Taupo to Decide Suzuki Title

Concluding the six-round 2010/2011 Suzuki Swift Sport Cup over the weekend 11-13 March 2011 will be an interesting battle between 17 drivers contesting the three-race weekend at Taupo’s Motorsport Park.

Heading the championship table; Auckland’s Dane Fisher has a five point lead over Coatsville’s Mike Turley with Lower Hutt’s Grant Ryan also in with a chance of claiming the coveted prize in the 1600cc small car race category. With 31 points spreading the trio after five rounds, the lead has been shared between Turley and Fisher since the series opener held near Auckland last November.

Six months on and having journeyed to Invercargill and back during the season, Taupo’s 3.5 kilometre racing circuit is the sting in the tail with the majority of the field having never raced there. In a series that’s had eight different race winners from the 15 races run so far, the Taupo circuit integrates a mixture of straights in to the technical turns the drivers need to navigate to secure their championship position.

Although as championship leader, Fisher believes the slight points’ advantage and his prior experience there will stand him in better stead for the finale: “It’s pretty tight at the top of the championship but I am leading the series so that’s what we’re taking to Taupo, with some good confidence. It’s my favourite track, so I’m really looking forward to the final round,” said the 31-year-old general manager.

In fourth place on 723 points, 16-year-old A.J. Lauder from Turua has a slender three point advantage over leading rookie – Taupo’s Mark Gibson. While it’s the 19-year-old’s home-event, his limited experience of the track is a step ahead of the previous round at Manfeild – where he won outright.

“My goal is to win again this weekend,” said Gibson. “Our second goal is to win the rookie title, which will be tough given the competition from Rangiora’s Chris Cox and Upper Hutt’s Jamie Gaskin.”

Trailing Gibson by 31 points, Cox has a nine point lead over Gaskin in the LG Motorsport scholarship car – the trio well clear of Waiuki’s Rex McCutcheon, who is next in-line.

Of the eleven rookies lining up at Taupo, it’s an event Suzuki New Zealand motorsport manager Darren Stevens believes it will show a bigger gap between the driver’s ability and their lap times.

“There are a lot of tight in-field corners – where you need to carry the speed to the exit for the next straight. So of the 13 corners, if you lose a tenth of a second in each through not getting it quite right, you’ll be over a second down per lap. It’ll be a track where you’ll see a bigger difference between lap times for sure,” said Stevens.

“It’s also a time to recognise our Christchurch based teams and personnel who will be racing with us this weekend. We realise this is a tougher time for them than us as a nation, so we are elated to have them alongside. From what we’re hearing getting on with life together is as important as recognising the tragedy, so we’re thrilled to be able to have a weekend away they can look forward to.”

Championship co-ordinator Paul Burborough says the weekend’s entry list has changed slightly, with the addition of another South Island driver to the line-up.

“Craig McRae from Temuka will be joining us, run by Christchurch’s Hamish Cross from the Gibson team. Who along with Mark and brother Rob bring their team to three cars,” said Burborough.

“Unfortunately we’ve just had Marton’s Patrick Cronin pull-out – he was a great addition to our last round at Manfeild where he really mixed up the front of the field in the Australian built car that Allan Jarvis ran.”

“And while the focus will still be on Dane Fisher, Mike Turley and Grant Ryan for the title, I’m sure it’ll be someone else in the field who will be wedging the trio apart at the front.”

“We also welcome back Simon Evans in the #4 Castrol Edge car, who’s replacing the scholarship winning entry of Christchurch’s Tom Barker who has been unable to race since his crash in late January. But we’re glad Ben Erickson and his Christchurch family will again be with us.”

For Craig McRae, having seen the Suzuki Swift Sport Cup action recently at his home Timaru round motivated him to get in touch with long-time friend Hamish Cross about joining in. Putting a deal together with the Taupo based Gibson team; it will be McRae’s first event in a car after many years of racing karts and a stint in the South Island Formula Ford series.

“You’ve got to keep your chin up and keep moving on,” said Cross, who lives in the more significantly earthquake damaged South New Brighton suburb. “So having Craig join us for this final race weekend really helps step things up – it’ll be an exciting challenge. Plus Rachel, Mark and Rob’s mother, has a corporate box to cater for their sponsors – just to give them something extra back for their support during their rookie season of car racing.”

Ahead of crowning the series champion at a prizegiving on the Sunday evening, the teams get two test sessions on the Friday to learn the intricacies of the mountain weather influenced location. Then from 5:15pm in the afternoon they get to treat guests to hot-lap rides of the track ahead of the serious competition.

Saturday morning’s 20 minute qualifying session will set the start-order for the afternoon eight-lap race. Sunday morning features a second eight-lap race with the season’s final – the full-reverse grid 10-lap race starting at 2:44pm.

ENDS

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