SBR’s Kiwi duo has form for Bathurst
Top Kiwi combo, McIntyre and van Gisbergen, reunites for V8SC Phillip Island enduroTop New Zealand race driver John McIntyre teams up with young Kiwi star Shane van Gisbergen for the first time in three years to compete in this weekend’s Phillip Island endurance round of the Australian V8 Supercars. Delighted McIntyre takes well-earned NZ V8 podium finish at Manfeild John McIntyre is very happy with his weekend’s racing in round four of the BNT V8s Championship at Manfeild in Fielding. Two fourth places and a third earned the two-time NZ V8 champion third place for the weekend and pulled him back into second position on the points-table with one round of the series to run in Taupo on 20 and 21 March.
The Nelson-based driver was started in fourth and finished fourth in the first hard-fought 12-lapper. The second 12-lap race saw McIntyre improve to third, then he was fourth in the reverse grid 22-lapper after driving through the field from 20th on the starting grid. “It’s fair to say we’ve had three of the best races we’ve ever had in the NZ V8 series. The racing between Craig Baird (who currently leads the series) and me was just fantastic. Real serious, hard-fought, evenly-matched and fair racing. We could see the crowd on their feet cheering – it was brilliant!” After having to complete a major rebuild of the Prime Explosives Ford in the three weeks between the Timaru and Manfeild events, McIntyre says it was particularly rewarding for the whole John McIntyre Racing team to see the speed evident in the JMR car. “We had the fastest lap time of the race in the 17th of 22 laps in the last race – that’s really significant in these longer races. We changed and improved the car all weekend and the evidence of these changes could be seen in this very good car speed.” McIntyre admits some disappointment, having not actually won a race. “But we did our best, kept trying as hard as we could. At one point we’d slipped on some oil from Eddie Bell, giving Craig a gap he took advantage of... But at the end of day, we’ve rebuilt the car, it’s very competitive and we’ll go into the last championship round in Taupo with the same ‘never say never’ attitude that’s kept us going through the last three weeks.” With a total of 721 points, McIntyre is second to Baird by 131 points. “It’s not over yet. I went into the last round at Teretonga two seasons ago with 130 point lead, thinking the series was pretty much mine, and then it came down to a crucial battle in the very last race of the championship for the title, which I won, but it wasn’t a sure thing until that last race!” McIntyre and his team at John McIntyre Racing extends their thanks to sponsors Talley's, Castrol Edge, Protector Safety, Prime Explosives, Ford NZ, The Rock FM, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime, Avon City Ford, BP Ultimate, Dynamic Fluid Systems, Speedshow, Cookes Wirerope, Colorfast Signs, City Collision Repairs Napier, and others for their ongoing support. BNT V8s Points after five Rounds (Top five)
|
McIntyre, who has twice won the New Zealand V8 championship, says it’s exciting to be lining up with van Gisbergen at ‘the great race’, the star endurance events of the Australian V8 Supercar championship.
This year’s three-round enduro programme for McIntyre at SBR takes in the L&H Phillip Island 500, then October’s two big events: the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 (7 to 10 October) and the Armor All Gold Coast 600 (22 to 24 October).
“We’re rapt with the results. To be on the podium after all that’s happened – rebuilding the car after that uncontrollable crash in the wet in Timaru – we’re just delighted to have our championship chase back on track,” says McIntyre who drives the Prime Explosives Ford.
