Pitstop: V8 Supercars motor in for Viaduct display

By BOB PEARCE


The V8s will be in downtown Auckland on Friday and even the street race critics should have nothing to complain about.

The New Zealand version of the Aussie V8 Supercars will launch their season with a display at the Viaduct Basin along from the Maritime Museum from 10.30am.

On hand will be some of the 36 V8 Fords and Holdens, which will compete in the championship, sponsored by Parker Enzed.

The drivers will be racing - but in mini racecars around lunchtime - and there will be tyre-changing contests for the teams and plenty of chances for the fans to get alongside their heroes.

The V8s are the success story of New Zealand motorsport, with the 36 franchises keenly sought, and increased sophistication in the presentation of the teams. Some of the custom-built transporters rival the giant Aussie rigs shipped over here with the Supercars.

This season the Ford-Holden split is relatively even, with the Ford-badged V8s slightly outnumbering the Holdens by 19 to 17. All cars are running to essentially the same technical specifications as last year, although braking systems on both models have been up-rated for better safety and handling.

The racing season will begin at Pukekohe on October 16 and 17. It will end there on April 16 and 17.

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Aussie debut - Aussie V8 Supercar driver David Besnard will make his debut in a Champ Car when the American single-seater series comes to Surfers Paradise on October 24.

The Queenslander has been alternating training for the Champ Car drive with preparation for the Bathurst 1000 V8 race on October 10, where he is likely to share a Ford Falcon with Kiwi John McIntyre. Jason Bright, who lies second in the V8 Supercar championship, was the last Supercar driver to race a Champ Car at Surfers.

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Italy breaks new ground - Just as the Formula One championship completes its first venture into China, the world rally championship will be breaking new ground on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia this weekend.

Italy's round of the championship has for years been staged on the tarmac roads in the hills above the resort of San Remo on the coast. To extend the number of rounds on gravel this year the rally has moved offshore.

At the beginning of the year, most critics would have said this was a disadvantage for Citroen and their championship leader, Sebastien Loeb, but he has shown himself the master of every surface.

The Frenchman has a big lead over Subaru's defending champion Petter Solberg, who has to win everywhere from now on to have any chance of retaining his crown.

The event will be new for everyone. With the start and finish in Porto Cervo, one of Europe's most exclusive resorts, the rally is located in the same region as the Rallye Costa Smeralda, formerly a round of the European Championship.

However, the speed tests are different and all but 12km of the 384.23km of competition have never been used.

Fast, narrow and technically demanding, many of the special stages are held on privately owned military land with a wide variation in road surfaces. Some have a fine, sandy top that has been likened to the special stages in Argentina, with bushes and other vegetation close to the edge of the track.

It is expected they may become rutted after the first pass. A minority are believed to be rough and rocky while others are smooth and hard-packed.

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Nascar playoff - After two races in Nascar's inaugural playoff series, in which the top 10 with 10 races to go compete against one another for the title, sceptics might wonder at the legitimacy of the deal.

Although the rest of the field still competes in the last 10 races, they seem to be programmed to give the title contenders extra respect - all except Robbie Gordon. He proceeded to take out Greg Biffle and ruin the chances of finalists Jeremy Mayfield and Tony Stewart in the first playoff race.

He bragged about it and ended up on probation. So in the second round everyone was on their best behaviour. Ryan Newman won easily, Mark Martin was second and Jeff Gordon earned enough points for finishing third to take the playoff lead.

The whole thing seems a bit out of character for Nascar. How long before someone else reverts to type?

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OSCA motors north - After 30 years as the premier saloon car class in the South Island, OSCA is coming to the North Island.

The Kiwi Sports Sedan Association has adopted the technical regulations from the Open Saloon Car Association in the South Island and become OSCA North Island.

This means that New Zealand now has one set of rules for modified saloon cars that is consistent across both islands.

The two clubs will promote their own championships but combine for a national championship and a North v South Challenge.

The class has provided for some of the most original machinery on New Zealand race tracks - Camaros, Mustangs, V8 Capris, Turbo RX7s, Nissan Skylines and 200SXs, V8 Commodores and Toranas and Subaru WRXs.

The season blasts off on October 3 at Ruapuna and comes north to Taupo at Labour weekend.