Pitstop: Team changes mean Baird goes from Supercar to Porsche

Craig Baird will drive a Porsche rather than a V8 Supercar at Pukekohe next month, while fellow Kiwi Fabian Coulthard will drive a V8.

Baird, who drove for the WPS team in the Australian V8 Supercar championship last season, has lost that drive in the amalgamation of the Larkham and WPS teams. He is to compete in the Australian Carrera Cup Porsche championship, won by Coulthard last season. Coulthard signed to share a V8 Supercar drive with Aussie Alan Gurr in a Holden run by Paul Morris Motorsport.

But Team Kiwi have subsequently employed Coulthard and will support his drives. Gurr will have the car for the first round at Adelaide, but Coulthard will drive in the support races to the Australian Grand Prix and at Pukekohe on April 21-23.

Baird and Coulthard have been competing in the New Zealand Porsche GT-3 championship and are likely to complete those commitments at Pukekohe.

Paul Radisich, Team Kiwi's lead driver in the V8 Supercar, may have Coulthard as his partner for the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst. He missed out at Bathurst when Paul Morris crashed the car they were to share. Morris signed Steve Ellery for the endurance rounds with him this season.

Mini Coopers arrive for new season

Twenty cars have arrived from Europe and 20 drivers have signed up to drive them in the inaugural Mini Cooper championship to be run next season.

The championship will run at the premier rounds during the season and Martin Collins, who is overseeing the introduction of the new class, expects to run test sessions around the country in the lead-up.

He has opted to move away from the initial concept of a "turn up and drive" contest in favour of allowing the entrants to work on the cars independently under strict technical supervision.

Kartsport winner off to Japan

The winner of the 100cc Yamaha light class at the Kartsport National Sprint championships in Hawkes Bay over Easter weekend will win a trip to Japan to compete in an international contest.

The all-Japan meeting includes a series of races for top-class local drivers competing against foreign guest drivers.

David Sera from Australia won this event last year.

Competitors will race in identical chassis with Yamaha engines allotted by ballot.

Aussie Doorslammers race at Taupo

One of the biggest international drag races to be staged in this country will bring four leading Australian Doorslammer competitors to do battle against New Zealand's best on Lakeside International Dragway in Taupo on March 11.

The World of Outlaws Doorslammer Challenge will be a knockout competition with $25,000 at stake.

Sean Mifsud will drive a replica 1941 Willys and Peter Lovering has a 1955 Chev.

Expatriate Kiwi Brett Gillespie pilots a modified 1934 Chev and Alf Sciacca will bring his world's fastest Lamborghini.

All have over 3000-horsepower to play with.

South Island shows way in Porsches

South Islanders have taken the major honours in the National Porsche Championship.

Christchurch driver Jon Warring performed strongly in the final round at Manfeild to overtake Mike Baker from Picton with Aucklander Jeff Hogg third. All of them drove Porsche 911s.

The Bridgestone Cup went to Aucklander Brian McGovern.

Suzuki to enter World Rally Champs

Suzuki has confirmed that it intends to enter the World Rally Championship next season.

The Japanese car company will use a new SX4 vehicle with a two-litre engine as the base of its assault on the series. The car will run in the junior championship this season as it is developed.

Suzuki's decision means that the championship should again have at least four full manufacturer teams, with Ford and Subaru from this year and Citroen returning after a 12-month break.