NZV8s

[Heycoop Racing]

Originally Posted by Bikerider

I think you will find that the Toyota 86 has not been to any South Island tracks.
It would of only been Aitkens car at levels.
At Highlands Aitkens version was 4-6 sec slower, both on new tyres, but on different brands.

True, but you have to factor in driver ability. Nothing against Grant here at all, but when you are comparing lap times to Angus Fogg, and some young 'guns' as well, that could easily account for a second. Plus the fact that Grants car was in Endurance trim, which is a lot different to sprint racing, harder brake pads, less camber, harder tyres etc, thats easily 2 seconds right there. Pretty hard to compare until they run at the same track.... which will be this weekend at Pukekohe. Will be interesting then to see how the two compare.

[CDM]

Originally Posted by smokin'joe

i was told 1.17 around Levels..........

Originally Posted by Bikerider

I think you will find that the Toyota 86 has not been to any South Island tracks.

Originally Posted by Bikerider

It would of only been Aitkens car at levels.

Toyota had their ‘prototype’ TR86 car at Levels last January. The times I heard were about 1.17 as well which I believe Toyota were disappointed in and I believe the cars are significantly different spec’d now.

Yes the TR86’s are faster than Grant Aitkens ‘Highlands spec’ cars, but as you would expect if you spent close to $30k more…

Originally Posted by Heycoop Racing

Plus the fact that Grants car was in Endurance trim, which is a lot different to sprint racing, harder brake pads, less camber, harder tyres etc, thats easily 2 seconds right there. Pretty hard to compare until they run at the same track.... which will be this weekend at Pukekohe. Will be interesting then to see how the two compare.

The Suzuki lap record at Levels is 1.15.8, Grant Aitken did a mid 1.13 (as Heycoop said, in Enduro trim) so the TR86’s may get close to a 1.10?? But as above the proof will be this weekend when they are on the same track on the same days…

[promax]

where is STfan with the weather report

[Sidewayz]

Originally Posted by promax

where is STfan with the weather report

I'll fill in....
ITS WET!
How'd I do....do I get the job?

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by Sidewayz

I'll fill in....
ITS WET!
How'd I do....do I get the job?

It's stopped raining now, high overcast, been a wind direction change

[promax]

Originally Posted by Sidewayz

I'll fill in....
ITS WET!
How'd I do....do I get the job?

hey, it's yours if you want it

the pay isn't that great though

[pukekoheracer]

Originally Posted by promax

hey, it's yours if you want it

the pay isn't that great though

It stopped raining just before the last couple of races, it was nice to pack up in the Sunshine. This morning back to normal.

[MacrosNZ]

Found a little video online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLk1vGTIU44

[BackSeat Driver]

Originally Posted by MacrosNZ

Found a little video online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLk1vGTIU44

WOW!! there is some crazy stuff going on in that video.

Note to viewer, don't bother fast forwarding any of it, it has been edited into highlights and worth the full view.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by BackSeat Driver

WOW!! there is some crazy stuff going on in that video.

Note to viewer, don't bother fast forwarding any of it, it has been edited into highlights and worth the full view.

Looks like the whole field was trying to take themselves out.

[DX20VT]

What happened at the start?
Looked like both the cars on the row in front stalled at the same time?

[Bill Brown]

Nice fine day for NZV8 Meeting at Levels today. 16 NZV8s, 23 Toyotas
Should be a great day out, well worth a look.

[promax]

good stuff!

[on_to_it]

Seeing that some of the TL Commodore's are running LS3 engines, has anyone followed that path and put a Coyote, or similar new spec Ford engine, into a Falcon?

[promax]

Damp track for race 1. 13 cars on the circuit.

[promax]

the Holden/McLaughlin battle on a wet track was rather entertaining. Hughes must've read what was written in here lol he looked very keen in p2.

[Biggy G]

Howd the Lauder crash happen? Seem some spectacular photos, what caused him to go off?

[HProject]

Originally Posted by Biggy G

Howd the Lauder crash happen? Seem some spectacular photos, what caused him to go off?

Late reply, but from what I've heard, one of Lauder's wet feet slipped off the pedals under brakes, before getting stuck between them.

[promax]

Who dropped the ball by not keeping the general public up to date with the results for this weekend?

[bluespur]

been on face book all weekend and live timing available

[HProject]

Originally Posted by bluespur

been on face book all weekend and live timing available

Over an hour since the race finished, and still no story on the race three proceedings... Facebook or otherwise.

[promax]

live timing was down every time I checked. the facebook page has a couple links about Saturday's race.

[HProject]

Originally Posted by promax

live timing was down every time I checked. the facebook page has a couple links about Saturday's race.

Here we go - the MSNZ press release for the meeting, which talks about the full day's racing rather than individual races (ergh). Found, ironically, through Allan Dick's Autonews Facebook page:

"Tough wins for Bargwanna in NZV8 Touring Cars
From MSNZ

Jason Bargwanna did it the hard way as he won the penultimate round of the New Zealand V8 Touring Car championship at Taupo today.
The former Bathurst winner started the weekend badly when he copped a drive-through penalty in yesterday’s race for hitting his main rival, Nick Ross from Cambridge. Ross won that race with the Aussie recovering to take second.
In this morning’s race Bargwanna won after pulling off a spectacular pass in which his Toyota Camry and Ross’s Holden Commodore went through three successive corners side by side before the Toyota edged in front.
At the second corner of this afternoon’s feature race Bargwanna took a heavy hit from Shaun Varney’s Ford Falcon, both cars spinning off. Varney was out of the race, while Bargwanna rejoined dead last with a big dent in his right rear door.
Bargwanna carved through the whole field and after the compulsory pit stops he emerged just in front of Ross, then carried on to claim his second victory of the day.
“We’ve had to do it the hard way,” Bargwanna, who now holds a solid lead in the championship, said. “I really had to push hard.
“I was a bit disappointed about getting hit like that.”
Bargwanna’s strategy of taking his pit stop late in the race worked better than Ross’s earlier stop, as Ross came out behind a gaggle of the slower TL (original-specification) cars and lost time fighting his way through them.
Ross acknowledged that the Camry was now quicker, although the two cars had been evenly matched earlier in the championship.
“We need to find another second a lap,” he said. “We’ve got a test session booked at Pukekohe.”
The championship concludes at the V8 Supercar meeting in late April at Pukekohe, one of Ross’s favourite tracks.
Lance Hughes from Hamilton was third for the round in the TLX (new-generation) category, driving the Commodore in which Bargwanna won the previous championship.
The TL category saw three different winners: Bronson Porter (Hamilton, Holden), Brad Lauder (Turua, Ford) and James McLaughlin (Lower Hutt, Holden). Lauder had been challenging for the championship but lost vital points when he was unable to start the final race.
McLaughlin’s convincing victory in the feature race was especially praiseworthy as he runs with virtually no sponsorship, unable to afford the new tyres that most of his rivals were using.
“We saved our best tyres till the final race but they were still second-hand,” he said.

Jamie Conroy was “over the moon” as he won the New Zealand Formula Ford championship at his first attempt, with clear victories in all three races at the final round of this series.
“The car was good, it was easy to put the times in,” the 22-year-old Invercargill driver said.
Before this season Conroy had done only club-level racing but he has dominated the Formula Ford championship – traditionally one of the main stepping stones for fast young drivers advancing their careers – in a manner seldom seen in this category, which usually sees very close, hard-fought racing. He was beaten only twice during the 18 races over the season.
Conroy’s next mission is the final round of the South Island Formula Ford championship, where he stands a close second with one round to go. He hopes to compete in the Toyota Racing Series next season, if he can find the necessary sponsorship.
In all three Taupo races Conroy broke away to win by comfortable margins, while Kim Crocker (Tauranga), Aaron Marr (Wanganui), Michael Collins and Ryan Yardley (both Christchurch) fought at close quarters over the next four places. Collins ended runner-up in the championship, with Marr third.

Wellington’s Jamie McNee won the round for the Toyota Finance 86 championship with a win, a second and a third, and ended with a 125-point lead over Aucklander Callum Quin who scored his first victory in this class this morning.
Tom Alexander from Christchurch had been second in the championship but dropped to fourth after he was disqualified from yesterday’s race for hitting Aucklander Andrew Waite, who won the final race. Auckland’s Ashley Blewett is third with one round to go.

Photos by Geoff Ridder. One photo shows Jason Bargwanna leading Nick Ross in a NZ V8 Touring Car race, and the other new Formula Ford champion Jamie Conroy."

[MacrosNZ]

Pretty big crowd

[KRDG]

Originally Posted by MacrosNZ

Pretty big crowd

There, there, don’t be nasty. I’m told there was at least another 23 cars along the embankment. ie a total of 25. If they all had 4 people aboard you have a triple figure crowd (plus the three in the stand).

Must have been a roaring (financial) success for the promoter................

Please remind me which part of MSNZ is doing that and taking the profit (or otherwise) to pass on to its members..............