Emergency nurse takes BMW race victory at weekend

Emergency nurse takes BMW race victory at weekend

Press release: Castrol BMW Race Driver Series.
For immediate release: Friday 16 September 2016.

Photo: Auckland Accident & Emergency nurse Alexandra Clark took a lights-to-flag win in her return to the Castrol BMW Race Driver Series held at Hampton Downs. Photo: Geoff Ridder.

Switching from the pressure of accident and emergency nurse duties, Auckland’s Alexandra Clark took her 2L race BMW to victory at the weekend’s opening round of the 2016/17 Castrol BMW Race Driver Series.

Held at the Hampton Downs race circuit, it was the first of seven events for the summer season of competition.

Split in to three categories, each had three by eight lap races. Changes for the new season has seen the Open class swell to 23 entrants with broadening of eligibility criteria, while the E30 grid was merged from two in to one – of 45 cars. Entered to the 2L category of 25 cars, Clark first got a taste of the action six years ago – and for the new season, with a new car, she’s serious about finding her limits.

Early weekend glitches meant she started the first race without having done any testing. Thwarted from completing more than two laps put her at the front of the second and reverse-grid handicap race.

“I started from the front, having been the slowest,” she stated. Opting to make the most of the opportunity, Clark put her high-pressure nursing expertise to use: “That was awesome – to lead from lap one to eight – keeping 21 other cars behind me. I just ignored what was behind me and didn’t even think about it while re-learning the track and running my own race. Towards the end I couldn’t wait for the last lap board to come out – and could see the Peter and Graham Ball cars getting closer. I just decided nope, they’re not going to beat me.

“Each lap I dug a little deeper.”

Clark took the chequered flag with a leading margin of just over one second, with lap times on-par with the majority of the field.

Carving a whopping 16sec per lap off her initial times Clark says the voice of former champion, family friend, mechanic and driver coach Todd Pelham rang through her at every turn: “Every time I did something I could hear Todd’s words saying ‘no, go harder, brake later’ – he’s the little voice in my head.”

“For me I was doing my dues – her parents helped me out to win two BMW championships so this was something I could do for Alexandra,” said driver-turned-team helper Todd Callum.

“As a team we worked with Alex at delivering a comfortable setup – and getting her comfortable at being able to settle the car coming in to turns, where to get on the power and being able to push and trust the car more than she had previously. Once she started to do that it was a noticeable difference.”

Succumbing early in the third race to further mechanical woes again eliminated Clark. Taking the second win of the weekend by Peter Ball affirmed the defending title holder’s aspirations.

The combined E30 grid of 45 cars delivered an equally diverse result. Fresh competition has seen Philip Smurthwaite leap-frog defending title champion Matt Griffen with two wins over Griffen’s two second places. In the reverse-grid race Anthony Tork headed off a closing Jordan Baldwin – this year’s BMW Race Driver Series Scholarship winner.

Growth in the Open class of A + B category cars was fronted by the dueling Andrew Nugent and Robbie Berggren, wedged apart in the handicap final race by a win from Andre Mortimer. Setting the pace in the B category, Michael Starnes was leap-frogged by a consistent performing Marty Irvine in each of the three races. Nigel Patterson finished best placed C category car in the final race with a sixth placing.

The series tours the North Island from Pukekohe to Feilding with the second round being held at Manfeild 22-23 October.

Supporters of the series and Castrol BMW scholarship car include BMW New Zealand, Castrol, TransVision Graphics, Toyo tyres, Koni shocks/King Springs, Stocks, P and S Autocentre, Tracktime and Classic Car Cover.

ENDS.

Castrol BMW Race Driver Series calendar 2016-2017
R1: Icebreaker – Hampton Downs 10-11 September
R2: IRC – Manfeild 22-23 October
R3: Taupo – 19-20 November
R4: Tasman Revival – Hampton Downs 14-15 January 2017
R5: NZ Championship – Taupo 2-5 February 2017
R6: Tasman Revival – Pukekohe 18-19 February 2017
R7a: Legends of Speed – Hampton Downs 25-26 March (E30 and 2L categories)
R7b: NZ Championship – Pukekohe 31 March – 2 April (Open class)

Endurance series:
1hr enduro – Hampton Downs 11 December
1hr enduro – Hampton Downs 6/7 May 2017

About the Castrol BMW Race Driver Series:
For owners of BMW race cars the series caters to all types of competitor and provides competition across four categories to encompass a variety of production and modified models. Loosely based on the UK and US formula the series objective is to provide close racing bounded by the spirit of competition and camaraderie.

The seven round series starts mid-September at Hampton Downs, concluding just over seven months later, having travelled to each of the North Island’s major motor race circuits.
Cars vary in model from competition born M3 models to classic touring car variants well used to New Zealand circuits.

Events are held at major motorsport meetings and include a televised component.

Typically 90+ cars compete at each meeting with numbers swelling beyond 100 for some of the more prominent meetings.

Further information can be found on the www.bmwraceseries.co.nz website.

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