Scott takes first win in New Zealand

Just as other Championships have either finished or are reaching the climax of their season, the New Zealand V8 Supercars have started their 08/09 season this weekend at Taupo Motorsport Park.
Former New Zealand V8s champion Kayne Scott scored maximum points as he won the first round of the BNT V8s Championship as Ford dominated the Fujitsu 200.

Having been fastest in the first two parts of the three-part qualifying sessions, Scott was pipped for pole position by defending champion John McIntyre. The driver known as ‘Johnny Mac’ and Scott made it an all-Ford front row for the weekend’s first 12-lap race and led the 28-strong field cleanly away from the rolling start. The funnelling effect as the field thundered into the narrowing turn one and resultant battle for track position around turn two’s drifting left-hander resulted in McIntyre being forced off the track.

A stewards’ inquiry is being held into the actions of Angus Fogg and Craig Baird during these incidents and is expected to be completed later on Saturday evening after video footage has been reviewed.

“I basically said thanks guys,” explains Scott who then had a clear track in front of him after McIntyre’s departure, allowing a trouble-free run to the chequered flag and maximum points.

Paul Radisich, in the HPM Ford, settled into a handy second place behind Scott and made a couple of strong attempts to catch the leader, but decided to race for second place.

“It was a bit of luck for me when the guys came together in turn two,” said the experienced Melbourne-based Kiwi who started fourth on the grid. “I was at full lock to try and avoid them, but managed to get past. The accident has to happen somewhere here – it’s really just a matter of whether it’s at turn one or turn two.”

Fogg ran in third place for two laps, battling hard with two-time V8s champion Andy Booth and ultimately losing the place to Booth as his driver’s door swung open due to damage sustained earlier. Fogg then had to bring the LG Electronics Ford into the pits for repairs, eventually crossing the line in 23rd place.

Coming home in third place, Booth was also pleased to start the season with a podium place. “Especially with our brand-new Big Ben Pies Holden, we’d have liked more testing – you always do – and we’ve had to work hard to get this car set up as there’s very little which transfers over from the old car which was six seasons’ old. We’re still getting our head around the changes and expect the car will be faster yet.”

Andrew Anderson, the West Auckland driver whose Holden is built in the same AV8 Motorsport workshop as Booth’s, drove strongly for a well-deserved fourth place.

Dropped to 13th place after the first lap incident, McIntyre was quick to attack, working back up through the field to eventually finish fifth.

McIntyre’s tussles with Craig Baird, the many-time Porsche GT3 Cup champion who’s racing full-time in the BNT V8s for the first time this season, and David Besnard, the Australian V8 Supercar driver who has re-signed with Taupo’s SCG Racing, made for some of the best racing of the afternoon. Bold moves took McIntyre past these other top competitors and the two-time V8s champion will be even more focused on a better result in Sunday’s two races to get his 2008-09 championship challenge off to the best possible start.

In the Hydraulink Ford, Andrew Porter held onto fifth place behind Anderson for over half the race, until the hard-charging McIntyre swept passed him, leaving Porter to finish sixth for a strong start to the Auckland driver’s championship season.

Baird was seventh – an unfamiliar place for the multiple champion, but as he said during testing for this weekend’s opening round of the BNT V8s Championship “…I’m a rookie in this class. We can change things on the United Video Ford that Mark Pedersen has campaigned so well for the last several seasons, but I’m still learning whether or not I’m changing things the right way, but that’s how you learn.”

Besnard was eighth with another pair making their full-season debut – former development V8s series winner Michael Bristow and former Mini champion Eddie Bell – wrapping up the top ten placings.

The BNT V8s contest two races on Sunday with the starting grid for first 16-lap race determined by the finishing positions in race one, then championship points earned in the first two races are added together, ranked and the order reversed for the final 20-lapper on Sunday afternoon.