John McIntyre Racing gave it everything they could during Timaru NZ V8 round

“All you can say is we gave it everything we could,” said a still smiling, but understandably disappointed John McIntyre after an unprecedented run of three did-not-finish (DNF) results at the Timaru round of the NZ V8s championship.

“We have faced some serious adversity all day, but we didn’t give up; we just kept on trying. Honestly, the effort from the whole team was absolutely huge. Add in the amazing level of support shown by our sponsors and fans, and you’ve got to end the day with a rueful smile and the acknowledgement that today just wasn’t our day,” said McIntyre after sliding off a glass-like wet track into the wall in race one and then suffering mechanical issues in a leased car in the day’s other two races.

Having been leading the NZ V8 series going into this fourth round, McIntyre’s position was leapfrogged by two competitors. He now sits 115 points adrift of new series leader Craig Baird with two rounds of the 2009-10 championship still to run.

With the Castrol Edge Ford demonstrating excellent pace on the technical Timaru circuit, McIntyre lined up for the weekend’s first 12-lap race third on the grid. What had been drizzle became solid rain just as the field completed the rolling start. McIntyre was past pole-sitter Angus Fogg and had a 100-metre lead by the time he came around the last corner before the start-finish straight, but the previously-damp line on newly-sealed tarmac offered absolutely no traction this time around.

“It was like driving on glass. I’d backed off but the car just aquaplaned and we were in the wall. Others were spinning in exactly the same place, and bouncing off our car.

“The pair that went on to first and second, Baird and Tim Edgell, were lucky. They’d missed the pit exit closure time-limit and were starting from pit lane. As the rain fell more heavily, their cars were pushed back into the pits by their crews to change to wet tyres, so they got a lucky break on the rest of the field which went into the pits to change tyres after that first dangerous lap and race being red-flagged.

“Not that there was much we could do at that point, but we decided quickly that we couldn’t repair the JMR car in time for the second race, so we talked to the other Ford teams and reached an agreement to lease the Haydn Mackenzie Motorsport hot lap car – already in race spec. That was an offer we very much appreciated.

“JMR swung into action, changing over some components and parts to bring it as close to our car as we could in that two hour window.”

Having not finished race one, McIntyre started from the back of the grid for race two and sadly didn’t even make it around the first lap.

“The main fuel pump wasn’t 100% and we couldn’t have envisaged something like that would stop; there was just no fuel pressure.”

More repairs and McIntyre lined up for race three, again at the back of the grid without having completed one full racing lap in the swiftly-renumbered #47 Ford.

“On wets in solid rain, we got off to a solid start at the back and were boxing along quite nicely, all things considered, improving from 22nd to 16th when the throttle cable broke. It was just past the pit entry too, so we couldn’t even coast into pit lane and hope to get a quick repair.

“Honestly, it just wasn’t our day. All you can do now is look back and laugh at what we’ve been through. What else can you do?”

The team faces a busy three weeks getting the JMR Ford back in tip-top shape before round five of the season at Manfeild, 13 to 14 February.

“We’re in full chase mode now. Okay, we’re third, but we know we have good car speed, we’ve got good race pace and we’ve been qualifying well. Last year at Manfeild we achieved something no one else has ever done – three race wins at one round. We’ll just have to see where we’re at when we get there, but don’t discount us. With 450 points up for grabs for the winners of the next six races, it’s not over yet.”

More than ever today, McIntyre and his team at John McIntyre Racing thanks their sponsors Talley's, Castrol Edge, Protector Safety, Ford NZ, The Rock FM, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime, Avon City Ford, BP Ultimate, Dynamic Fluid Systems, Speedshow, Prime Explosives , Cookes Wirerope, Colorfast Signs, City Collision Repair Napier, and others for their ongoing support.