NZ SuperGT

[NAC]

Hi Mark

Have you got a pic of the Mekur in MPN livery you can post??

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by NAC

Hi Mark

Have you got a pic of the Mekur in MPN livery you can post??

Hi NAC,

will do, but I need to get them scanned first.

Cheers,

Mark Petch.

[flyingduck]

This is a list of the saloon car records for Puke not sure if the list is 100% and won't count the weekend just gone. I'm not sure if when it says Ford Sierra they mean the Mekur or the old SLAB car, Mark I read a article that the slab car had a refresh will we get to see that beautiful machine on the track at any stage.

January 1989 Kieran Wills Mazda/Chev 1.01.09
January 1990 Rodger Freeth Toyota/Starlet 1.00.86
December 1990 Kieran Wills Mazda/Chev 1.00.37
February 1991 Kayne Scott Ford Sierra Cosworth 0.58.72
December 1991 Kayne Scott Ford Sierra Cosworth 0.57.59
February 1992 Kayne Scott Ford Sierra Cosworth 0.56.95
January 1993 Kayne Scott Ford Sierra Cosworth 0.56.19
February 1994 Kayne Scott Ford Mustang 0.55.74
January 2003 Kayne Scott Chevrolet Corvette 0.55.530

and some other records of interest I see Simon you just made the 52 second bracket.

Formula Holden
February 1994 Greg Murphy Reynard D/F Brabham 0.54.74
January 1995 Greg Murphy Reynard 92D 0.53.55
December 2000 Simon Wills Reynard 94D 0.52.972

Formula 5000
January 1971 Frank Matich McLaren M10B 0.56.70
November 1993 Ken Smith Matich A50 0.55.20

Formula Atlantic
January 1987 Davy Jones Ralt RT4 0.57.39
February 1992 Craig Baird Reynard 92H 0.56.02
January 1993 Stuart Crow Ralt RT40 0.54.74

Group A
December 1990 Jim Richards Nissan GTR 1.01.40
December 1991 Mark Skaife Nissan GTR 0.59.84
December 1992 Joachim Winkelhock BMW M3 0.58.86

As stated before I will be amazed to see a saloon car do a 53 and I would actually pay to go to a motor race event in New Zealand for the first time in my life.

I remeber the skill and the amazing speed of the M3 they didn't have the pace down the straights but seeing them push them through the corners was amazing and they were turning mega RPM.

[simon wills]

A 52.9 eh, not too bad, I should of gone quicker if the car didn't fail mid race... It happens...

For a Saloon to do a 53 would be a huge achievement. I think the car the Chesters have is capable to do the job in the future, but a fair bit of time and development needs to be carried out.

As Mark pointed out, he feels a mid 53 is on the cards for their car. This could be done in qualy trim but used tyres in a race to set the record would be quite an ask. I can see a 53 in the Chesters car after some more development, but not in race trim.

It is also easy to say it, but to actually perform the task I would think is quite difficult. Pukekohe like a big oval and with a short lap time to be able to gain over a second from their 54.8, I think more than just a 6 litre engine would be needed... But it will be fun watching it all develop!

[nomad_n]

Hey mark does the NZGT series go to the south island? if not how come?

[NAC]

Originally Posted by nomad_n

Hey mark does the NZGT series go to the south island? if not how come?

Schedule

4-5 October * Taupo (NZV8 Tier 1 Round)
22-23 November * Manfeild
6 - 7 December * Pukekohe (Thunder at the Park)
3 - 4 January Taupo
14 - 15 February Pukekohe
28 -29 March Manfeild
17-19 April Hamilton (Non Championship)
9 -10 May * Taupo



I would say something to do with the cost crossing the ditch would be the reason for no SI

[ASSA Member]

Originally Posted by Mark Petch

ASSA,
we loved that car, however a very wealthy American collector, hunted the car down, and paid me more than I paid Jack Roush for the car in the first place!

Meanwhile it's had a total restoration, and will run later this year in a new Gentleman's Series for pre91 TransAm cars. Scott Pruett won the 19887 TransAm championship in Chassis 4 ["ole yellow" as the team called it because it was the only car Jack Roush built with a chassis painted in Yellow] Its still Scooters all time favorite car.

I also understand that they are trying to get Scott Pruett back in the car, for promotional purposes, and if thats the case I would certainly be keen to go up to the cars first run back on American soil.

Pete Halsmer, of Mazda fame, went on to win the 1988 IMSA championship [after they banned Turbo's in TransAm] in the same car.

Jack put it away in his collection, untill Ford New Zealand supported an approach to Dearborn over borrowing the car. This eventually led to MPM buying the car, winning 2 New Zealand Championships in it , before competitor pressure, saw Turbo's also outlawed in TraNZam New Zealand.

Cheers,

Mark Petch.

Thanks for that, I can still just remember the year it raced on the Gold Coast at Indy, with the Peanut slab sponsorship. What a rocket ship it was, it blasted through the field from the back of the grid and was just about up the front until a mechanical problem.
What basic mechanical setup did it run? Sorry for the questions but i just want to know why it was so bloody fast!!!!

[sebringimsa]

Originally Posted by ASSA Member

Thanks for that, I can still just remember the year it raced on the Gold Coast at Indy, with the Peanut slab sponsorship. What a rocket ship it was, it blasted through the field from the back of the grid and was just about up the front until a mechanical problem.
What basic mechanical setup did it run? Sorry for the questions but i just want to know why it was so bloody fast!!!!

Not in MPM colours, however still looks great.

http://www.historictransamimsa.com/M...r_halsmer.html

[NAC]

Originally Posted by sebringimsa

Not in MPM colours, however still looks great.

http://www.historictransamimsa.com/M...r_halsmer.html

Some more pics, from the Roush Museum

http://www.merkurclub.com/Roush_Museum.htm

[ASSA Member]

Thanks for posting the links guys there are some great pictures on those two websites.
I never realised that it ran a SOHC motor in it, thought it would of used the YB motor like the Group A Sierras did. Makes it even more impressive to get that level of performance from a 2 valve engine, what an animal!!!

[rik]

Originally Posted by Rombles1

Does anyone know anything about this series?

Simon Wills and the boys at Team Dynamik have built a car for it, which from all reports sounds like a serious monster. He described it as being more anything-goes than Sports Sedans.... which I thought were pretty anything-goes anyway!

Looks like they're racing at Hamilton this weekend and the Holden won the first race:

http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/re...04/2009.HAM.R1

[BlueBlood]

Originally Posted by rik

Looks like they're racing at Hamilton this weekend and the Holden won the first race:

http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/re...04/2009.HAM.R1

Looks like it was second.

The Jag was running away with it until hatton's camaro went into the wall at the samsung sweeper. The SC bunched the field up somewhat.

[simon wills]

How did it look like second? I haven't seen the race, just the result, surely Nick must of passed Bernie though?

Even so, Nick is doing a great job in a dam aggressive car with the only experience being that of a Mitsi 4wd... A pretty cool class though.

[BlueBlood]

1 54 Flamecrusher, High Performanc Bernie Gillon (TGA) Jaguar 8 13:11.4195 8 1:27.3729
2 14 Chesters Plumbing & Bathrooms Nick Chester (AKL) Holden Supercar 8 13:14.2849 7 1:26.8954*

The number in front of the Jag suggested he had won??

Yes, he did look like he was going well.

[simon wills]

So why did it change then? The result I saw was Nick won, did he get a penalty or the like?

[BlueBlood]

Not sure simon,

I was at the track but not near a screen, so I missed the result.

[nzduck]

Simon,

I think you will find it was a results problem as Gillon was clearly ahead of Nick at the finish of the Saturday race. Sunday race he did really well.

[simon wills]

Ah ok makes sense. I thought to come from fourth to win by passing Bernie was a big ask on a tight track with his experience. Still to get the lap record as I make it, was a good reward.

[JohnM575]

Since this car seemed to of gained alot of interest , here is a clip off NZ V8 TV , great video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ibMAivacc