| Thu, Sep 9 5:40PM (NZ) |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
This website is now dedicated to covering the Black Bullets. Current Black Bullets news is now provided on iSportz » with past news archived here for your continued reference.
They've been wowing the crowds at major motor racing meetings in New Zealand over the summer, now it is time for New Zealand's MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series cars to impress fans on the other side of the Tasman.
Like the Tasman Series after which it was named, the MSC-backed F5000 Tasman 'Revival' Series has always included at least one round in Australia.
This season that round is at the annual Shannons Phillip Island Classic at Phillip Island near Melbourne over the weekend.
There the 17 New Zealand-based F5000 cars will join three from the UK and eight from within Australia to make up a record 28-strong grid of the stock block V8-engined late 60s/1970s racing cars.
In terms of the MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival series, leading the way will be McRae GM1 driver Chris Hyde. Christchurch man Hyde, who drives the McRae for it's Queenstown owner, has been the pace man this season and crosses the Tasman with a 20 point lead over evergreen New Zealand veteran driver Ken Smith.
 Smith, however, is racing his contemporary Tatuus Toyota single-seater at the final round of New Zealand's Toyota Racing Series at Invercargill this weekend, so his place in the David Abbott-owned Lola T430 will be taken by recently retired V8 Supercar driver John Bowe.
Though he is now better known as a tin-top specialist, Bowe got his start in Formula Vee and Formula Ford single-seaters and raced an Elfin MR8 F5000 for Adelaide constructor Garrie Cooper in the late 1970s.
In Smith's absence competition for McRae driver Hyde is expected to come from Lola T332-mounted compatriots Sefton Gibb, Tony Richards and Stan Redmond.
Top UK drivers Frank Lyons (Lola T400) and Peter Dunn (March 73A-C) should also be competitive. And there is sure to be plenty of interest in the McLaren M23 Formula 1 car, owned and driven by Phil Mauger, which competes with the F5000 machines in the MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series.
Those Australian race fans who remember the exploits of top New Zealand driver David Oxton in a New Zealand-built Begg Formula 5000 car will also be pleased to know that there will be four Beggs on the grid this weekend.
An early FM2 will be driven by Kerry McIntosh, an FM4 by Tim Rush, FM5 by Lindsay O'Donnell and the last of the line, the side-radiator 018 by Neil Atley.
New Zealand interest in the Australian Formula 5000 cars entered will centre on the ex Ken Smith Lola T332 now in the hands of Andrew Robson. Aaron Lewis' Matich A50 should also be popular, with constructor and driver Frank Matich one of the special guests at the meeting this weekend.
This year's Shannon's Classic meeting at Phillip Island sees practice and qualifying across all classes on Friday followed by a full programme of 44 races from 9.00am until 4.45pm on Saturday and Sunday.
As well an 80th anniversary re-enactment of the first Australian Grand Prix - the VACC Cowes Cavalcade - will be held on Saturday with around 80 pre-war racing cars including four former Australian Grand Prix winners participating in a parade around the original Phillip Island 'road' circuit before going on show in Cowes.
2007/08 MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Points after Rnd 4 of 5
1. Chris Hyde (Christchurch, McRae GM1) 314 points
2. Ken Smith (Auckland, Lola T430) 294
3. Sefton Gibb (Napier, Lola T332) 200
4. Tony Richards (Christchurch, Lola T332) 174
5. Stan Redmond (Christchurch, Lola T332) 164
6. Roger Williams (Auckland, Lola T332) 125
7. David Abbott (Christchurch, Lola T430) 118
8. Aaron Burson (Auckland, Talon MR1A) 94
9. Frank Lyons (UK, Lola T400) 90
10. Tony Roberts (Auckland, McLaren M22) 84
MOTOR MOUTH: Have your say!
|
|
| No comments yet for this item. |
|
The views, opinions and content displayed on this webpage are not necessarily those of Pacific Motorsport Limited. Pacific Motorsport Limited takes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Proud to promote ..
|
|
|
|
