KEY POINTS:
After battling it out in the fourth round of the national motorcycle championships at Manfeild last weekend, New Zealand's top road racers hit the streets of Paeroa for the annual Battle of the Streets tomorrow. Volunteers turn the street of the small town into one of the fastest racetracks in New Zealand where bikes will reach speeds of up to 280km/h. Although a non-championship round, nearly all the riders in the national series will be at the meeting.
Race for national selection
The race for a place on the New Zealand team to go to the annual world Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final is on, with KartSport Manawatu hosting the first round of the 2009 Kartstars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge at the annual Kart in the Dark afternoon and evening meeting today. Over 50 KartSport racers will contest the first of five rounds of the 2009 New Zealand Challenge series. Each year thousands of drivers from over 60 countries around the world compete to be sent to the grand final.
Rising stars in shootout
Sixteen young New Zealand rally drivers have entered the inaugural Rally New Zealand Rising Stars Scholarship programme. Entries closed last week and Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr says the shootout weekend in March will be fiercely contested. All applicants must be under 26 on January 1, 2009, and a New Zealand resident. The scholarship is for drivers who have not competed in the Group N class of the NZRC before, and provides the winner with a $50,000 support package and the use of a professionally prepared car to contest the N3 category of the 2009 NZRC.
Team Kiwi back on grid
Team Kiwi Racing will contest the 2009 Australian V8 Supercar championships in yet another guise. The Kiwi team will campaign in a car prepared by Paul Morris Motorsport for the opening round at the Adelaide Clipsal 500 next month. TKR owner David John says the team will be on the grid at opening round of the championship in Adelaide, March 20-22, with an all-black Holden Commodore.
Historic McLaren in action
The annual Classic SpeedFest takes place this weekend at Tertonga Park. The McLaren M23 and the infamous PDL Mustang 2 will be in action today and tomorrow. The McLaren was the first M23 built and Denny Hulme claimed pole position in the car in its debut at the 1973 South African Grand Prix.
