Two dominant wins keeps McIntyre in touch in NZV8 championship
John McIntyre took the first two victories of the new season of NZV8 touring car racing at Pukekohe this weekend (6 and 7 November) and, despite a crash in the third race, holds fourth place overall.
“The fact is we were dominant through the majority of this opening round,” said the two-time NZV8 champion. “With two race wins to our credit, we’ve been able to stay in touch with the three guys in front of us on the leader-board despite not finishing the weekend’s reverse grid race.”
After setting pole with an ultra-quick time during Saturday’s top ten shootout, McIntyre made the most of the opportunity to run at the front of the field for the first two 12-lap races and secure the maximum points – 75 points for each victory.
However the first race almost didn’t go to McIntyre’s plan as fellow front row runner Tim Edgell got the jump on McIntyre as the starting lights went out early while the pair led the field down to the start-finish line for the rolling start.
“I was hoping to control the race right from the outset, but was caught by surprise when the race started early. Tim got in front and led for a couple of laps while I worked out we had a strong car through certain parts of the circuit. With a switchover move at the hairpin on the third lap, Tim gave me plenty of room to pass, and then I was able to pull away and do what I needed to do to win. I wasn’t pushing very hard at the end and was happy with the car’s performance and new brake package. It was very consistent.”
Race two, also 12 laps, saw McIntyre perform in his trademark start-to-finish style to again score maximum points ahead of Baird and Edgell.
The consequence of earning maximum points in the first two races is starting the third race at the back of the reverse grid, a situation McIntyre has tackled more than a few times.
“I’d got past Tim Edgell and Craig Baird, sitting back, biding my time. While trying to pass Nick Ross, he locked up and there was contact – it didn’t seem major and I kept racing – but then the front left tyre blew and the car crashed into the wall at the top of Ford mountain.
“The car’s very fixable and we’re still very much in touch with the championship leader Angus Fogg, who is only 21 points ahead. Basically, having had such a dominant first two races means we haven’t suffered too much in terms of the overall championship standings.”
McIntyre heads to the Christchurch race circuit, Ruapuna, over the weekend of 26-28 November for the second round of the BNT V8s Championship.
John McIntyre Racing thanks its sponsors: Blackwoods Paykels, Protector Safety, Amcor, Talley's, Castrol Edge, BP Ultimate, NZ Ceiling and Drywall Supplies, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime Co, Squawking Magpie Wines, Dynamic Fluid Systems, EATON, Ford New Zealand, Irwin Tools and Showquip.
McIntyre sets sizzling time for pole in NZV8 opener
John McIntyre blitzed the opposition with an ultra-quick qualifying time to take pole position in the BNT V8s Championship opening round at Pukekohe during Saturday’s top ten shootout.
The popular two-time New Zealand V8 champion started his tenth campaign with the best possible result from the day’s revised qualifying programme. With just one twenty minute qualifying session, McIntyre’s first objective was to set one of the ten fastest lap times – he did, piloting the Blackwoods Paykels Protector Safety Falcon around the high speed Franklin district circuit with a time just a fraction behind Tim Edgell. In the top ten shootout, McIntyre’s one flying lap was perfect, his time of 1.01.037 under the lap record and comfortably seven-tenths of a second quicker than Edgell’s.
“We came here wanting to be on pole,” said McIntyre, who lives in Nelson. “It’s the ultimate performance to come and do it again. This is the second year in a row we’ve been on pole and it’s the best way to start out at Pukekohe with everyone chasing you.”
McIntyre lines up for the first 12-lap race on Sunday, using the new NZV8s brake package for the first time in competition.
“We just want to get out in front and see what everyone’s got. That’s what we did last year. Essentially we’re pioneering the new brakes so we’ll just have to play it smart.
“Today JMR [John McIntyre Racing] has a better handle on them now than we’ve had, but no one’s raced on them yet. We’ll run at whatever pace we need to win tomorrow!”
After Sunday morning’s first race, McIntyre contests a second 12 lap race early in the afternoon before the late afternoon full reverse grid 22 lap race to complete the first round of the seven round championship.
John McIntyre Racing thanks its sponsors: Blackwoods Paykels, Protector Safety, Amcor, Talley's, Castrol Edge, BP Ultimate, NZ Ceiling and Drywall Supplies, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime Co, Squawking Magpie Wines, Dynamic Fluid Systems, EATON, Ford New Zealand, Irwin Tools and Showquip.
McIntyre fired up for NZV8 season opener
Drawing on his recent success with Kiwi V8 Supercar star Shane van Gisbergen in Australia, top New Zealand V8 touring car racer John McIntyre is rearing to get on track in his own V8 Ford.
Starting at Pukekohe’s opening round on 5 November, McIntyre heads into his tenth season of the tough BNT V8 Championship fighting fit and fired up. The two-time NZV8 champion finished second and third as co-driver to van Gisbergen in the two demanding races of the Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercar endurance event.
“You can not beat actual racing miles as the best preparation for top level racing,” says the 33-year-old from his home in Nelson. “The Gold Coast enduros were arguably the toughest races of the V8 Supercar season when you look at the unforgiving street circuit, the heat and the intensity of competition. Shane and I delivered a fantastic result for Stone Brothers Racing and Ford with our two podium finishes. There’s definitely a boost in confidence from this kind of success.”
This is the fifth season that McIntyre’s own team, John McIntyre Racing, has been in operation and the small, Hawke’s Bay-based, highly-skilled crew is more determined than ever to take their third championship title.
“It’s a fresh start, a new season of seven championship rounds with three races each round,” says ‘Johnny Mac’.
“We’ve got fresh new livery on the #47 Blackwoods Paykels Protector Safety Falcon and everyone’s reenergised and focussed on winning the championship again after the disappointment of losing a whole round’s worth of points last season which took us out of contention for the title.”
Pukekohe’s opening round sees McIntyre focused on starting the season with the best possible points’ haul.
“I’ve had 51 race wins in this class – race wins mean good points and I want to nail this first round by scoring pole position and the first two race wins. Do this again at the following round at Ruapuna in Christchurch late in November and we’ve set ourselves up for the rest of the season and potentially the championship title.”
McIntyre holds the current lap record at Pukekohe (with a time 1:01.159 set in November 2009) and draws on his previous successes at the Franklin district circuit. He set pole position there last year and has won at least one race on the high speed 2.8 km circuit at each round in the last four seasons.
McIntyre regards the new brake package available to NZV8 competitors as this season’s biggest challenge.
“Certainly the new optional brake package is stronger than our previous set-up. I think how competitors adapt to the new brakes – learning how to make the most of them – will be the deciding factor for this season’s championship.”
The new brake set-up involves larger brake rotors and single piece calipers on all four wheels. Brake pads also increase in thickness with the same compound used front and rear.
“Brakes are so important in a race car and I think the new set-up with provide fans with even more exciting racing. There will be more passing under brakes and the confidence to pass under brakes later in the race when our previous brake package might have been running out of steam.
“The key will be how quickly each team learns how to set the brakes up for qualifying, then the top ten shootout and then races. Those minute set-up changes can make all the difference. Other than the brakes, there haven’t been any other major changes to the cars this season, so our other preparation has been more of checking and replacing key components for maximum strength, power and speed.”
With his own team, McIntyre has an enviable record in New Zealand’s premier race class – the team won the NZV8 championship in 2007 and 2008, and placed second in 2009 and 2010.
“Of course, we’re gunning for our third championship title. The competition among the regular top-runners is always intense. It’s probably going to be closer than ever this season and more drivers are going to be knocking on the door of the top ten and top five as they sort their brake set-up.”
McIntyre’s 2010-11 NZV8 campaign sees him contest seven championship rounds: Pukekohe Park from 5 to 7 November, Ruapuna Park in Christchurch from 26 to 28 November, Teretonga Park from 14 to 16 January, Timaru International Motor Raceway from 21 to 23 January, Manfeild circuit in Feilding from 11 to 13 February, Taupo Motorsport Park from 11 to 13 March, with the final on the streets of Hamilton in April. For the first time, the NZV8s’ season final takes place at the ITM 400 where the Kiwis create a hugely popular support class for the Australian V8 Supercar event.
Each round of the NZV8s involves practice and qualifying on Saturday and three races on Sunday. Saturday’s qualifying has a new format this year – all competitors head out for one 20 minute session, then the fastest ten drivers get one flying lap during the top ten shootout to decide final starting positions for the first race. The second race grid comes from finishing positions in race one. Race three sees the drivers’ points from the first two races added together, ranked and then reversed to give a full reverse grid.
John McIntyre Racing has a much-valued family of sponsors, namely: Blackwoods Paykels, Protector Safety, Amcor, Talley's, Castrol Edge, BP Ultimate, NZ Ceiling and Drywall Supplies, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime Co, Squawking Magpie Wines, Dynamic Fluid Systems, EATON, Ford New Zealand, Irwin Tools and Showquip.
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