Pitstop: Tranzam blast

Tranzam racing returns to Pukekohe this weekend for the first time in three years as part of one of the biggest motor-racing meetings at the track. The organisers have received 230 entries in 12 classes and have been forced to turn down late entries to accommodate one race today and two tomorrow in each category. Tranzams circulate quicker than Aussie V8s but, as their numbers dwindled, they were eclipsed as a national class by the New Zealand V8s and their power base shifted to the South Island. This weekend Craig Gilbert, Dick Freeman and Eddie Fairbairn have shipped their Chevys from the south to take on a strong northern contingent headed by Bernie Gillon's Mustang. National championships will be at stake for the Formula Firsts, V8 development cars and the Porsches. Michael Shepherd, twice champion before, leads the Firsts and Mike Baker from Picton heads the big Porsche field. There will also be races for Pro-7s, Minis, Pre-65s, Holden HQs, SuperGTs, S2000s, Commodore Cup cars and Super Sedans. Racing will start at 1.30pm today and 9.30am tomorrow.

Upson leaves rally

Gary Upson, general manager of Rally New Zealand for the past eight years, has resigned to take up a position as national brand manager for Land Rover. Upson will finish at the end of the year and Rally NZ will seek an early replacement to plan next year's event in November.

Coulthard on top

Fabian Coulthard completed his Porsche Carrera Cup season in style at Phillip Island near Melbourne, winning two of the three races and setting the lap record in the third. The 23-year-old Aucklander topped the standings for the season on 1275 points from fellow Kiwi Jim Richards on 1125. Driving for the Greg Murphy Racing team, he set five lap records during the season, and had 16 race wins from 22 race starts, equalling Alex Davison's record from last year. He won six championship rounds, had four pole positions, broke three qualifying lap records and finished on the podium in no fewer than eight of the nine rounds.

Seven f5000s coming

Seven British-based Formula 5000 drivers are set to join their New Zealand and Australian counterparts at two meetings this summer, raising the prospect of 25-plus grids of the V8-powered 70s era single-seaters. The cars will be here in time for their drivers to compete at two rounds of the F5000 Revival Series, at Pukekohe Park on January 28 and 29 and at Christchurch's Ruapuna Park a week later. Heading the British contingent will be Simon Hadfield, who was the top-performing F5000 driver at the two meetings in Britain a group of New Zealand drivers contested. He will bring with him his ex Peter Gethin Chevron B37. Joining him are his team-mate, the well-known English journalist/racer Marcus Pye (Lola T330), Michael Schryver (Trojan 101), Frank and Judy Lyons (Lola T332 and Gurney Eagle FA74), Peter Denty (Lotus 70) and Peter Dunne (March 73A).

Brave display

Who got the biggest applause at the second round of the New Zealand V8 championship at Ruapuna? Not race winners Kayne Scott and John McIntyre but Aucklander Kevin Williams, who didn't win a race. Starting from pole in the third race when the top eight were reversed on the grid, Williams led until the final lap when he left the track after a brush with McIntyre. A puncture meant he dropped down the field. But as he walked back to his pit the crowd cheered his brave display, recognising that the best he had done in four previous seasons of V8 racing was fourth place. They might also have noted that the 32-year-old Manukau driver builds his own Holden car and engine and even does the signwriting. Williams says if McIntyre had challenged him on the previous lap, he would have let him go and settled for second. But with the prospect of his first win, he couldn't back down. He finished 17th in the championship last season and he reckons his Ruapuna experience has given him a huge confidence boost for the rest of this season.

Max challenge fifth

New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge winner Joshua Hart has finished fifth at the world final at Langkawi in Malaysia. Hart, from Palmerston North, was one of two drivers representing New Zealand at the annual World Final for Rotax Max-engined karts. The other was Mathew Wooding, who finished 11th in the junior final.