KEY POINTS:
Cars should be racing on the new motorsport complex at Hampton Downs, near Meremere, in two years. The $120 million privately funded project received resource consent from the Waikato District Council this week. Tony Roberts, managing-director of the project, said earthworks should begin in February. The 150ha site near a new prison will have two circuits, a skidpan for driver training, trackside apartments, restaurant, convention centre, showrooms, swimming pool and tennis court. Down the back straight will be a 170,000sq m industrial park, with an area for motorised recreation. There will be 15 lifestyle blocks looking east towards the circuit.
V8 funds chase
Team Kiwi was yesterday chasing the last $50,000 toward the $400,000 cost of a new Ford car for the 2007 V8 Supercar season to replace the Holden damaged beyond repair at Bathurst. After a month-long fund-raising tour of the country, team owner David John was confident he would be able to have a cheque in the Sydney account of Ford Performance Racing by Monday.
Youlden mission
Australian Supercar driver Luke Youlden will swap a V8 touring car for a Tranzam Mustang when he returns to Pukekohe this weekend for a round of the NZ Super Sedan series. Out to rein in the flying Australian will be Grant Brennan in his new Corvette, Andy Greenslade in a Camaro, Roger Williams in the Mercedes 450 and Steve Cox in his Ferrari F40.
Mason storms in
National rally champion Richard Mason and partner Sara Randall have steered their Subaru safely through atrocious weather and road conditions to a debut win in the China Rally Championship at Zheijang Longyou , 400km from Shanghai. The Masterton pair were second overall to Asia Pacific champion Cody Crocker. Two-thirds of the field failed to finish.
Besnard holds on
After a fraught second round in the wet at Ruapuna, David Besnard on 346 has a nine-point lead over fellow Ford driver John McIntyre in the national V8 championship. Another Ford driver, Angus Fogg, is third on 295, while defending champion Kayne Scott is the first Holden driver, in fourth place on 284. The only other Holden pilot in the first 10 is Paul Manuell, who is ninth.
Gaunt in front
Aucklander Daniel Gaunt leads Wellingtonian Ben Harford by 82 points after a shortened second round of the Toyota single-seater championship at Ruapuna. Defending Porsche GT-3 champion Craig Baird has a seven-point lead over Fabian Coulthard. Eddie Bell and Peter Scharmach are tied first in the Mini Coopers.
Bamber's invitation
Wanganui teenager Earl Bamber's standing has been confirmed by an invitation from BMW to their end-of-season F1 party in Zurich, in recognition of the 16-year-old driver's achievement in winning the Formula BMW Asia Championship in his rookie season. Rubbing shoulders with F1's elite will be a welcome contrast from NCEA exams at Wanganui Collegiate.
Brock souvenir
A Melbourne enthusiast has paid $500,000 to buy a 1973 Peter Brock racing Holden Torana XU1 - the highest sum paid for a Holden. It was Brock's original championship-winning Torana in 1974 and recorded podium results in each of its eight championship outings in 1973-74. The same car finished second at Bathurst in 1973. It led but ran out of fuel, and had to be pushed up pit lane by co-driver Doug Chivas.
