By BOB PEARCE
Move over McLaren!
Taupo car builder Craig Greenwood is building his own two-seater race car to emulate the Formula One team's promotional rocket.
McLaren have had great success in running demonstration laps at grands prix, with lucky guests tucked in behind the driver in a car which allows them to experience the real feel of open-wheel racing at high speed.
Greenwood sees his two-seater as an opportunity to demonstrate the Formula Challenge car he has developed and as a training aid for potential drivers of the new formula.
For the past two years he has been developing the Formula Challenge project to provide a wings and slicks racing class that can be an affordable step up from the Formula First introductory class to motor racing.
The cars are powered by a 1100cc Suzuki GXR motorcycle engine, which for the two-seater demo model has been developed to 1250cc.
It is intended that the regular models will have a very standardised power unit to put a premium on driving ability and to trim costs.
Greenwood envisages an arrive-and-drive package which, for around $25,000, would allow drivers to turn up on the day and race at seven meetings with the car ready to go and all the trimmings in place.
It is a set-up used successfully in Britain by Formula Palmer.
Already at Taupo, the first Formula Challenge cars have demonstrated their ability with 40s laps, which compare very favourably with the 41s of Formula Fords and 43s of V8 touring cars.
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When Paul Radisich won the latest round of the Australian V8 Supercar championship at Sandown at the weekend, he broke a Ford drought which had lasted since June last year.
The flying Kiwi had come close before with individual race wins, but this time he made no mistake with two wins and a third placing.
Ford Australia were so chuffed to finally get one back from Holden that there was a $A10,000 bonus for Radisich from the company.
The Ford joy would be complete if Radisich and the Johnson team could conjure up a win at Bathurst next month.
Last year he came tantalisingly close before dropping out and leaving the way clear for Kiwis Greg Murphy and Steven Richards in a Holden.
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Superbike star Aaron Slight has committed himself to another season on two wheels but he remains very keen on four-wheel racing.
After a strong showing at last year's LK500 at Pukekohe, Slight is understood to have been negotiating to run a British Honda Accord in this year's race at Pukekohe on November 5.
The car would come from Barwell Motorsport UK and he would share the drive with British championship ace James Kaye.
The organiser of the LK500, Chris Abbott, rates the chances of the deal coming off as 50-50. Entries close on October 20.
The strong BMW team have nominated Brett Riley, Kevin Bell and Rod Hicks, with one place still to be filled.
Team Kiwi will put their Bathurst drivers, Jason Richards and Angus Fogg, in one Nissan Primera.
The other will be in the hands of Mark Porter and Ian Spurle.
Paul Manuell, a frontrunner until the downpour last year, has tested his new VT Commodore and rates it as awesome.
Manuell has been talking to several potential team-mates, including Greg Murphy. He will also be running last year's VL Commodore.
The two-day LK500 meeting will have a strong motorcycle component.
There will be nine races, three each for Formula Xtreme, 600 sports and open sports.
Formula Xtreme, "Superbikes on Steroids," will see locals, including Tony Rees, taking on the Aussies led by Kevin Curtain.
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The subteens moving into the Formula First ranks took the spotlight at Pukekohe at the weekend. But there was something of a youthful revolution in the ranks of officialdom.
It was refreshing to see youngsters acting as grid marshals and learning the ropes elsewhere in a sport where stalwarts had been getting older.
At the other end of the age scale, Faye Grant, who admits to being in her late 50s, was racing her Ford Mustang Cobra in the muscle-car series.
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When Paraparaumu driver Dom Kalasih set a lap record of 1m 14.99s for Formula Firsts at Pukekohe on Sunday, he removed a distinguished name from the record books.
The previous record of 1m 15.18s was set by Rob Lester, the Manfeild promoter and former Motorsport Association of New Zealand vice-president in 1994.
Motorsport: New formula to have demonstration rocket
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