, with the day's action getting underway in steady rain.
The wet weather didn't deter the keen motorsport fans of South Canterbury though and a good crowd turned out to enjoy racing from the New Zealand V8 Touring Cars, Porsche GT3 Cup cars, Formula Fords and the first races ever seen in the world for the new Toyota Racing Series.
The first of three New Zealand V8 Touring Car races got underway in heavy rain with 35 starters under the control of the safety car. Tracer Motorsport Ford Falcon driver John McIntyre took good advantage of the situation to leap into the lead past pole-setter Wade Henshaw in the Mike Pero Racing Holden Commodore. Kayne Scott in his Super Cheap Auto Holden Commodore also made the most of an opportunity to pass Henshaw to take second place by the end of the first lap.
Wayne Huxford was a new addition to the NZ V8 field. Huxford had stepped into Andrew Fawcet's Hot Chilly Ford Falcon at short notice, after Fawcet's incident during practice on Saturday which left him unable to compete this weekend. Huxford had only Weather played a major factor in most of the motor racing in Timaru during the third round of the MotorSport Series on Sundayfive minutes during the early morning warm-up session to familiarise himself with the V8 Ford and started from the back of the grid. Clearly the experienced Wellingtonian driver had lost none of his racing skills as he piloted the Ford through the driving rain and sliding V8s to secure 21st slot amongst the 32 finishers.
McIntyre had the race firmly under control, with Scott and Henshaw holding second and third places respectively, when the safety car was bought out to allow Timaru safety crews to extract Miles Worsley's Ford from the wall on lap eight, and those three took the top spots as the chequered flag was waved.
The rain cleared at lunchtime and the track was nearly dry when the New Zealand V8 Touring Cars headed out for their second race of the day. McIntyre had pole with Scott, Henshaw and Shane Drake in the Powerbuilt Tools Ford Falcon behind him. The field of 34 shot past the starter's flag to try and squeeze through the first corner in a flurry of locked brakes and super-fast reflexes, all making it through and around the sweeper safely. Drake had a moment, allowing Adam Brook in the NZSTT Ford Falcon and Paul Pedersen in the Caltex Racing Ford Falcon through. Paul Manuell's ORIX Racing Holden Commodore exited the circuit as did Darryn Henderson and his Radio Sport Holden Commodore; then Brady Kennett had to bring his ENZED Ford Falcon into pit lane and retired. McIntyre, with Scott, Henshaw and Pedersen chasing hard, held the lead with ease and set a new lap record as well - a time of 1:07.429 to better the previous record set by Angus Fogg of 1:08.38 last time the Parker ENZED New Zealand V8 Touring Cars raced in Timaru in January 2004.
NZ V8 touring car regulations dictate that the starting grid of the third race will have the top ten points scorers from the first two races reversed. This meant an all-Holden top four with Aucklander Kevin Williams on pole, followed by the Hydraulink-sponsored Michael Thom, the E-Frame Holden driver Andrew Anderson and defending champion Andy Booth for ORIX Racing.
Again, the dash over the start line into the first corner was incredibly tight. Thom took the lead from Williams by the end of the sweeper; then it was Anderson's turn to slip past Williams as a flurry of passing manoeuvres saw the field start to sort themselves out along the back straight. Booth overtook Anderson to take second place; then, already up from eighth into sixth, Henshaw demonstrated his Holden's straight line speed to reel in Drake's Ford and take fifth place. Booth wasn't waiting around for Henshaw to catch him and slipped past Thom into the lead on the fourth lap. Henshaw, with McIntyre right behind him, leap-frogged through the field to chase Booth hard right through to the finish of the 16-lap race. Booth had the pace to keep well ahead of Henshaw, allowing him to secure his second win of the season. Henshaw was second, McIntyre third, and Anderson fourth and Thom fifth - their best placings at this round.
With two wins and a third, John McIntyre was the 'round winner', but Wade Henshaw continues to lead the championship points table after this third round with 613 points. Andy Booth holds second place with 501 points with McIntyre in third with 494.
Race Results for Sunday 9 January 2005
Race 1 (10 laps shortened to 9, rolling start)
1, John McIntyre, Auckland, Ford Falcon
2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
3, Wade Henshaw, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
4, Shane Drake, Auckland, Holden Commodore
5, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon
6, Paul Manuell, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore
7, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon
8, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore
9, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore
10, Michael Thom, Auckland, Holden Commodore
11, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore
12, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore
13, Brady Kennett, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon
14, Jared Carlyle, Mt Maunganui, Ford Falcon
15, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore
16, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon
17, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon
18, Grant Shivas, Upper Hutt, Holden Commodore
19, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore
20, David Parsons, Auckland, Ford Falcon
21, Wayne Huxford, Wellington, Holden Commodore
22, Peter Roberts, Taupo, Holden Commodore
23, Craig Boote, Nelson, Ford Falcon
24, Joe Faram, Gisborne, Ford Falcon
25, Daynom Templeman, Auckland, Holden Commodore
26, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
27, Julia Huzziff, New Plymouth, Holden Commodore
28, Mike Pero, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
29, Mark Wootton, Auckland, Holden Commodore
30, Martin Hicks, Napier, Ford Falcon
31, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon
32, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon
DNF, Miles Worsley, Feilding, Ford Falcon
DNF, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon
DNF, Dean Perkins, Auckland, Ford Falcon
Race 2 (10 laps, rolling start)
1, John McIntyre, Auckland, Ford Falcon
2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
3, Wade Henshaw, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
4, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon
5, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon
6, Shane Drake, Auckland, Holden Commodore
7, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore
8, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore
9, Michael Thom, Auckland, Holden Commodore
10, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore
11, Jared Carlyle, Mt Maunganui, Ford Falcon
12, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore
13, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore
14, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon
15, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon
16, Dean Perkins, Auckland, Ford Falcon
17, Craig Boote, Nelson, Ford Falcon
18, Daynom Templeman, Auckland, Holden Commodore
19, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon
20, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon
21, Peter Roberts, Taupo, Holden Commodore
22, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon
23, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
24, David Parsons, Auckland, Ford Falcon
25, Julia Huzziff, New Plymouth, Holden Commodore
26, Mike Pero, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
27, Martin Hicks, Napier, Ford Falcon
28, Wayne Huxford, Wellington, Holden Commodore
29, Joe Faram, Gisborne, Ford Falcon
30, Grant Shivas, Upper Hutt, Holden Commodore
31, Mark Wootton, Auckland, Holden Commodore
DNF, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore
DNF, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore
DNF, Brady Kennett, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon
DNS, Miles Worsley, Feilding, Ford Falcon
Race 3 (16 laps, rolling start)
1, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore
2, Wade Henshaw, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
3, John McIntyre, Auckland, Ford Falcon
4, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore
5, Michael Thom, Auckland, Holden Commodore
6, Shane Drake, Auckland, Holden Commodore
7, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon
8, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
9, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon
10, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore
11, Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore
12, Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore
13, Dean Perkins, Auckland, Ford Falcon
14, Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon
15, Jared Carlyle, Mt Maunganui, Ford Falcon
16, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon
17, Daynom Templeman, Auckland, Holden Commodore
18, Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon
19, Haydn Mackenzie, Auckland, Ford Falcon
20, Peter Roberts, Taupo, Holden Commodore
21, Craig Boote, Nelson, Ford Falcon
22, Miles Worsley, Feilding, Ford Falcon
23, Joe Faram, Gisborne, Ford Falcon
24, Dale Lambert, Auckland, Ford Falcon
25, Martin Hicks, Napier, Ford Falcon
26, David Parsons, Auckland, Ford Falcon
27, Julia Huzziff, New Plymouth, Holden Commodore
28, Darryn Henderson, Wellington, Holden Commodore
29, Mark Wootton, Auckland, Holden Commodore
30, Grant Shivas, Upper Hutt, Holden Commodore
DNF, Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore
DNF, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore
DNF, Mike Pero, Christchurch, Holden Commodore
Driver, Model, Hometown, Championship Points
Wade Henshaw, Holden Commodore VY, Christchurch, 613
Andy Booth, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 501
John McIntyre, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 494
Paul Manuell, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 404
Kayne Scott, Holden Commodore VY, Hamilton, 398
Shane Drake, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 363
Paul Pedersen, Ford Falcon BA, Taupo, 319
Mark Pedersen, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 315
Andrew Anderson, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 305
Michael Thom, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 278
Adam Brook, Ford Falcon BA, Christchurch, 251
Dean Perkins, Ford Falcon BA, Pukekohe, 240
Craig Boote, Ford Falcon BA, Nelson, 207
Charlie O'Brien, Ford Falcon BA, Australia, 179
Andrew Fawcet, Ford Falcon BA, Wellington, 173
Nick Ross, Holden Commodore VY, Cambridge, 172
Angus Fogg, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 169
Michael Wallace, Holden Commodore VY, Dunedin, 166
Kevin Williams, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 159
Haydn Mackenzie, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 145
Brady Kennett, Ford Falcon BA, Palmerston Nth, 125
Clark Proctor, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 93
Daynom Templeman, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 92
Jared Carlyle, Ford Falcon BA, Mt Maunganui, 78
Dale Lambert, Ford Falcon BA, Sth Auckland, 73
Peter Roberts, Holden Commodore VY, Taupo, 72
David Parsons, Ford Falcon BA, Auckland, 56
Darryn Henderson, Holden Commodore VY, Wellington, 52
Cam Hardy, Holden Commodore VY, Hamilton, 46
Grant Shivas, Holden Commodore VY, Upper Hutt, 44
Mike Pero, Holden Commodore VY, Christchurch, 43
Miles Worsley, Ford Falcon BA, Feilding, 43
Dean McMillan, Holden Commodore VY, Napier, 39
Joe Faram, Ford Falcon BA, Gisborne, 37
Julia Huzziff, Holden Commodore VY, New Plymouth, 17
Wayne Huxford, Ford Falcon BA, Wellington, 13
Martin Hicks, Ford Falcon AU, Napier, 11
Mark Wootton, Holden Commodore VY, Auckland, 10
Mike Pero MotorSport Summer Series
Incorporating Parker ENZED New Zealand V8 Touring Car
Championship
16 & 17 October 2004 - Pukekohe
27 & 28 November 2004 - Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway,
Christchurch
8 & 9 January 2005 - Timaru
15 & 16 January 2005 - Teretonga
19 & 20 February 2005 - Manfeild
12 & 13 March 2005 - Taupo
15-17 April - Pukekohe (V8 Supercar meeting)
