Pitstop: Wills untroubled by starting a lap down

Former Aucklander Simon Wills will start the first race of the Aussie V8 Supercar series this weekend a lap down, but he remains confident of a strong showing.

Team Dynamik, owned by Wills' father, Kieran, were penalised last year for unauthorised testing and the lap forfeit was part of the penalty.

Since last season veteran Tony Longhurst has bought a share of one of the two Dynamik franchises and, when Simon Wills didn't drive in the non-championship support races at the Melbourne Grand Prix meeting, one weekend report suggested Wills might sit out the championship.

"The reporter never spoke to me to find out what the real story was," Wills said.

"Tony has put money in one of the franchises, which means there's more funding for the team.

"He was keen to have a drive at Melbourne and I stepped aside - that way I didn't have to answer to Dad for any damage.

"But for the championship Tony will drive only in the long-distance races. He will mentor Will Davison in the second car and get involved in the commercial side of the business, which he likes."

Wills doesn't expect the one-lap handicap in the first of the two 250km races of the Clipsal street meeting in Adelaide this weekend to be too big a setback for the team.

Davison will not be penalised and he expects that the usual attrition in these races should see him score useful points.

Adelaide is the team's home base and Wills knows the track well. Last year he qualified third and, although he had problems in the races, he believes the Dynamik Holdens will be right on the pace with the settings he used last year.

First strike to Subaru

Petter Solberg's victory in the Mexican round of the world rally championship has confirmed that the new Subaru is a potent weapon, but it may have crimped his style for Rally New Zealand from April 8-10.

The Norwegian will come here as leader of the championship by one point from Ford's Markko Martin and he will be first on the road when the cars start the rally north of Auckland.

Running first can be a disadvantage on gravel roads, where the first car tends to sweep the surface clean for those who follow. Heavy rain - which would be welcomed by farmers in the area - tends to even out the contest.

Last year Solberg won here after a titanic battle with Peugeot's Marcus Gronholm over the closing stages. Gronholm was second in Mexico, but lies only fifth in the championship. World champion Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) is fourth.

Mitsubishi have yet to decide who their second driver in New Zealand will be. Harri Rovanpera, who was fifth in Mexico, seems likely to be joined by tarmac ace Gilles Panizzi, who scored a point on that gravel rally.

Rally NZ has drawn entries from 22 countries. There are 29 Mitsubishis, 24 Subarus, four Fords, three Citroens, three Peugeots, two Hondas, two Skodas, two Suzukis, a Proton and a Toyota.

Top-seeded Kiwi is national champion Chris West, who will run 40th on the road in his Subaru.

Xtreme cars line up

Rally Xtreme will make its debut in Gisborne on Saturday in one of the first rallies of the season.

The Xtreme championship is a six-round second-level competition which will cater for cars ranging from the latest Group A models no longer eligible for the national championship to regional and club competitors.

There will be 37 cars in the new category among the 100 competitors in Gisborne, which is also a pipe-opener for competitors in the national championship, now restricted to Group N cars.

Hartley claims a win

Katikati driver Russell Hartley finally emerged from the shadow of the teenaged Hartleys from Palmerston North when he won a race in the Formula Ford championship at Taupo on Sunday.

The 23-year-old mechanic has for some time been confused with the unrelated Nelson and Brendon Hartley brothers.

Even his Taupo triumph owed something to his namesakes.

After damaging his own car in an earlier round, he switched to the one steered to several wins by the other Hartleys.

Meanwhile, championship leader Andy Knight has confirmed that he will be contesting all eight rounds of the Australian championship.

Experience triumphs

Driving instructor Mike Eady showed his pupils how it's done when he won the Bridgestone Porsche championship at Taupo with three races to go.

After 20 years in motorsport, it was his first big championship in the oldest Porsche GT3 in the country.

Eady has vast experience, having raced at Bathurst and the Nurburgring.

Challenge in Sepang

Formula Challenge champions Gene Rollinson and Barry Holden get their chance to impress on the international stage this weekend in the Formula Malaysia races at the Malaysian Formula One meeting at Sepang.

The pair will drive identical Suzuki motorcycle-engined single-seaters similar to the Taupo-built Formula Challenge cars.

Day for big bangers

Horsepower - and the more the better - will be the common denominator at the Historic Racing Club's annual Formula Libre Grand Prix at Pukekohe this weekend.

Heading the bill are the Formula 5000s ably supported by the SuperGTs and two different Muscle Car classes.

Two wheels to four

Timaru rider John Hepburn, who seemed to have lost a competitive ride and a truck drive when the final round of the national road racing series at Ruapuna was cancelled, has regained his four-wheeled charger.

This weekend he will race a 750hp KM Bedford in the truck-racing meeting at his home track near Timaru, a huge contrast from the 600cc Kawasaki he rides in the motorcycle championship.