Kiwi Earl Bamber will be one of the men to beat. The youngster has fashioned an outstanding motorsport CV, having been an integral part of the New Zealand A1GP team. Prior to that Bamber had been the runner-up in the Toyota Racing Series three years ago. Other kiwi hopes are another outstanding teenager, fifteen-year-old Mitch Evans of Auckland. Evans was second in last year's New Zealand Formula Ford Championship before crossing the Tasman to contest the Australian Championship last year. He also secured second in that series marking several milestones along the way. He ended 2009 by winning a Formula 3 race in Australia against international opposition in his first ever outing in that category.
Other kiwis include Andrew Waite, Stefan Webling, Alastair Wootten and Jamie McNee. They will be up against quality international opposition. Seventeen year-old Brazilian Lucas Foresti was the runner-up in the 2009 South American Formula 3 Championship and is mentored by high profile countryman Roberto Moreno. Twenty-eight year old Sten Pentus of Estonia is vastly experienced, having raced in several European categories. Last year he contested the World Series V6 Renault Series alongside New Zealanders Brendon Hartley and Chris Van Der Drift. Australian Chris Wootton debuts in the series after two seasons in Formula BMW Pacific while his countryman Nathan Morcom steps up from Formula Ford.
The feature race for the Toyota Racing Series is the Spirit Of A Nation Cup race on Sunday afternoon.
The Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup is another category chock full of world class drivers. Australian based kiwi Craig Baird is the established master in the class but he will face a stern challenge from David Reynolds of Australia. Reynolds, who raced in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship last season, was the runner-up in last year's series and took a clean sweep at the most recent round prior to Christmas. Two of New Zealand's former A1GP drivers, Jonny Reid and Matthew Halliday, are also in the Porsche field as is Daniel Gaunt of Auckland, about to embark on his first season in Australian V8 Supercar's "main game" plus reigning Toyota Racing Series Champion Mitch Cunningham and Anthony Pedersen.
Meanwhile Simon McLennan of Wellington leads the separate 996 class of the championship.
The Porsche's will feature in a 100 kilometre race on Saturday before two shorter races on Sunday.
Local driver Damon Leitch leads the ZOAGN Formula Ford Championship in his Zero Fees Stealth as the series arrives at Teretonga. However the lead is only 2 points over Hamilton driver Martin Short. Others sure to be disputing the top positions at Teretonga are Matthew Penrose, Nick Cassidy and Andre Heimgartner. Leitch will be keen to repeat the emphatic round win he achieved at home last season to extend his championship lead.
Queenstown driver Grant Aitken leads the Production Racing Series in his Mitsubishi EVO 9 from Scott McKelvie and Simon Sceats while Craig Innes, Mark Joblin and Steve Taylor lead their respective classes. The MINI Challenge cars run alongside the production cars this season and it is Team Kiwi Racing driver Ryan Bailey who currently leads the championship from Mark Maddren with former Toyota Racing Series star and Bailey's TKR team mate Matthew Hamilton third.
In the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup William Bamber, younger brother of Earl, leads the series from Ben Dallas and two-time champion Cody McMaster.
Tickets are available from Auto Centre in Tweed Street, Invercargill, participating BP outlets, www.nzv8s.co.nz or from 08004nzv8s at a cost of $35 while children under 15 are free.
Qualifying begins on Saturday morning at 9.30am while racing and the exciting V8 qualifying sessions commence at 1.30pm that afternoon. On Sunday a full programme of action commences at 9.20am.
