NZ Grand Prix calling for Aussie Besnard
Top times for Besnard in Toyota
Hydraulink Racing Team driver David Besnard has set second fastest time in the practise session ahead of his entry to
the New Zealand Grand Prix.
In a late deal to contest this weekend’s New Zealand Grand Prix race at Invercargill’s Teretonga raceway, Besnard says
the biggest difficulty is the mental transition between cars. This weekend he is to contest the NZ Grand Prix in a
Toyota Racing Series car and the penultimate round of the NZV8s in his Hydraulink Ford.
Taking the helm of the #72 Toyota Racing Series car in today’s official practise for the Grand Prix weekend, Besnard was
quickly on the case – a mere 0.090sec off the leader.
“I’ve done two-and-a-half hours around here today in both sorts of cars and its hardest to switch from one to the
other.” The other being the #48 NZV8s Hydraulink Ford.
The first time he’s driven an open wheeler race car since his CHAMP car debut in 2004, Besnard says the Toyota Racing
Series car has proved challenging to drive: “With more time in the car I can better figure out how to give the car
engineers more technical feedback of it’s handling – until then I guess all I can say is it handles pretty good.”
With qualifying on Saturday morning, Besnard has a 10-lap race in the afternoon. Sunday’s Grand Prix day features
10-lap race in the morning, before the 4pm start to New Zealand’s most prestigious single motoring race.
Hydraulink, with the additional support of GT Radials, Dominion Financial Group, Tracer Interiors & Construction and Timberworld are backing the one-off drive.
Ends.
2006/2007 NZV8s Championship Calendar
Round 1: 3 – 5 November 2006, Pukekohe Park, Auckland
Round 2: 24 - 26 November 2006, Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway, Christchurch
Round 3: 19 – 21 January 2007, Taupo Motorsport Centre, Taupo
Round 4: 16 – 18 February 2007, Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 5: 2 – 4 March 2007, Timaru International Motor Raceway, Timaru
Round 6: 9 – 11 March 2007, Teretonga Park, Invercargill
Round 7: 20 – 22 April 2007, Pukekohe Park, Auckland
Ends