Motorsport: Scott to skip Aussie races

Kayne Scott has been competing in the second-level V8 Supercar series across the Tasman and in the latest round in South Australia won a race.

New Zealand V8 champion Kayne Scott is pulling out of one Australian championship to concentrate on driving in the Bathurst 1000 on October 8 and defending his national title this summer.

The 37-year-old Hamilton driver has been competing in the second-level V8 Supercar series across the Tasman and in the latest round in South Australia won a race.

"We won't do the last two rounds," he said.

"We're seventh in the championship and there's no point now. We'll store our powder for next year and have a real go for the championship."

The next round is a support race as part of the Bathurst 1000 meeting next week, but Scott prefers to concentrate on the Paul Morris Motorsport Holden Supercar he will share with Aussie Alan Gurr in the Great Race.

And he has already started testing his Mark Petch Motorsport Holden Commodore for the start of the New Zealand season at Pukekohe from November 3-5.

So is it difficult to adjust your driving style to cope with the two very different racing cars?

"It is a monumental step up to the Supercar," said Scott. "You've really got to be committed at that level. The main difference? - Brakes, brakes, brakes.

"The Supercars can brake so late, and there is a unique style of cornering. You brake late and then give away the middle of the corner before getting on the gas again. In a New Zealand V8 you drive through the corner.

"In all my testing I was tending to go quicker in the middle of the corner but losing speed over the lap. But I got quicker and I must have passed 60 cars at Mallala last round."

Last year Scott got himself as fit as he's ever been to take on the Bathurst 1000 with fellow Kiwi Mark Porter in a Holden.

They finished 11th, three laps down but ahead of many more fancied combinations.

"We trotted round and the result came to us," said Scott. "We'll be doing much the same thing this time."

The New Zealand season was marred by off-track disputes, technical challenges and no clear winner after the last race in April.

Fords had looked likely to prevail, but when the lawyers had banked their cheques Scott was the champion.

Scott will start this season with the same car as last year. A new one is being built but won't be ready until the third round at Taupo in January.