KEY POINTS:
New Zealand and North Island champion Andy Greenslade will be out to improve his Osca lap record at Pukekohe when the super saloons race there tomorrow. Greenslade bettered the record of 1m 0.81s at a non-Osca meeting recently with a time of 1m 0.26s and he is confident he can get under one minute in his V8 Camaro given the right conditions. After missing the first round of the North Island championship, Greenslade is lying 11th on points. The leader is the consistent Ashley Anderson from Sanson. The Osca races are part of a packed programme for several national series.
Baird picks Adelaide repeat over Timaru
Craig Baird's bid to become the first repeat champion in the Australian Carrera Cup Porsche championship means he will be competing in Adelaide this weekend and will miss the New Zealand championship round at Timaru. Also absent is Fabian Coulthard, who will be driving a V8 Supercar in Australia.
Youlden and Scott are late starters
Luke Youlden has opted to join New Zealand V8 championship leader Kayne Scott in missing the first race of the Timaru round today. Both are involved in the V8 Supercar development series in Adelaide and will fly back for the final two races at Timaru tomorrow.
Besnard pins hopes on new engine
Aussie David Besnard, who dominated the first round of the New Zealand V8 championship at Pukekohe in November, is hoping a new engine in his Ford will get him back on the pace at Timaru to improve on his fourth place in the points with three rounds to go. He has never raced at the Levels Raceway before.
Vickers wins nascar points for Toyota
Toyota's excursion into the Good Ole Boys' world of Nascar continues to prosper. Brian Vickers earned Toyota's first points with 10th place at Fontana, California. The Red Bull team said: "A top 10 in Nascar equates to a top five in Formula One."
Bolwell chalks one up for the veterans
Older can be better in Formula Three motorcycle road racing. Andy Bolwell, who is 44, leads this year's national championship on an 11-year-old Kawasaki ZXR400. He had second, third and fourth place finishes in the latest round at Manfeild. The final round is at Pukekohe next weekend.
Pither back in hunt for aussie success
Palmerston North youngster Chris Pither, who campaigned a V8 ute in the Australian championship in 2005, has returned to the contest again this season in a Ford Falcon XR8. He drove a V8 Supercar in the development series last season and deputised for Paul Radisich in the Team Kiwi Holden in the main championship at Bahrain.
Tander confirms NZ double date
Aussie Leanne Tander, who made her debut in the New Zealand Toyota single-seater series at Manfeild last month, has been confirmed for the next two rounds at Timaru and Teretonga. Tander, who competes in Formula Three across the Tasman, was the victim of a couple of skirmishes in her first outing here.
