KEY POINTS:
After a dominant performance during Friday's qualifying sessions at the Hamilton 400, New Zealand V8 champion John McIntyre went on to win the first rain-shortened race.
Having set a qualifying time more than eight-tenths of a second faster than Angus Fogg, his closest rival - the biggest qualifying margin all season - McIntyre led from start to finish in as the NZV8s raced on the new Hamilton street circuit for the first time.
Second-placed Angus Fogg lost a place after a bold move from David Besnard, as rain threatened then started to fall as the 28-car strong field completed the first few laps on the specified Dunlop racing slicks.
Despite increasingly cautious driving, Besnard, Fogg and others slipped and slid while Paul Radisich took the HPM Ford into second place.
After only six of the planned 14 laps, officials declared the race finished. The wet conditions made racing on slicks too dangerous and schedule requirements meant there was insufficient time to allow teams to change the cars onto the Dunlop wet racing tyres.
McIntyre was the winner, Radisich second with Besnard, Andy Booth and Luke Youlden rounding out the top five.
The New Zealand V8s contest another race on Saturday afternoon, then one on Sunday, as part of the inaugural Hamilton 400 V8 Supercar event.
Results
1 John McIntyre, Nelson, Ford Falcon BA
2 Paul Radisich, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
3 David Besnard, Gold Coast, Ford Falcon BA
4 Andy Booth, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
5 Luke Youlden, Melbourne, Ford Falcon BA
6 Clark Proctor, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
7 Kayne Scott, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA
8 Paul Manuell, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
9 Dean Perkins, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA
10 Cam Hardy, Hamilton, Holden Commodore VZ
11 Paul Pedersen, Rotorua, Ford Falcon BA
12 Nick Ross, Cambridge, Holden Commodore VZ
13 Michael Bristow, Pukekohe, Ford Falcon BA
14 Andrew Fawcet, Wellington, Ford Falcon BA
15 Kevin Williams, Auckland, Holden Commodore VZ
16 Andrew Anderson, Auckland, Holden Commodore VY
17 Jack Perkins, Melbourne, Holden Commodore VZ
18 Michael Wallace, Dunedin, Holden Commodore VY
19 Chris Adams, Mosgiel, Holden Commodore VY
20 Angus Fogg, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
21 John Hepburn, Timaru, Holden Commodore VY
22 John Penny, Taupo, Ford Falcon BA
23 Inky Tulloch, Gore, Ford Falcon BA
24 Andrew Porter, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
25 Tim Edgell, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
26 Connel McLaren, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
27 Shaun Turton, Pukekohe, Holden Commodore VY
DNF Mark Pedersen, Auckland, Ford Falcon BA
DNF Simon Richards, Hamilton, Ford Falcon BA