The annual Southern Thunder motor race meeting at Teretonga Park in Invercargill, New Zealand, this weekend (18/19 March) is usually a well known just one with the attribute types becoming the NAPA Automobile Elements NZ Tremendous Vehicles and the Mobil 1 Mainland Muscle Vehicles.
One particular of the major subject of trucks for quite a few several years will line up at the celebration whilst the Mainland Muscle Autos also appear south with an outstanding grid.
Debuting a new car in the Muscle mass Car class at the celebration is Invercargill driver, Brendan Mason. Mason is well recognised for his motor racing exploits and competed in the class at past year’s conference in a Chev Camaro.
This calendar year he arrives armed with a new weapon, an ex-Wayne Anderson Chev Monza, a five-year-old car or truck which has done only 5 race conferences in that time.
Mason has not raced the automobile but getting carried out only 4 laps at Teretonga Park in practice but he is hunting forward to unleashing the new beast in the Muscle Car or truck races this weekend. “The car or truck is quite very similar to the Camaro,” he claims. “There are a large amount of similarities in the suspension, brakes, diff ratio’s, shocks and so on. It feels very similar to the Camaro. It is down on horsepower in comparison but lighter and narrower.”
Mason is keen to compile some fantastic finishes across the weekend’s racing. “It is my first meeting in the car or truck, it would be pleasant to be reasonably aggressive.”
Tony Forde of Invercargill is the other Southlander in the discipline in his Commodore and was a race winner at this event last 12 months.
The Mobil 1 Mainland Muscle mass Car field is a high quality one particular with Timaru driver John Hepburn in his Holden Monaro a person of the men to defeat. Hepburn has gained five of the twelve races in this year’s sequence. Even so, Rhys Gould of Christchurch has been competitive in his Ford Falcon although a different Timaru driver, Rod Hayman, is speedy in his Pontiac Firebird. The industry is composed of Commodores, Monaro’s, Mustangs moreover the Monza, Falcon and Pontiac.
With 4 races across the weekend and a structure of scratch and handicap races be expecting plenty of fireworks on track.
The other characteristic classes contain the NAPA Automobile Areas New Zealand Tremendous Vehicles with their outing supported regionally by Kings Residence Removals as they contest the Mobil Delvac 1 Trophy even though nearby driver Alex Crosbie will search for to protect his championship direct in both of those the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and the South Island F1600 Championship. Pre 65 Saloons, NZ Six Saloons and the Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons total the programme.
A parade of trucks in the course of the Sunday lunchtime split will also be a feature.
Pre-sale weekend passes costing just $35 (plus any relevant admin costs) are accessible from Automobile Centre, Tweed Street, Invercargill, E Hayes & Sons, Dee Street, Invercargill, Harrisons Supplies, Mersey Avenue, Gore though weekend passes at the gate are $45 every even though working day passes are $25 for every day. Young children 14 & underneath accompanied by an adult totally free.
Photograph: The Chev Monza of Invercargill driver Brendan Mason.
Lindsay Beer
Publicity Officer
Southland Sports activities Car Club
021 351 499