Prominent Cantabrians Take Sides For V8 Ute Battle

Media Release
2008/2009 Enzed V8 Ute Series

Date: 4 March 2009
Embargo: None
Race: Round 4 Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway, Ruapuna, Christchurch - Preview

Prominent Cantabrians Take Sides For V8 Ute Battle

Two high profile Cantabrians will be bitter rivals when Round 4 of the ENZED V8 Utes Series takes place at their home circuit, Powerbuilt Tools International Raceway, at Ruapuna near Christchurch this weekend.

Well known businessmen Mike Pero and Simon Beirne are good friends but, come each round of this exciting series, they are fierce rivals in the red hot racing the class provides. Pero and Beirne are on opposite sides of one of the great rivalries of New Zealand sport too. The contest between Ford and Holden on the track is of the magnitude of a Canterbury versus Auckland rugby fixture.

Beirne, 'Jnr Burner' to all in the series, fights out of the blue corner for Ford. He holds the flag high for the marque too, being their leading competitor since the series was introduced to New Zealand last year. After finishing runner-up in last year's inaugural series Beirne and his Team McDonald's Falcon are currently involved in a massive four-way fight for this year's title along with Holden drivers Matthew Lockwood, Caine Lobb and Mack Peach. However it is a fellow Cantabrian, Pero - the Loan Ranger, who will bring an additional threat from the red Holden corner this weekend.

Pero, like Beirne, cut his racing teeth around Ruapuna - firstly on motorcycles and latterly in V8 Touring Cars. Pero is in his debut season at the wheel of a Mike Pero Mortgages Holden and showed his ability when he qualified sixth for his first ever V8 Ute race at Manfeild last November. At the most recent round at Taupo during the A1GP event Pero was in the wars, twice being turned around amid the rough and tumble of the ENZED V8 Utes Series. Despite that Pero is loving the series and at his home circuit he can be expected to shine. His name will be extremely prominent at the track this weekend as Mike Pero Mortgages are also the major sponsor of this weekend's event.

Matthew Lockwood "The Phantom" currently leads the ENZED V8 Utes Series in his H2O Sola Holden but it is extremely close. Lockwood has 402 points while Mack 'BOMBA' Peach of Auckland is second in the standings with 371. Peach enjoys Ruapuna and has given The Barn Company Holden a major tidy and freshen prior to three successive weekends of racing. Caine Lobb of Whangarei, 'The Ginja Ninja' is just ten points behind Peach in his Mark Cromie Holden. Lobb spent eighteen months working at the Canterbury Motor Racing School which is based at the track and while he says he didn't do many laps in that time he knows the theory of the fastest way around the 3.3km circuit. Simon Beirne is only three points behind Lobb after a tough start to the series. However after a combination of accident damage and mechanical problems at the first two rounds he charged back to dominate January's round at Taupo.

Other local competitors on the grid this weekend are Simon's father, Graham (Snr Burner) in the John Jones Steel Falcon and Frank Van Shaijik 'Shrek' in a John Jones Steel Holden.

After testing at the circuit on Friday the competitors will receive a further fifteen minute test session at 11.30am on Saturday morning. That is followed by a twenty minute qualifying session scheduled for 2.50pm on Saturday afternoon. This round features a four race format and all the races are scheduled for Sunday's programme. The first is a scratch race over 6 laps at 10.00am with an 8 lap race using a marble draw grid timed for 11.30am. Later in the day, at 1.40pm, a reverse marble draw grid race over 8 laps is scheduled. The fourth and final race with a starting grid based on the accumulated weekend points is due to start at 3.40pm. That race is of 8 laps duration.

Other categories on this weekend's programme are Sport Saloons, Mini 7, Pro 7, Streetstock Bikes, OSCA, Pre 65 Saloons and German Rennsport.

ENZED V8 Utes are powered by The Rock and fuelled by Demon Energy.

The series commercial partners include ENZED, The ROCK FM, Yokohama - the official tyre supplier, Penrite Lubricants - the series official oil and Demon Energy.

Provisional Points to date: Matthew Lockwood - 402; Mack Peach - 371; Caine Lobb - 361; Simon Beirne - 358; Craig Paterson - 327; Graham Beirne - 288; Geoff Spencer - 286; Peter Robb - 283; James Urquhart - 277; David Kernahan - 266; Mike Pero - 258; Frank Van Shaijik - 252; Peter Ward - 224; Bob Grove - 156; Ash Cairns - 107; Mike Lightfoot - 92; Steve Elliott - 62;

For more information please utilise the following:
www.nzv8uteracing.co.nz

ENZED NZV8 Utes Calendar 2008/2009:

Round 1: Manfeild Park, Feilding - 21-23 November 2008

Round 2: Pukekohe Park Raceway, Auckland - 5-7 December 2008 (Thunder In The Park)

Round 3: Taupo Motorsport Park, Taupo - 23-25 January 2009 (A1GP World Cup Of Motorsport)

Round 4: Powerbuilt Tools Raceway, Ruapuna, Christchurch - 6-8 March 2009

Round 5: Timaru International Motor Raceway, Levels, Timaru - 13-15 March 2009 (Truck Race Meeting)

Round 6: Teretonga Park, Invercargill - 20-22 March 2009

Round 7: Hampton Downs, Waikato - 1-3 May 2009 - FINAL

ENDS

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