Photo: Hugh Gardiner GT3 996 Championship leader John McIntyre of Nelson has taken pole position for the first race of Round 3 of the BNT V8s Championship at Teretonga Park in Invercargill. McIntyre set the fastest time in this afternoon's top ten shootout to qualify fastest ahead of Angus Fogg, Tim Edgell, Craig Baird, Eddie Bell and Andy Knight. Defending champion Kayne Scott was seventh fastest while Cambridge driver Nick Ross was the fastest of the Holden's in eighth position. McIntyre's margin over second fastest qualifier Fogg was just .082 of a second.
While the BNT V8s Championship contenders do not race until tomorrow all other classes at the CRC 200 meeting at Teretonga had their first race of the round today.
Fifteen year old kiwi star Mitch Evans of Auckland won the opening Toyota Racing Series event of the season. Evans had qualified on pole but Estonian driver, Sten Pentus, won the start and led early. However when Pentus ran wide Evans pounced and took the win. Pentus crossed the line second ahead of Taumaranui driver Daniel Jilesen.
American based kiwi, Matthew Halliday, took the honours in the 100 kilometre Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup contest, a race with a compulsory pitstop and worth double points. Australian David Reynolds was second while early leader Craig Baird who lost out during the pitstops was third.
Championship leader and local star Damon Leitch was forced off the track at the first corner of the opening race in the Zoagn Formula Ford Championship. Leitch's Zero Fees Stealth was too badly damaged to continue, victory in the restarted race going to Martin Short of Hamilton after a great battle with Matt Williams of Christchurch.
William Bamber ran away with the first Suzuki Swift Sport Cup race, pulling out a big lead while a mammoth battle raged behind him. Craig Innes of Taupo emerged from the pack in second with Ben Dallas third.
The Production Racing Series race featured a great dice between Simon Sceats of Auckland and Queenstown driver Grant Aitken with Sceats taking victory by .839 of a second. In the separate MINI Challenge class, Matthew Hamilton of Christchurch held off Auckland's David Grigor with championship leader Ryan Bailey third
Tomorrow's racing gets underway at 9.20am. Included on the days programme are three races for the BNT V8s plus the Spirit Of A Nation Trophy Race for the Toyota Racing Series competitors.
