V8 Supercar Stars Fly In to Kick Off Teretonga Season

MEDIA RELEASE

19 SEPTEMBER 2013 

V8 Supercar Stars Fly In to Kick Off Teretonga Season

Several stars fresh from last weekends Sandown 500 V8 Supercar event in Melbourne will be part of the action as two days of motor racing action kick off what promises to be an exciting season at Teretonga Park near Invercargill.

The best fields ever assembled for the ASKO 1 Hour and 3 Hour Endurance races will get the weekend started on Saturday. 

Last year's 3 Hour race winners, Paul Kelly of Christchurch and Australian based kiwi Daniel Gaunt, return to defend their title in their Porsche 997 GT3. Gaunt is a two-time New Zealand Grand Prix Champion and is fresh from a drive with Nissan at Sandown. Aucklander Andrew Bagnall was second in his GT3 last year and he also returns with the services of Australian V8 Supercar star Alex Davison who is part of the strong FPR squad across the Tasman. Last year's third placegetter Rick Armstrong also returns with former New Zealand A1GP driver Jonny Reid, who has also made several V8 Supercar appearances this year. Simon Ellingham, fourth last year with Jono Lester in a Porsche, has enlisted three time NZV8 Champion John McIntyre who was the co-driver in the FPR squad with Davison at Sandown.

As well as Gaunt, Davison, Reid and McIntyre other top crews in the quality field include Aucklanders Matt & Dwayne Carter in their BA Falcon V8 Supercar, Christchurch drivers Angus McFarlane/Michael Bushell and George McFarlane/Grant Silvester in GT3's, Craig & Scott McDermid of Blenheim in their turbocharged Toyota Corolla plus Allan Dippie of Dunedin and Scott O'Donnell of Invercargill in another GT3. Two very exciting cars, a Ferrari 458 Challenge with top class pairing Craig Innes (Mount Maunganui) and Sam MacNeill (Palmerston North) at the wheel, and the Ford Mustang Boss 302 of Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper driving alongside his son Deon also appear in the 3 Hour race.

The reigning champions from last year's 1 Hour Race also return to defend their title this weekend. Twelve months ago Grant Williams and Brent Buist broke the race record in their potent 7 litre Mazda RX7 V8. Danny Whiting of Christchurch in a GT3, Tim O'Conner of Lower Hutt in the same Ferrari Innes and MacNeill will drive in the 3 Hour race and Hayden Knighton of Christchurch in another GT3 should also be prominent. Grant Aitken of Queenstown debuts one of the exciting new Toyota 86 Sports Coupe in the race.

Not only will the overall battle be a good one in each race but so too the various class battles in New Zealand's richest motor race series.   

On Sunday the Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans Saloons features the reappearance of talented teenager Liam McDonald of Invercargill after his sterling efforts in the NZV8 Championship last year. Other top contenders are Robert Ralston of Invercargill in a Nissan Silvia, Darryn Andrews of Lincoln in a Nissan Primera, Brent Cross of Winton in a Mitsubishi EVO 3, Brian Scott of Dunedin in Chev Corvette and Eastern Southland drivers Inky Tulloch, Dave McLean, Glenn Johnston and Greg Elder in Honda Integra's. Steve Scoles of Outram will be at the wheel of a Chev Camaro. Sports & Racing Cars and Pro 7 Saloons will also feature on Sunday's programme.

The action, presented by Downer, will start at 9.30am each day. A weekend pass costs $20, Saturday only $15 and Sunday only $10. Children 12 and under are free.

Keep up to date with what is happening at Teretonga Park this summer at www.teretonga.org.nz

CALENDAR 2013/2014 SEASON - TERETONGA PARK

21/22 September 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - ASKO Appliances 3 Hour Endurance Race, ASKO Appliances 1 Hour Endurance Race, Pro 7 Saloons, Honda Cup, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars

3 November 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars, Honda Cup 

7/8 December 2013: Motor Racing presented by Downer - OSCA, Pre 65 Saloons; Mini 7 South, NZ Six, Pro 7 Saloons, South Island Formula Ford, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars

10-12 January 2014: NZV8s, Toyota Racing Series Formula Ford and more

14-16 February 2014: Evolution Motorsport Classic SpeedFest featuring top class classic motor racing 

14-16 March 2014: Motor Racing presented by Downer - NZ Super Trucks, NZ Six, Honda Cup, Pre 65 Saloons, Noel McIntyre Drainage Clubmans, Sports & Racing Cars   

ENDS

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