2012/13
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Rnd 6
Skope Classic meeting
Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna Park
Christchurch
Fri-Sun
Feb 01-03
2013
31-01-13
EVENT PREVIEW
STRENGTH OF MSC F5000 SERIES SEEN IN NUMBERS
Ten years ago nine members of the newly-formed New Zealand Formula
5000 Association lined up on the grid at Pukekohe Park Raceway for
the inaugural Tasman Cup Revival Series round.
Ten years on the series is not only one of the country's biggest and
best supported classic and historic racing categories it is also one
of the most popular categories across the whole motorsport spectrum,
here and increasingly, in Australia as well.
Since an unusually early start to the 2012/13 season at the big Muscle
Car Masters meeting at the Sydney Motorsport Park in September last
year fields of as many as 27 cars have been entertaining fans on both
sides of the Tasman.
This weekend the series returns to Christchurch's Powerbuilt Tools
Raceway at Ruapuna Park with defending MSC title holder and current
Lady Wigram Trophy holder Steve Ross (McRae GM1) from Dunedin heading
the points standings after five of the seven rounds from former series
champ Ken Smith (Lola T332) and last season's series runner-up Aaron
Burson (McRae GM1/Talon MR1-A).
With Smith a late withdrawal from this weekend's meeting and Ross
the dominant figure the last time the MSC series visited Powerbuilt
Tools Raceway the Dunedin man is the obvious favourite this weekend.
A sign of the true quality of the MSC field, however, is that so far
this year there have been six different race winners, and four of
those six - Ross, Aucklander Clark Proctor (March 73A), visiting British
driver Greg Thornton and Melbourne man Bryan Sala (Matich A50/51)
- will be facing the starter's lights at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway
this weekend.
Sala struggled with minor mechanical issues at both NZ Festival of
Motor Racing - celebrating Denny Hulme meetings at Hampton Downs earlier
this month but at the opening series round in Sydney in September
he qualified quickest and beat both Smith and Ross to the line in
the first race.
Proctor, meanwhile, qualified quickest at the first NZ Festival meeting
and after running both Smith and Ross close claimed his first series
race win in the final 15-lap feature at the second meeting last weekend.
And Greg Thornton? He claimed his first and second MSC race wins at
the non-championship round at Australia's Tasman Cup Revival Series
meeting back at the Sydney Motorsport Park in November.
And that's just race winners.
Aaron Burson (McRae GM1/Talon MR1-A) and fellow Talon MR1 driver David
Banks (it was Burson and his father Peter who persuaded Banks to buy
a Formula 5000 car and join the MSC series) are currently running
third and fourth in the points standings thanks to a combination of
speed and consistency.
Greg Thornton is not the only quick British visitor either. Mark Dwyer
(Lola T400) and peter Dunn (March 73A) are also capable of challenging
for a place on the podium.
A strong mid-field is also a feature of the MSC series with the likes
of Rotorua driver Brett Willis (Lola T330, Napier's Sefton Gibb (Lola
T332), Blenheim man Russell Greer (Lola T332), Christchurch category
stalwarts David Abbott (Lola T430 and Stan Redmond (Lola T333CS),
Christchurch-born long-time Melbourne resident Chris Lambden (McRae
GM1), and former saloon series ace Peter Sundberg (Lola T332) from
Auckland supplemented this weekend by Australian visitors Sala, Aaron
Lewis (Matich A50), Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) and Bill Hemming (Elfin
MR8A-C).
Then there is category young gun Alan Dunkley in one of the oldest
cars in the MSC field, a high-wing 1968 Lola T140. Aucklander Dunkley,
23, currently heads the Class A category for older cars by a decent
margin but his real focus is seeing how far up the main field he can
qualify then finish in every race.
So far this season that has netted him a third place finish in the
Lady Wigram Trophy race and second behind Greg Thornton in the second
race at the Tasman Revival meeting in Sydney last November.
The Class A category has also blossomed this season with Dunkley set
to be joined this weekend by fellow Kiwi Warwick Mortimer (Surtees
TS5), fellow Lola drivers John Bryant and Rod Carroll from Australia,
category original Eric Haga from the United States and Christchurch
man David Arrowsmith (Lotus 70).
This weekend there will be three NZ Express-backed MSC F5000 series
races on Skope Classic programme with qualifying on Saturday morning
and the first 8 lap race in the afternoon.
There will then be two more races on Sunday, another eight lapper
in the morning and a 12 lap feature (set to start at 3.30pm) in the
afternoon.
The MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series is organised and run with
the support of sponsors MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialized
Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres and Exide.
Invercargill's Teretonga Park hosts the final round at the Classic
Speedfest meeting in a fortnight's time.
Ends
2012/13 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Points after Rnd 6 of 7
OVERALL:
1. Steve Ross (McRae GM1) 406 points
2. Ken Smith (Lola T430/T332) 377
3. Aaron Burson (McRae GM1/Talon MR1-A) 267
4. David Banks (Talon MR1) 254
5. Clark Proctor (March 73A) 238
6. Alan Dunkley (Lola T140) 215
7. Brett Willis (Lola T330) 211
8. David Abbott (Lola T430) 194
9. Russell Greer (Lola T332) 179
10. Greg Thornton (McRae GM1) 170
11. Bryan Sala (Matich A50/51) 166
12. Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) 161
13. Chris Lambden (McRae GM1) 150
14. Peter Dunn (March 73A) 142
15. Mark Dwyer (Lola T400) 129
16. Peter Sundberg (Lola T332) 125
17 Shayne Windelburn (Lola T400) 118
18. Peter Burson (McRae GM1) 116
19. Bill Hemming (Elfin MR8A-C) 116
20. Rod Carroll (Lola T140) 107
21. Stan Redmond (Lola T333CS) 101
22. Ian Clements (Lola T332) 93
23. D'arcy Russell (Lola T332) 87
24. Michael Whatley (Surtees TS8/Lola T300) 83
25. Warwick Mortimer (Surtees TS5) 68
26. Aaron Lewis (Matich A50) 66
27. Poul Christie (McLaren M10B) 60
28. Phil Mauger (McLaren M23 F1) 60
29. Roger Williams (Lola T332) 51
30. Jay Bondini (Lola T332) 42
31. Andrew Higgins (Lola T400) 33
32. Eric Haga (Lola T192) 32
33. John Bryant (Lola T140) 31
34. Lindsay O'Donnell (Begg FM5) 31
35. Bruce Leeson (McLaren M10B) 1
Class A
1. Alan Dunkley (Lola T140) 301
2. Rod Carroll (Lola T140) 226
3. Warwick Mortimer (Surtees TS5) 191
4. Poul Christie (McLaren M10B) 166
5. Michael Whatley (Surtees TS8)105
6. Eric Haga (Lola T192) 94
7. John Bryant (Lola T140) 91
8. Bruce Leeson (McLaren M10B)1
Prepared by FAST COMPANY of behalf of the New Zealand Formula 5000
Association www.F5000.co.nz For more information about the 2012/13
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series contact Ross MacKay
on 021 677 919 or via e-mail on ross@fastcompany.co.nz
EDITOR'S NOTE: Hi-res jpgs of cars and drivers competing in the 2011/12
MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Revival Series are available by e-mailing
Ross MacKay at ross@fastcompany.co.nz
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