NZV8 round win for McIntyre fires championship title fight

John McIntyre Racing

Round 6, 2010-11 BNT V8s Championship at Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo

Media statement

13 March 2011

NZV8 round win for McIntyre fires championship title fight

John McIntyre, the two-time NZV8 race champion, is right in the hunt for this season’s BNT V8s Championship title having won the penultimate round in Taupo this weekend.

With two second places and fifth in the reverse grid race, McIntyre’s points’ haul from the weekend moves him to third on leader-board, just 45 points away from series leader Angus Fogg who has 944 points. Kayne Scott is second with 937 points.

“The weekend couldn’t have gone better. That was our first round win all season, so we’re understandably delighted. The Talley’s Ford was genuinely quick all weekend and it was nice to have a little luck go our way too,” says McIntyre, from Nelson.

“Now John McIntyre Racing is very much in the running for our third NZV8 championship title and it’s going to be all on when we get to the championship final at Hamilton on 17 and 18 April.”

McIntyre says the weekend’s first race was the most enjoyable. “Having started beside Kayne on the front row, we were racing hard right from the outset – the intensity was phenomenal! We were the only competitors doing times in the 35s [McIntyre’s top ten shootout time was 1:35.613]. I got very close to passing Kayne at some points, but second place was still good.”

McIntyre also finished in the same position in race two, “...but I was very lucky to get safely around the first corner after the car was hit from behind during the run into turn one. Jason Bargwanna came through into the lead and while I had the pace on him for much of the race, he’d lost both the wing mirrors on his car. At Taupo, you really need the driver you’re following to be able to see you in their mirrors, so I was cautious about not putting myself in a position where he didn’t see me trying to pass.”

With the Talley’s Falcon still demonstrating excellent pace, McIntyre was able to make the most of opportunities to weave through the field in the final 20-lap reverse grid race to score a well-earned fifth place and take the round win.

It’s been a strong weekend for John McIntyre Racing which came into this round 113 points off Fogg’s lead.

“Reducing that difference to the leader by nearly 70 points puts us in a much better position. Hamilton is one of our best circuits. We’ve won all three races there twice so we go into our final three rounds of the season – all normal grid starts based on your finishing position in the previous race, i.e. no reverse grid race – with confidence.”

The NZV8 races in Hamilton are part of the ITM 400 V8 Supercar event on the city’s streets from 15 to 17 April.

John McIntyre Racing thanks the following sponsors for their support this season: Blackwoods Paykels, Protector Safety, Amcor, Talley's, Castrol Edge, BP Ultimate, NZ Ceiling and Drywall Supplies, Ideal Electrical, Websters Hydrated Lime Co, Squawking Magpie Wines, Dynamic Fluid Systems, EATON, Ford New Zealand, Irwin Tools and Showquip.

More details about McIntyre and his team can be found on www.jmr.co.nz or follow John McIntyre Racing on Facebook.

ENDS/

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