Foggy wins but McIntyre leads

Havoline Ford driver Angus Fogg won two of the three races and SCG Ford driver David Besnard won the reverse grid third race of the fourth round of the New Zealand V8s Championship at Manfeild,, but defending V8s champion John McIntyre holds on to the series lead in the BP Ultimate Ford.
Foggy took the round win with his two race wins and an eighth place.

He had been in second place overall, 105 points behind McIntyre coming into the Manfeild round, but that deficit is now reduced to 79 points as Fogg’s total increased to 658 points.

This weekend the Auckland-based driver and race car engineer, who finished building this particular Havoline Ford before the previous round at Taupo, set pole, won a race – in fact, two – and won the round for the first time this season. He also set two new lap records for the New Zealand V8s, improving on the record he set this time last year. Fogg’s lap record now stands at 1:12.810. “It’s very easy to lose points, but hard to gain them back,” said Fogg. “But it is doubly rewarding to build and race the car.”

McIntyre secured a fourth, a second and a seventh place at Manfeild to hold the series lead with 737 points. He also achieved a unique accomplishment of finishing in the top ten in every one of the twelve races run so far this season. “We’ve got four podium finishes in a row, so that’s the main thing when we haven’t got Angus’ outright pace,” said McIntyre. “We love going to Timaru [the fifth and penultimate round of the 2007-08 series]. It’s the motor racing capital of the South Island! And it’s going to be great to have back-to-back weekends to finish the championship.”

Holding third place overall is Kayne Scott in the Fujitsu Ford with 621 points. “In that last reverse grid race, I hoped Angus might have tried to pass John and Andrew [Anderson] and they’d all go off to let me through!” quipped the 2005-06 V8 champion. “It was a great race as we swapped positions throughout.”

Scott heads to Australia for the opening round of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship where he’s recently signed to race for Team Kiwi Racing. “But I’ll be back for Timaru and Teretonga as my commitment is to our New Zealand supporters, fans and sponsors. You do have to drive these cars harder – you really have to hustle the New Zealand V8s along, but it’s not too bad going from one to the other.”

Paul Radisich stays in fourth place with 520 points after a disappointing weekend for the two-time world touring champion who’s driving the HPM Ford in the New Zealand V8 series. A small consolation for the Melbourne-based kiwi was a hard-fought second place in the reverse grid race.

Paul Manuell is fifth overall with 509 points. The leading Holden driver was happier with his two third places earlier in the weekend but struggled in the reverse grid race to finish 19th.

The New Zealand V8s head to the South Island for the final two rounds of their 2007-08 championship; Timaru on 1 and 2 March, then Teretonga on 7 and 8 March.