Motorsport: Experienced line-up for weekend at Teretonga

It is make or break time for BNTV8 defending champion Kayne Scott, who is fifth on the points table. Photo / Dean Purcell

Southland's Teretonga Park is set to roar into life this weekend for the third round of the MotorSport New Zealand race championship classes.

Always a crowd favourite, the BNTV8s are sure to provide lots of entertainment as the first two rounds threw up four different winners from six races.

Former two-time champion John McIntyre has put his stake in the ground with three wins and heads into today's qualifying and shoot-out with a 58-point lead over Craig Baird, who in turn has 10 points on Eddie Bell.

"I can't wait to sink my teeth into two weeks of racing," said McIntyre.

"From a driving point of view Invercargill is one of the best circuits to go to and I'm feeling confident and I think we're going to go really well. The car's shown a lot of pace at Pukekohe and Ruapuna and I can't see how that's going to change this weekend."

Having won every series he's contested in New Zealand, and becoming a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year's honour's list, hasn't dampened Baird's desire to win his first NZV8 title.

"We're second in the championship after two rounds but that's obviously not where we want to be," said Baird. "We've just got chip away at McIntyre's lead. We've got a good team and a good car and I've just got to get on with it."

Another former NZV8 champion Andy Booth is the first of the Holdens in fourth place and despite a heavy crash at Ruapuna is confident he can bounce back this weekend.

The man feeling the heat though is defending champion Kayne Scott who's had a mixed season so far and will be hoping lady luck will glance his way.

This could be a make or break weekend for the Ford driver, as he needs to come away from Teretonga with bag full of points to move up from fifth on the table.

Tim Edgell, Andy Knight and Angus Fogg round out the top eight in the championship to date.

Teretonga is hosting the opening round of this season's Toyota Racing Series, which also is one of the separate international rounds within the series.

On paper, Kiwi driver Earl Bamber will be the one to beat having already established an impressive record overseas as well as being runner-up in the 2007 series.

Another Kiwi hopeful is 15-year-old Mitch Evans who finished second in last year's New Zealand and Australian Formula Ford championships as well as winning a Formula 3 race in Australia.

These two and others will be fighting it out against international opposition the likes of Brazilian Lucas Foresti, the runner-up in the 2009 South American Formula 3 championship and the experienced Sten Pentus from Estonia.

He's raced in several European categories including the World Series by Renault alongside New Zealanders Brendon Hartley and Chris Van Der Drift. Chris Wootton joins them after two seasons in Formula BMW Pacific and his fellow countryman Nathan Morcom steps up from Formula Ford.

The Porsche GT3 Cup is talent-laden with defending champion Craig Baird joined by Mobil Supercup driver Matt Halliday, former A1GP pilot Jonny Reid, Australian David Reynolds and Daniel Gaunt who has sealed an Australian V8 Supercar drive. Joining them on the grid are TRS champion Mitch Cunningham and Anthony Pedersen.

Baird has a 102-point lead over Gaunt but is taking nothing for granted.

"I've got a healthy lead and now I've just to keep my nose clean. Race wins are good but sometimes you just have to take the points," said Baird.

The GT3s will feature in a 100km race today before two shorter races tomorrow. Local driver Damon Leitch leads the Formula Ford championship with a narrow two-point lead over Martin Short. Others in the mix are Matthew Penrose, Nick Cassidy and Andre Heimgartner.

Grant Aitken leads the Production Racing Series from Scott McKelvie and Simon Sceats while Craig Innes, Mark Joblin and Steve Taylor lead their respective classes.

The Mini Challenge cars run alongside the production cars this season and it's Ryan Bailey who leads the championship from Mark Maddren with former TRS driver and teammate Matthew Hamilton third.