Pitstop: Smith looking to top 400km/h at Meremere

The Warhawk will be breathing fire at the national drag-racing championships at Meremere this weekend.

Richard Smith will make three passes of the track on Sunday in a bid to exceed 400km/h in his American jet-powered Funny Car. His aim is to top the national record top speed of 419km/h set by local legend Garth Hogan.

The nationals will be contested in 14 racing divisions on the Champion Dragway. The Dragsters and Funny Cars in the Top Alcohol class and the full-bodied Top Doorslammers should provide the best action.

Compulsory qualifying for all vehicles will be on Saturday with racing will run from 9.30 am to 5 pm on Sunday.

Gillon gets taste of Kiwi

Team Kiwi, the only New Zealand-based team in the Aussie V8 Supercar championship, has further strengthened its local connection.

Bernie Gillon, the principal of Jennian Homes, has bought a 20 per cent share of the team from the founder, David John. John retains his 80 per cent and intends to invest the money raised in the team.

Gillon's company will become a major sponsor and Gillon will bring business expertise as well as motorsport know-how to the enterprise.

He has been prominent as a driver in Tranzam racing on both sides of the Tasman.

The team, with a new driver, Paul Radisich, a new Holden racecar and a new engine builder, will face its first test in the non-championship support races for the Australian Grand Prix this week.

Fast as a Dodo

New Zealand V8 driver Jason Richards may have Jamie Whincup in a second Tasman Motorsports Holden to back him up this season, but he will have to endure the quips of petrolheads around the tracks of Australasia.

The team has been renamed Dodo Racing after its sponsor, the telecommunications company of that name. Its other principal sponsor is Fuchs Lubricants.

Murphy feeling good

Bathurst champion Greg Murphy, who switched from the Kmart Holden team to the new Super Cheap outfit to boost his chances of winning his first V8 Supercar championship, was encouraged by his first test of the team's new VZ Holden this week.

In temperatures of up to 34C, he and new team-mate Paul Weel tested a number of setups.

"It felt very comfortable from the word go," Murphy said. "It was quick on good tyres and although the heat started to slow us down a bit as the oil in the track came to the surface, we've done enough to know we've got a couple of good, fast cars under us."

Dynamik sale

Team Dynamik, the Supercar team owned by Kiwi Kieran Wills, is selling its second franchise to veteran Tony Longhurst.

The team, which ran into problems over alleged testing irregularities last season, ran two cars last year and still has two drivers, Simon Wills and Will Davison. Davison has the drive for the non-championship races this weekend, but Longhurst will have the other car.

F1 support act

No New Zealander has competed in Formula One recently but there will be Kiwis aplenty in the support races at Melbourne this weekend.

Greg Murphy, Craig Baird, Paul Radisich, Jason Richards and Steven Richards will be driving V8 Supercars.

Auckland-based International Motorsport will run Shane McKillen, Michael Morton and Graeme Cameron in the Carrera Cup Porsche GT3 races. Heading the lineup for the three non-championship races are two more Kiwis, young gun Fabian Coulthard and veteran Jim Richards.

In the Formula Three races Te Awamutu teenager Nic Jordan will be trying to better his sixth and seventh placings in the first round at Wakefield Park last weekend.

His rookie team-mate, Marc Williams, is still finding his way in the single-seater class.

Dixon's high hopes

Scott Dixon begins his Indy Racing League championship season at Miami on Monday hoping for better performance from the Toyota engines which were off the pace last season.

Honda power still seems to have the edge, but the Ganassi team is working hard to provide Dixon with the sort of package that won him the championship in 2003.

Former world kart champion Wade Cunningham will taste Indianapolis-style oval racing at the Miami round. He is due to make his debut in the Infinity Pro series.