Photo: Series leader Mike TurleyThis weekend’s 11-13 February penultimate round of the 2010/2011 Suzuki Swift Sport Cup sees the chase for a new champion in the 18-strong small-car race series move to Feilding’s Manfeild Autocourse.
Currently Aucklander Mike Turley has re-established a ten-point lead, having lost then regained his early season advantage during the recent South Island leg of the six-round championship, where another Auckland driver Dane Fisher sampled the sensation of being series leader.
With three Suzuki races on the programme for the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting, competitors are vying for the 225 points on offer for race winners – the top five or six drivers require absolute commitment to finishing each and every race to stay in championship contention.
“The plan is quite simple,” says Turley who has 699 points to Fisher’s 689. “To win the Manfeild round. Get pole and win the first two races, then do as well as we can in the reverse-grid final race. It’s probably my favourite track out of the whole season so I’m definitely looking forward to it. We won a race there last year against William Bamber, who took the championship title, and Scott Harrison, so that boosts my confidence to return to Manfeild. That was a highlight of my then rookie season.”
Having had a taste of the title lead following the third round of the series near Invercargill, Fisher has become a more consistent finisher, a trait which most of the rookies have also cottoned on to.
“We’re seeing a number of the field enjoy their share of the limelight; we’ve had how many different race winners now?” says series co-ordinator Paul Burborough.
The 160cc Suzuki series has delivered consistently spectacular racing during the summer championship season, with the continual overtaking, ducking and diving forging a race-hardened competitor line-up.
“With 11 of the 18 drivers in the field currently aged between 14 and 19, we’re seeing a lot of learning of real race craft by a sector of the car market that will influence tomorrow’s world,” Burborough adds.
“Not only does it reinforce and sharpen their driving skill, but their ability to work and adapt to pressures while progressing toward greater aims means they are in the best environment to take anything ahead in their stride. So as a starter series, or as is the case for many, a transition from karting to cars, they are on a fast-track to be New Zealand’s next top-talent export.
“Two great examples from last season’s field are LG Motorsport’s William Bamber, who is now racing the ex Paul Radisich Ford NZV8 race car, and Scott Harrison, who won the recent Timaru round of the NZ Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.”
Having moving to third after the previous round in Timaru, Lower Hutt’s Grant Ryan demonstrated a return to his early season form and has positioned himself firmly on the season podium.
Turua’s A.J. Lauder has dropped to fourth in the standings after being second for much of the season.
The 16-year-old is now 100 points from the lead, but theoretically still in with a chance to win the title.
“Manfeild offers a new challenge for the field, who for the majority, have never raced here before,” says Suzuki New Zealand’s motorsport manager Darren Stevens.
“Its banked corners and flowing nature will see more side-by-side racing, which makes it interesting when the outside car gets the preferred driving line to the next turn.”
Located a couple of kilometres from the Feilding town centre and 15 minutes from Palmerston North, Manfeild’s 3.03 kilometre circuit also offers uninterrupted spectator viewing from the embankments.
The race weekend starts on Friday 11 February with two test sessions before a hot-lap session where drivers get to showcase their high speed skills to competition winners and hospitality guests. Qualifying takes place Saturday morning, with a twilight 10-lap race set to start at 5:15pm. The second 10-lap race stars at 10:10am on Sunday morning, with the full reverse-grid 12-lap race starting at 1:40pm.
Of the 18 competitors converging on the Feilding circuit, only Marton’s Patrick Cronin can claim it as a home round. Date clashes by Australian series hopeful Allan Jarvis has allowed Cronin to lease the car for the Manfeild round of the series. Three other drivers also have a shorter journey than the rest: Upper Hutt’s Jamie Gaskin (16) in the LG Motorsport car, Takapau’s Sam Barry (16) in the BEL Group car and Lower Hutt’s Grant Ryan in the Betta Autoparts car.
2010/2011 Suzuki Swift Sport Cup championship points after round four (of six)
Pos,Car No.,Name,Hometown,Total
1,6,Mike Turley,Auckland,699
2,91,Dane Fisher,Auckland,689
3,11,Grant Ryan,Lower Hutt,631
4,87,A.J. Lauder,Turua,599
5,41,Jamie Gaskin,Upper Hutt,560
6,12,Chris Cox,Rangiora,554
7,35,Mark Gibson,Taupo,546
8,14,Shaun Lawrence,Hamilton,536
9,89,Marc Spring,Auckland,493
10,5,Rex McCutcheon,Waiuku,403
11,34,Rob Gibson,Taupo,384
12,22,Amy Vincent,Papakura,346
13,71,Sam Barry,Takapau,319
14, 10,Ben Erickson,Christchurch,315
15, 4,Tom Barker,Christchurch,313
16,15,Brad Lauder,Turua,312
17,23,Daniel Liemburg,Timaru,273
18,27,Allan Jarvis,Brisbane,151
19,7,Ryan Bailey,Auckland,135
