LG Falcon : Mixed Results at Manfeild
The LG Motorsport team had an up and down weekend at round six of the 2008-2009 New Zealand V8s Championship at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding. After a positive start in testing on Friday (placed first in sessions one and two), Angus set the fourth fastest time in qualifying, and was 18th in race one and second in the final reverse grid race.
The team are now returning to
QUALIFYING – 4th
This has been our favorite track for qualifying, and during the first two shootout sessions we were second fastest, however when the final ten shootout came around, the second set of new tyres didn’t perform quite the way we expected, and we had to settle for fourth on the grid - getting our time just before conditions deteriorated with rain.
RACE 1 - Saturday (12 laps) – 18th
More rain! Starting fourth we jostled with the leading bunch until about mid race when Andrew Andersen and Paul Pedersen were dicing in front and taking their own defending/attacking lines, leaving a good gap up the inside exiting “Higgins” corner onto the back straight. In what should have been a straightforward overtaking move I drove up the inside of Paul, unfortunately he didn’t see me and decided to dive down to the lower part of the track, we made light contact and pirouetted simultaneously onto the very muddy infield ! After some time mud plugging, and awaiting a safe point to re-enter the circuit we got going again to finish 18th.
RACE 2 - Sunday (16 laps) – DNF
Starting towards the back usually presents challenges and this race was to be no exception! After working our way up to about 9th an incident immediately in front of me involving four cars caused me to hit the back of Inky Tulloch’s Falcon, we kept going and the car initially felt Ok and my crew radioed that the damage only looked superficial, however after two more laps it was clear that there was something wrong and I decided to pit when the oil temperature skyrocketed. Closer inspection revealed a torn radiator header tank due to the frontal impact and a corresponding loss of coolant. This is not always easy to detect or feel while circulating as the temperature gauge stops reading the temperature of the coolant and starts reading the temperature of the steam! The engine was cooking so we retired from the race and went back to the pits so the boys could start work on the damage and to assess whether we needed to fit our spare engine.
RACE 3 - Sunday (20 laps full reverse grid) – 2nd
Due to our rather lowly placings in the previous two races we started from 1st on the grid. The engine checked out ok and hurried repairs were made to the bent panels, and another radiator installed. During all the races it was a bit touch and go as to whether the suspension setup should be for wet or dry conditions, so the boys had plenty of practice changing springs under pressure!
It was raining heavily for this race, and after getting too much wheelspin at the start and sitting second for a few corners we hit the front, but no sooner had we done that and the race was red flagged and stopped so marshals could remove Paul Pedersen’s car from the tyre barrier on the infield. On the restart we held our position and led the race for the next 17 laps, In the closing laps Andrew Andersen had been able to close up and got ahead briefly in a good tussle for the lead, unfortunately his 'enthusiasm' got the better of him and he drove me off the circuit going up the middle straight on to the wet grass! As my car was acting like a high speed lawnmower, Andrew and John McIntyre, who had driven from the back of the field into contention, both passed me. I rejoined in third place before Andrew’s enthusiasm again got the better of him and he spun luridly coming onto the front straight and I was able to pass him without contact so I finished second snapping at John’s heels.
Over the next two weeks the team will be very busy preparing the car for Pukekohe the engine will go back on the dyno to make sure its in top form, and my friends at Affordable Partsworld and Transvisual Spray painters will be paid a visit!
OVERALL PLACINGS
Following the weekend we remain in 6th place overall in the championship.
These races will be broadcast first on Powerbuilt Tools Motorsport on TV One over the following three Sundays at 5.25pm.
2008-2009 New Zealand V8s Championship
Provisional Results Tables: Round 6 (Manfeild)
BNT V8s Championship
Round six (Manfeild), qualifying
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Qualifying time
1, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 1:12.882
2, Andrew Anderson,
3, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 1:13.144
4, Angus Fogg,
5, Tim Edgell,
6, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 1:13.395
7,
8, Paul Manuell,
9,
10, Andy Knight,
11, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 1:13.743
12, Andrew Porter,
13, Dale Williams,
14, Luke Youlden,
15, Eddie Bell,
16,
17, Adam Brook,
18, Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 1:14.057
19, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 1:14.167
20, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 1:14.350
21, Simon Richards,
22, Dave Stewart,
23, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 1:15.452
24, Alan McCarrison,
Race 1 (12 laps)
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 75
2,
3, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 60
4, Paul Manuell,
5,
6, Adam Brook,
7, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 42
8, Eddie Bell,
9, Andrew Porter,
10, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 33
11, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0
12, Luke Youlden,
13,
14, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 26
15, Dale Williams,
16, Simon Richards,
17, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 20
18, Angus Fogg,
19, Dave Stewart,
20, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 14
21, Tim Edgell,
22, Alan McCarrison,
DNF, Andrew Anderson,
DNS, Andy Knight,
Race 2 (16 laps)
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 75
2, Kayne Scott,
3, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 60
4, Andy Booth,
5, Paul Manuell,
6, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0
7, Luke Youlden,
8, Andrew Porter,
9, Tim Edgell,
10, Eddie Bell,
11, Andy Knight,
12, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 30
13, Andrew Anderson,
14, Simon Richards,
15, Dave Stewart,
16, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 22
17, Adam Brook,
18, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 18
19, Alan McCarrison,
20, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 14
21, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 12
DNF, Angus Fogg,
DNF, Dale Williams,
DNF,
Race 3 (20 laps, reverse grid)
Position, Driver, Hometown, Car, Points earned
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 75
2, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 67
3, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 60
4, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 54
5, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 49
6, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 45
7, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 42
8, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 39
9, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 36
10, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 33
11, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 30
12, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 28
13, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 26
14, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 24
15,
16, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore, 20
17, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 18
18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 16
19, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 14
20, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0
21, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 12
DNF, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 0
DNF, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 0
DNF, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 0
* Dean Perkins is running under a parked franchise and therefore doesn't
earn championship points
BNT V8s Championship – Provisional points after Round 6
1, John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon, 1022
2, Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 984
3, Craig Baird, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 856
4, Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 827
5, Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 738
6, Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 655
7, Eddie Bell, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 605
8, Paul Pedersen, Taupo, Ford Falcon, 590
9, Adam Brook, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 569
10, Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 564
11, Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 558
12, Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 507
13, John Penny, Taupo, Holden Commodore, 485
14, Dale Williams, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 472
15, Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 401
16,
17, Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon, 387
18, Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon, 350
19, Andy Knight, Christchurch, Ford Falcon, 281
20, John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore, 269
21, Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 201
22, Alan McCarrison, Auckland, Ford Falcon, 197
23, Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore, 197
24, Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 181
25, Steve Owen, Melbourne, Ford Falcon, 144
26, Boyd Norwood, Palmerston North, Ford Falcon, 114
27, Dave Stewart, Wellington, Holden Commodore, 104
28, David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon, 88
29, Mack Peach, Bombay, Ford Falcon, 74
30, David Hopper, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 67
31, Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore, 54
32, Julia Huzziff, Auckland, Holden Commodore, 48
33, Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore, 18
34, Dean Perkins*, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon, 0
* Dean Perkins is running under a parked franchise and therefore doesn’t earn championship points
Posted: Sun 01 Mar 2009