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Havoline Ford driver Angus Fogg won two of the three races and SCG Ford driver David Besnard won the reverse grid third race of the fourth round of the New Zealand V8s Championship at Manfeild, but defending V8s champion John McIntyre holds on to the series lead in the BP Ultimate Ford.

Fogg took the round win with his two race wins and an eighth place. He had been in second place overall, 105 points behind McIntyre coming into the Manfeild round, but that deficit is now reduced to 79 points as Fogg’s total increased to 658 points.

This weekend the Auckland-based driver and race car engineer, who finished building this particular Havoline Ford before the previous round at Taupo, set pole, won a race – in fact, two – and won the round for the first time this season. He also set two new lap records for the New Zealand V8s, improving on the record he set this time last year. Fogg’s lap record now stands at 1:12.810.

“It’s very easy to lose points, but hard to gain them back,” said Fogg. “But it is doubly rewarding to build and race the car.”

McIntyre secured a fourth, a second and a seventh place at Manfeild to hold the series lead with 737 points. He also achieved a unique accomplishment of finishing in the top ten in every one of the twelve races run so far this season.

“We’ve got four podium finishes in a row, so that’s the main thing when we haven’t got Angus’ outright pace,” said McIntyre. “We love going to Timaru [the fifth and penultimate round of the 2007-08 series]. It’s the motor racing capital of the South Island! And it’s going to be great to have back-to-back weekends to finish the championship.”

Holding third place overall is Kayne Scott in the Fujitsu Ford with 621 points. “In that last reverse grid race, I hoped Angus might have tried to pass John and Andrew [Anderson] and they’d all go off to let me through!” quipped the 2005-06 V8 champion. “It was a great race as we swapped positions throughout.”

Scott heads to Australia for the opening round of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship where he’s recently signed to race for Team Kiwi Racing. “But I’ll be back for Timaru and Teretonga as my commitment is to our New Zealand supporters, fans and sponsors. You do have to drive these cars harder – you really have to hustle the New Zealand V8s along, but it’s not too bad going from one to the other.”

Paul Radisich stays in fourth place with 520 points after a disappointing weekend for the two-time world touring champion who’s driving the HPM Ford in the New Zealand V8 series. A small consolation for the Melbourne-based kiwi was a hard-fought second place in the reverse grid race.

Paul Manuell is fifth overall with 509 points. The leading Holden driver was happier with his two third places earlier in the weekend but struggled in the reverse grid race to finish 19th. 

The New Zealand V8s head to the South Island for the final two rounds of their 2007-08 championship; Timaru on 1 and 2 March, then Teretonga on 7 and 8 March.

Qualifying in more detail

This season, the New Zealand V8s adopted a three-part V8 Supercars-style qualifying format with the full field completing an initial 20 minute qualifying session. The fastest 20 drivers run for another 15 minutes, then the top ten complete a final 15 minute session.

From the first session, Kayne Scott looked very quick with John McIntyre, Paul Radisich, Tim Edgell and Clark Proctor completing the top five. Surprisingly Australian David Besnard didn’t make it through into the top 20, suffering obvious mechanical issues with the SCG Ford.

In the second session, Edgell – with fresh tyres just fitted to the Chesters Ford – and fellow Ford driver Adam Brook looked likely to go through to the top ten shoot-out. But the session was restarted after a mix-up about which drivers should be in the top 20 and neither Edgell or Brook were unable to repeat their earlier quick times, naturally disappointed not to secure a top ten slot. Fogg was fastest that time around, with Scott and Mark Pedersen hot on his heels.

In session three, the top nine times were separated by less than one second. Fogg was the quickest, his qualifying time of 1:12.737 just 0.170 seconds faster than Scott’s.

Fogg said setting the time was hard work. “It was a struggle. With this new car there are lots of little things that could be better, but naturally we’re pleased to be on pole.”

Paul Manuell was the best of the Holden drivers with the third fastest time with McIntyre fourth fastest. Proctor, Pedersen, Andy Booth, Radisich and Luke Youlden followed with John Penny, a relative newcomer to the V8s, making the top ten for the first time.

Race one in more detail

On the recently resealed Manfeild circuit, outside Feilding, the 14-lapper turned into two parts of seven laps each; one dry, one wet. Fogg ran from flag to flag to take his first win of the season and also set a new lap record, with a time of 1:12.940, bettering the time he set last February of 1:13.165.

“It wasn’t too much of a battle in the end,” said Fogg who established a dominant gap on the field in both sections of the race. “You’ve just got to make the most of it and drive to the conditions. We’re lucky the car is good in both dry and wet. The track was drying towards the end and we had enough of a gap to hold on for the win. It’s good for us that John McIntyre finished fourth so it reduces the points’ gap to John at the top of the table a bit.”

Having run with Fogg in the dry, Scott, who finished second, says his car needed a different setup for the wet. “We had good pace in the dry. We were a bit of a roadblock in the wet, but I was able to hold the others off for second.”

Manuell bought the Orix Holden home in third, his first podium of the season. “The pace has been there with this car; it’s a matter of putting it all together on the day,” said the former V8 champion.

McIntyre was fourth, Proctor fifth in the Metalman Ford with Booth, Besnard, Penny, Dean Perkins and Adam Brook completing the top ten.

Race two in more detail

Fogg, Scott, Manuell and McIntyre headed the 32-car strong field as the V8s lined up for the weekend’s second race.  Fogg was cleanly away into the lead after the rolling start while McIntyre again took the discrete option during the cluttered first few seconds of racing, the defending champion preferring to let others through rather than risk his championship lead. This saw Manuell, Pedersen, Scott, Proctor, and then McIntyre follow Fogg through the esses for the first time.

McIntyre made short work of passing Proctor, then Pedersen spun, so McIntyre was up to fourth before winning a tussle with Scott for third place. Fogg gained an ever-increasing lead over the field – setting another new lap record in the process with a time of 1:12.810, which was 0.13 seconds better than the lap record he set the day before – while McIntyre set his sights on Manuell. It says a lot for the calibre of the leading drivers in this class that McIntyre and Manuell could run cleanly, virtually side-by-side, through Manfeild’s twisty centre complex, McIntyre again emerging the victor to secure second place.

By the time the safety car came out to allow Dave Stewart’s Holden to be pulled from a gravel trap, Fogg had a very significant lead over McIntyre who was delighted to have the chance to close right up behind the race leader.

With just four laps to go and the safety car off the circuit, Fogg took his second win of the weekend – and the season – despite McIntyre’s determined attack. With eight points’ difference between first and second places, Fogg’s total inched slowly closer to McIntyre’s. Manuell took third place for the second time this weekend, Scott was fourth and GT Radial Racing’s Dean Perkins scored his first fifth place of season. Andy Booth was sixth, Luke Youlden took seventh, and Cameron McLean, Tim Edgell and Andrew Anderson, in his brand-new Pinepac ITM Holden, wrapped up the top ten.

Further down the field, Radisich improved his placings lap-by-lap after having to start the HPM Ford from virtually the back of the field. This was a result of Radisich being deemed ‘unclassified’ in the first race after being caught up in a series of incidents, one of which officials decided was his fault. After the resulting drive-through penalty and repairs to his Ford, Radisich crossed the line last, but didn’t complete the required 75% of the total race distance. In the second race, Radisich battled through the slower cars with an increasingly-smoky Ford and, despite the opportunity afforded by the safety car intervention which closed the field up, Radisich crossed the line in an unfamiliar 27th place.

Race three in more detail

When it came to the weekend’s third reverse grid race – which has the points from races one and two added together, and then the whole field reversed – a driver in Radisich’s situation didn’t benefit with an advantageous starting position as an additional penalty is applied which moved Radisich back six grid positions.

Therefore Kevin Williams had pole with Andrew Porter beside him on the front row of the grid. Gene Rollinson, driving for the Bartercard Racing team for the first time this season, and Chris Adams took slots three and four. With maximum points earned in the first two races, Fogg had the unenviable position of starting in 32nd place, the very back of the grid.

From 15th, Besnard was quick to cut a swathe through the drivers in front of him – including Radisich, who was probably the faster, best-placed starter. Within four laps, Besnard was in second place and focussed on hunting down Porter who had managed to build a handy lead. Lap five and Besnard hit the front. Radisich took a similar approach, securing second on the tenth lap.

Meanwhile McIntyre, Fogg and Scott were working their way through the field; at times the hard-charging trio getting baulked by slower drivers, at times battling intensely between themselves. From 30th at the green light, McIntyre was 12th by lap 12 with Scott and Fogg hard on his bumper.

When the safety car was called out as Nick Ross and John Penny required extraction from a gravel trap, the significant lead that Besnard had gained was lost as the field closed up behind him. By this point McIntyre was in eighth, Fogg tenth and Scott in 12th.

Besnard and Radisich finished first and second with Mark Pedersen bringing the United Video Ford through from 14th to a well-deserved third. Proctor’s drive from 26th to fourth was also noteworthy, the Metalman Ford driver holding seventh overall. Porter held on for a strong fifth place, his best result for his rookie V8 season. Anderson came from 21st to take sixth. And after McIntyre, Fogg and Scott, Dale Lambert drove his Ford from 19th into tenth.

ENDS

New Zealand V8s Championship – Qualifying

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Qualifying time

1, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:12.388

2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 1:12.568

3, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:12.690

4, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 1:12.767

5, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.028

6, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.069

7, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:13.196

8, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.229

9, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.278

10, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.646

11, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.536

12, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.588

13, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.590

14, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.684

15, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 1:13.684

16, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 1:13.909

17, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:14.175

18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 1:14.502

19, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:14.676

20, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 1:15.752

21, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.093

22, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.166

23, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 1:15.199

24, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:15.238

25, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.415

26, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 1:15.520

27, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 1:15.701

28, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 1:16.680

29, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 1:17.257

30, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 1:17.647

31, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 1:26.776

32, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 7:16.704

New Zealand V8s Championship – Manfeild Race 1 (14 laps)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 75

2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 67

3, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 60

4, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 45

7, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 42

8, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 39

9, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 33

11, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 30

12, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 28

13, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 26

14, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 24

16, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 20

15, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 22

17, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 18

18, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 16

19, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 14

20, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 12

21, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 10

22, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 9

23, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 8

24, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 7

25, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 6

26, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 5

27, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 4

Not classified, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA  

DNF, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA  

DNF, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA  

DNF, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY  

DNF, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY  

New Zealand V8s Championship – Manfeild Race 2 (18 laps)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 75

2, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 67

3, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 60

4, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 45

7, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 42

8, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 39

9, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 33

11, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 30

12, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 28

13, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 26

14, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 24

15, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 22

16, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 20

17, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 18

18, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 16

19, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 14

20, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 12

21, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 10

22, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 9

23, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 8

24, Connel, McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 7

25, Shaun, Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 6

26, Julia, Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 5

27, Paul, Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 4

28, Dave, Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 3

DNF, Andrew, Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA  

DNF, Chris, Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY  

DNF, David, Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA  

DNF, Kevin, Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ  

New Zealand V8s Championship – Manfeild Race 3 (22 laps, reverse grid, provisional results)

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned

1, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 75

2, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 67

3, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 60

4, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 54

5, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 49

6, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 45

7, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 42

8, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 39

9, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 36

10, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 33

11, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 30

12, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 28

13, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 26

14, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 24

15, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 22

16, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 20

17, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 18

18, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 16

19, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 14

20, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 12

21, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 10

22, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 9

23, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 8

24, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 7

25, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 6

26, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 5

27, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 4

28, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 3

29, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 2

DNF, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY  

DNF, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ  

DNF, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ  

New Zealand V8s Championship – Provisional points after Round 4

Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Provisional points

1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA, 737

2, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 658

3, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 621

4, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 520

5, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 509

6, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 487

7, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 454

8, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA, 409

9, Cameron McLean, Brisbane, Ford Falcon BA, 397

10, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA, 304

11, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA, 300

12, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 268

13, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ, 246

14, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA, 224

15, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY, 222

16, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon BA, 207

17, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 203

18, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 199

19, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 197

20, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 192

21, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 183

22, Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA, 178

23, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ, 177

24, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ, 169

25, Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon BA, 169

26, John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA, 144

27, Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA, 139

28, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY, 115

28, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA, 110

29, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Holden Commodore VY, 79

30, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore VY, 72

31, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY, 47

32, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore VZ, 45

33, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 35

34, Gene Rollinson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY, 15