Motorsport: Driver in tune with his car

Angus Fogg won the fourth round of the New Zealand V8 series at Timaru, but three days later he was back in Auckland pulling apart the Ford Falcon that has taken him to third place in the championship.

In New Zealand's premier racing class, where many of the top competitors only drive and do promotion work, Fogg also prepares the car he races.

"At least I don't have to drive the truck these days," he quipped in the International Motorsport workshop in Grey Lynn where he looks after the two Caltex team Falcons for himself and Paul Pedersen.

Fogg has combined his engineering skills with his driving flair throughout his career from the days when he emerged from Cambridge to win two national Mini titles. So how hard is it to combine the two roles?

"It's hard at this level. It's not so bad with a Mini or a Formula Vee. These cars are quite maintenance-intensive.

"Three days after Timaru we were back on the car. We hope to test in the week before the next round at Manfeild, so that's shortened the time frame by another week.

"Every couple of meetings we strip the cars down, crack-test all the mechanical components, the drive line and gearbox and axles and so forth. We send the shocks away to get dynoed, repack the wheel bearings, replace the brake discs.

"Each car is basically stripped to a body shell and rebuilt with tested components to keep them reliable.

"There are three of us working on the two cars fulltime, plus helpers after hours. We are lucky enough to have a panel and paint man full time. To keep the cars presented the way we want them to be presented is pretty well a full-time job."

Is he still fiddling with the car when he gets to the track or can he divorce himself from that side of the equation now that he is part of one of the better-resourced teams?

"You stop fiddling with the car with your hands, or you try to, but your mind's always going. I do try to remove myself from that side of it when I get into the driver's seat, though one always affects the other. You can't be 100 per cent either way.

"I'm lucky enough to have a structure around me so that some of that responsibility is taken away. ...

"In the early days I did a bit of everything, and that begins to show in the on-track stuff because you're tired or pre-occupied or whatever. I've done it my way all my life so I guess my brain's got used to it."

Fogg's racing and spannering have covered pretty much the full range of New Zealand circuit classes. He stayed with Minis for years, then did a season in HQ Holdens and dabbled in a single-seater Formula Vee. He co-drove a Nissan Sentra to two endurance titles, raced a Mini in Europe and reached the final of the Vauxhall Vectra scholarship programme before spinning out of contention on an icy track.

Back home he raced in two-litre touring cars, achieving the previously unthinkable by gunning his Nissan Bluebird to beat Jason Richards in the BMW six or seven times.

He was Richards' teammate with Team Kiwi when they dominated the two-litres in their Nissan Primeras, and the two combined for two 16th place finishes in a V8 Supercar at Bathurst.

After a year off, Fogg ran on a meeting-by-meeting budget with a Commodore in the New Zealand V8 championship. He ran second all season until the last round when he fell to fourth but was named rookie of the year.

A chance meeting with Lyall Williamson, boss of International Motorsport, in a restaurant led to the current deal preparing the two Fords and driving one of them. Last season he finished 12th.

So after so many drives, what is his favourite?

"The Mini is the sentimental favourite, but the V8 Supercar was the fastest I've driven. And I only wish I'd done a couple of seasons in our V8s and I'd have made a much better fist of it.

"Still, I got an opportunity not many people have had, and I'm grateful to Team Kiwi and David John for that. If I won Lotto I'd like to go and do the Konica development Supercar series or whatever it's called these days, because the cars are really powerful, enjoyable and challenging to drive.

"My favourite tracks here are Timaru and Manfeild, and I think the new Taupo is going to be good. Bathurst is incredibly challenging in any car, and Spa in Belgium where I raced a Mini is a real test."

Next up for Fogg and the V8s is Manfeild in a week's time. It is a track where he says he tends to either win or crash - "so I'm hoping to win".

Williamson says his driving is more mature these days, but Fogg is keen to dispel any thoughts that he has lost the aggression that is his hallmark.

"I'm not quite as crazy as I used to be. But I still have the odd moment. If I put it off the track into the barriers, I do think of the fixing involved, but luckily there's somebody now to pay the bills. ...

"I've always thought that if you're going well in the races, the championship will come to you. I've never really gone out and done the percentage thing right from the start. If you get to the halfway stage and you're going good, you start to be a bit more calculating. But I put myself in the race-to-win camp."

won the fourth round of the New Zealand V8 series at Timaru, but three days later he was back in Auckland pulling apart the Ford Falcon that has taken him to third place in the championship.In New Zealand's premier racing class, where many of the top competitors only drive and do promotion work, Fogg also prepares the car he races."At least I don't have to drive the truck these days," he quipped in the International Motorsport workshop in Grey Lynn where he looks after the two Caltex team Falcons for himself and Paul Pedersen.Fogg has combined his engineering skills with his driving flair throughout his career from the days when he emerged from Cambridge to win two national Mini titles. So how hard is it to combine the two roles?"It's hard at this level. It's not so bad with a Mini or a Formula Vee. These cars are quite maintenance-intensive."Three days after Timaru we were back on the car. We hope to test in the week before the next round at Manfeild, so that's shortened the time frame by another week."Every couple of meetings we strip the cars down, crack-test all the mechanical components, the drive line and gearbox and axles and so forth. We send the shocks away to get dynoed, repack the wheel bearings, replace the brake discs."Each car is basically stripped to a body shell and rebuilt with tested components to keep them reliable."There are three of us working on the two cars fulltime, plus helpers after hours. We are lucky enough to have a panel and paint man full time. To keep the cars presented the way we want them to be presented is pretty well a full-time job."Is he still fiddling with the car when he gets to the track or can he divorce himself from that side of the equation now that he is part of one of the better-resourced teams?"You stop fiddling with the car with your hands, or you try to, but your mind's always going. I do try to remove myself from that side of it when I get into the driver's seat, though one always affects the other. You can't be 100 per cent either way."I'm lucky enough to have a structure around me so that some of that responsibility is taken away. ..."In the early days I did a bit of everything, and that begins to show in the on-track stuff because you're tired or pre-occupied or whatever. I've done it my way all my life so I guess my brain's got used to it."Fogg's racing and spannering have covered pretty much the full range of New Zealand circuit classes. He stayed with Minis for years, then did a season in HQ Holdens and dabbled in a single-seater Formula Vee. He co-drove a Nissan Sentra to two endurance titles, raced a Mini in Europe and reached the final of the Vauxhall Vectra scholarship programme before spinning out of contention on an icy track.Back home he raced in two-litre touring cars, achieving the previously unthinkable by gunning his Nissan Bluebird to beat Jason Richards in the BMW six or seven times.He was Richards' teammate with Team Kiwi when they dominated the two-litres in their Nissan Primeras, and the two combined for two 16th place finishes in a V8 Supercar at Bathurst.After a year off, Fogg ran on a meeting-by-meeting budget with a Commodore in the New Zealand V8 championship. He ran second all season until the last round when he fell to fourth but was named rookie of the year.A chance meeting with Lyall Williamson, boss of International Motorsport, in a restaurant led to the current deal preparing the two Fords and driving one of them. Last season he finished 12th.So after so many drives, what is his favourite?"The Mini is the sentimental favourite, but the V8 Supercar was the fastest I've driven. And I only wish I'd done a couple of seasons in our V8s and I'd have made a much better fist of it."Still, I got an opportunity not many people have had, and I'm grateful to Team Kiwi and David John for that. If I won Lotto I'd like to go and do the Konica development Supercar series or whatever it's called these days, because the cars are really powerful, enjoyable and challenging to drive."My favourite tracks here are Timaru and Manfeild, and I think the new Taupo is going to be good. Bathurst is incredibly challenging in any car, and Spa in Belgium where I raced a Mini is a real test."Next up for Fogg and the V8s is Manfeild in a week's time. It is a track where he says he tends to either win or crash - "so I'm hoping to win".Williamson says his driving is more mature these days, but Fogg is keen to dispel any thoughts that he has lost the aggression that is his hallmark."I'm not quite as crazy as I used to be. But I still have the odd moment. If I put it off the track into the barriers, I do think of the fixing involved, but luckily there's somebody now to pay the bills. ..."I've always thought that if you're going well in the races, the championship will come to you. I've never really gone out and done the percentage thing right from the start. If you get to the halfway stage and you're going good, you start to be a bit more calculating. But I put myself in the race-to-win camp."