Ball raises the bar in Castrol BMW Race Driver Series

Ball raises the bar in Castrol BMW Race Driver Series

Press release: Castrol BMW Race Driver Series.
For immediate release: Wednesday 25 January.

East Tamaki based Graham Ball eclipsed the 78 strong field of BMW race cars contesting the Castrol BMW Race Driver Series, held at Hampton Downs mid-January, by setting a new lap record.

The fourth of seven rounds for the 2016/2017 title, Ball set a lap time nearly a second faster than his rivals in the weekend’s final race for the 2L category cars.

“I’ve got a lot of points to catch up after losing the engine at Taupo – and in the reverse-grid races is the best opportunity to do that. That’s what I did. With the car handling so much better and the new engine I could do that,” said the 24-year-old motor mechanic.

“We can come out of a corner and know it isn’t going to flick sideways – so can feed more throttle, earlier. It’s just so much better balanced now.”

Working in to the weekend with a fresh engine Ball saved the best for last. Starting from pit lane with an 85sec handicap he was fastest car on the track from the first lap. Quickly reeling in the field, by the third lap he’d lowered the Hampton Downs mark for the 2L category car to a 1min14.769sec. He went on to win by a margin of 2.4sec.

While making ground on his earlier season loss, Graham still trails his father and defending series champion Peter, who finished runner up for the weekend. Andrew Sharp finished third, having set fastest time in qualifying.

The field of 32 E30 specification cars were looking for a way past the leading-edge battle between Royce Rollinson and Matt Griffin during the weekends final race.

The top-six cars were less than a second apart in qualifying, leading to an equally competitive opening race. The eight-lap afternoon handicap race was just enough for James Broadbridge to leap to the front and hold off the chasing pack trying to thread through for the win. Then in the final race it was a tactical move by Royce Rollinson on the second lap that allowed him to ease ahead of Griffin for his first win of the season – taking the chequered flag with a margin of 0.798sec.

Griffin’s consistency keeps him atop the season standings, the defending champion further extending his margin on the rest of the field.

A total of 21 made up the Open Class, consisting of three sub groups. Headed by Matakana’s Andre Mortimer in the M3 GTR, it was by a mere 0.002sec in qualifying, ahead of the E46 GTR of Robbie Berggren.

The first surprise of the weekend came in the second race with Class B driver Marty Irvine taking the final podium step in his freshly developed E36 M3. Then it was the turn of fellow Class B racer Michael Starnes in the final and handicap race to take the chequered flag in his E36 M3, chased hard by Irvine while Mortimer had to settle for third.

The teams next get a chance to improve their championship standing 3 – 5 February at the series fifth round, being held at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park at Taupo.

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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