A stunning variety of machinery will gather in Taupo this weekend for the opening round of the 2007/2008 Schaeffer Oil N.Z. Super Sedan Series. There can be few series in the country at the moment that match the Super Sedans for the mix of exciting cars that this class provides.
Leading the entry for the opening round is Australian V8 star Luke Youlden of Melbourne. Youlden will again be at the wheel of the Ford Mustang Cobra with which he showed devastating pace in the rounds he contested last year. Youlden arrives fresh from another Bathurst outing with Stone Brothers Racing while he also scored two race wins and the round win in the V8 Development Series at Mount Panorama on the same weekend as Australia's "great race".
Several drivers will be keen to challenge Youlden including Glen Brazier of Invercargill. Brazier made the long trek north to race at one round of the series last year and showed impressive pace in his Chev Corvette. A former multiple Pre 65 Saloon Champion, Brazier will undoubtedly be near the front of the field.
Former two-time OSCA Champion, Andy Greenslade of Tauranga has a new Corvette for this, his fourth season of racing. Previously Greenslade raced a Chev Camaro and he too is expected to be a strong contender this weekend. Another with a new car for this season is Mark Heimgartner of Auckland. In just his second season in the class Heimgartner has purchased the Brennan Camaro built by current series champion Grant Brennan in 1992. The car holds the lap record on the old short circuit at Taupo and the Formula Libre Sport Sedan record at the now defunct Bay Park track. The car has been rebuilt for the new season.
Alan Duncan of Rotorua was a frontrunner at times last season and he returns with his Saker SV1 Chev. The car has been repowered with a more powerful Chev V8 engine and has received some suspension development since last season.
Waitara driver Ross Calgher finished third overall in last year's series in a Dodge Viper and he is back in a different Viper this season. Calgher is a former employee of McLaren in the UK and has a great deal of experience in different racing classes to his name.
Another driver sure to be competitive is Aucklander Roger Williams. Williams has a new car which he has obtained from America, an Oldsmobile Aurora. As well as his Super Sedan exploits Williams is often seen in open wheel racing cars in the Formula 5000 Series.
A couple of unique cars on the entry list come from two Auckland drivers new to the series, Greg Gillespie and Peter Wieser. Gillespie will drive a Scarab V8 powered by a Chev SBV8 producing around 600 horsepower. The car was built in 1972 and is fitted with a Holinger 6 speed gearbox. Meanwhile, Wieser has a TVR Chimeaera fitted with a 5.7 litre Chev engine. A past Super GT competitor this will be Wieser's first start in the series.
Wayne Conder of Auckland will be taking part in his first road race meeting this weekend in yet another Camaro. Conder makes the step into the series from a background of gearbox kart racing. Te Puke driver Peter Stewart will also be on the grid in his MKV Cortina Chev which features a total suspension redesign as part of an off-season rebuild. Stewart also has the welcome support of two new sponsors for the season.
The Schaeffer Oil N.Z. Super Sedan competitors will feature in three races at the Taupo Motorsport Centre over the weekend. The opening race is a handicap event on Saturday afternoon, the second a rolling start race on Sunday with the third and final race later that day another handicap event. The exciting format of the series ensures exciting racing and allows all competitors a shot at the podium.
While a good grid has been assembled for this, the opening round, there are many more cars waiting in the wings that should appear as the series progresses. One such car is the new spaceframe Jaguar of Kevin Bovey which should be ready in time for the third round. However on the opposite side of the coin one driver that will be missing is Tauranga driver Robert Jack. Jack, who finished fifth in the championship last season in his Escort Chev V8, is taking a break this season.
Schaeffer Oil remains as the major sponsor of the series again in 2007/2008. The primary markets of the company are in the fields of earthmoving, trucking and agriculture and they view this series as the perfect test environment for their high performance racing products.
CALENDAR - 2007/08 SCHAEFFER OIL N.Z SUPER SEDAN SERIES
Round 1: 20/21 October 2007 - Taupo Motorsport Centre, Taupo
Round 2: 10/11 November 2007 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 3: 1/2 December 2007 - Pukekohe Park, Pukekohe
Round 4: 2/3 February 2008 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 5: 2 March 2008 - Pukekohe Park, Pukekohe
Round 6: 29/30 March 2008 - Manfeild Autocourse, Feilding
Round 7: 10/11 May 2008 - Taupo Motorsport Centre, Taupo
