Dale Williams Racing - Results Blog

Round 6 - Taupo - Race 3

2010-03-21T18:02:00.002+13:00

Wow, what a finish to a turbulent weekend! Starting 3rd on the grid Dale drove a great race, quickly taking the lead, and staying there for almost the whole race. Almost! Unfortunately for the team Dale was locked up on the last corner and finished up 11th.

It was a great end to Round 6 nonetheless, and the Team should be congratulated for the hard work and determination they've showed in getting the car out on to the track, and for a time at least, out into the front of the pack.

Official results are here:

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/210310V8sr3.html

Round 6 - Taupo - Race 2

2010-03-21T14:25:00.003+13:00

Progress at last! Dale finished Race 2 in Taupo in 19th place after starting 27th on the Grid. It looks like the team have finally rid themselves of the electrical issues that have been plaguing them this weekend. Dale had to complete a pit stop to remove the grass that had accumulated under the car in the couple of off-track excursions he had to make to avoid the crashes up in front as he made his way from the back of the pack.

We're not yet sure where Dale is going to start on the grid for Race 3, but hopefully it won't be too far from the front for the reverse grid race, which should be a good one!

Official results are here:

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/210310V8sr2.html

Round 6 - Taupo - Race 1

2010-03-21T13:01:00.002+13:00

The team worked late into the night, finishing about 2AM Sunday morning, all but completely rewiring the Rayglass Ford Falcon V8's electrical systems. Unable to finish in time before Race 1, Dale was unable to race, but the team is pretty confident they can have the car ready in time for Race 2 this afternoon. Stay tuned for more...

Round 6 - Taupo - Qualifying

2010-03-20T18:16:00.002+13:00

Things haven't started well this weekend for the Dale Williams Racing Team. The car has been playing up all day with major electrical issues, so never even made it to Qualifying. The crew is working hard out at the moment stripping the electrics out of the car to try and find the source of the fault. Let's hope it's not too late into the night before they get things sorted, and hopefully we'll be on the track come Race 1 tomorrow morning.

http://www.nzv8s.co.nz/circuit/6/1/Taupo.htm

Schedule:

http://www.nzv8s.co.nz/assets/file/Taupo%20Schedule%20R6.pdf

Round 5 - Manfeild - Race 3

2010-02-14T17:49:00.000+13:00

Things just haven't gone according to plan for the Dale Williams
Racing Team this weekend. After starting 9th in the Reverse Grid 3rd
Race at Manfeild he was quickly pushed back in the field. But coming
together with Haydn McKenzie, Dale's tyre was blown, rims destroyed,
and having to pit Dale was left at the back of the pack once again and
finished 1 lap down.

Official results are here: http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/140210V8sr3.pdf

Round 5 - Manfeild - Race 2

2010-02-14T17:30:00.000+13:00

After receiving a 50s Penalty from Race 1 for turning Simon Richards,
Dale started Race 2 at the back of the grid. Things didn't really get
any better for Dale during the race, and he finished up in 22nd, 1 lap
down. The team is hoping for a bit better luck in the reverse grid 3rd
race.

Race 2 results are here:
http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/140210V8sr2.pdf

NZV8s 2009-2010 - Round 5 - Manfeild - Race 1

2010-02-14T11:19:00.002+13:00

Driving at Manfeild this weekend, in Round 5 of the NZ V8s Championship, the Dale Williams Racing team are in to another weekend of racing at The Mad Butcher 200.

After qualifying 15th in the Top 20, and with no Top 10 shootout due to rain, Dale started Race 1 at 15th on the grid. Boxed in at the start, Dale dropped back to 19th place, but drove really well and managed to make it back up to finish in 12th place.

Qualifying results are here: http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/140210V8sq20.pdf

Race 1 results are here: http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/140210V8sr1.pdf

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 3

2009-11-29T18:51:00.003+13:00

Race 3. An epic, is probably the best way to describe it. A last minute panic to change to a wet setup, the rain was a positive sign for the team, as Dale drives well in the wet. And once again we started off great. Better than great. Dale went from 6th on the grid to 1st place in the 1st corner. Unfortunately his front-running time was numbered when he overbreaked a couple of corners on letting two cars past, slipping back to 3rd. Dale kept his 3rd place spot for a couple of laps, but took a big hit from Angus Fogg which sent him off at the 1st corner where it had all started so well. Fogg had to undertake a drive through penalty, but that was small consolation for Dale & the team.

So back on the track, but in last place Dale started working back up through the pack. When Andy Booth went off in to the wall the race was red-flagged and the grid re-formed for a while. Booth was taken away in an Ambulance but we think he was OK (his car, on the other hand...).

Dale drove well from the re-start but was penalized for contact on Simon Richards. And that was about the race. Dale finished in 17th place overall, but at least he finished. It was just one of those weekends when everything was looking so good, but went so wrong.

Official Results are here.

MyLaps Results are split into two parts, here and here.

Rayglass Ford Falcon V8 after Race 3 at Ruapuna

2009-11-29T17:56:00.002+13:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1m-JL7sD04

Rayglass Ford Falcon V8 Leaving Pits at Ruapuna

2009-11-29T16:35:00.002+13:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s-NVmLt6EM

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 2

2009-11-29T13:45:00.003+13:00

The high's and low's of motor sport. Dale had an awesome start to Race 2, but another unfortunate finish. After starting in 14th position on the grid, Dale made a great jump up to 10th spot in the first corner. The car seemed to perform really well and Dale held position in 10th spot for most of the race. But then disaster struck once again, the brakes locked up, and the front-right tyre blew. Dale crawled back to the pits for a quick tyre change (off-road some of the way), but when he re-joined the race he was at the back of the pack.

So not a great way to finish to the race, quite a disappointment for Dale and the rest of the crew. We think we know what's causing the brakes to lock up, so with any luck we'll be able to avoid a repeat later on. This track is always pretty hard on the brakes, so the 3rd and final race of the weekend this afternoon will be an interesting one, the longest at 22 laps.

Official Race Results and times are here.

MyLaps Results are here.

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 1

2009-11-29T11:00:00.002+13:00

With the weather a little warmer today than yesterday, and no rain in sight, the atmosphere at the track is generally more positive. The crew started the morning with the usual brake & spanner checks, along with a little custom remoulding of the fibreglass air scoop in front of the radiator (before breakfast).

Race 1 was pretty uneventful for Dale, although some of the other drivers out on the track weren't as lucky. They had their fair share of spin-off's, blown engines etc. so the field finished a little lighter than it started. After starting 17th on the grid Dale finished in 14th place. The car wasn't handling as well as expected, so coming out of the corners was a bit of a struggle, which made it hard for Dale to gain any ground. So in the lead up to race 2 the crew is looking at the suspension & setup to see what (if anything) can be done to improve things in the short term.

Official race results are here - from the Motorsport NZ Website.

The MyLaps.com results are here - from the Mylaps.com Event page.

NZV8s 2009-2010 - Round 2 - Ruapuna

2009-11-28T18:00:00.003+13:00

A mixed day of results today at Ruapuna, Christchurch, for Round 2 of the NZV8s Championship. Performing really well in testing, driving in the wet where Dale is always comfortable, his times were comfortably in the Top 10.

After the track dried up later in the day, qualifying didn't go as well for the team, with Dale finally qualifying in 17th position. A bit further back than we want to be. Dale's best lap time was 1:32.648 (The top 10 qualifying time was 1:31.746).

Hopefully things will go a little better on the track tomorrow, with Race 1 scheduled for 10AM Sunday morning, and two more races later in the day. We hope to see you there!

Official Results Page

All Qualifying times

Top20 Qualifying times

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 3

2009-11-08T17:31:00.001+13:00

A bit of excitement in the third race to round out the weekend at Pukekohe. There was a pileup on the hairpin, but thankfully Dale was able to avoid it, going wide around them. That meant he dropped a few places, which he was able to make up.

Unfortunately though somehow Dale managed to pick something up which caused a tyre to blow. After pitting, Dale drove well, with good speed, but ended up finishing the race in 22nd place.

It wasn't the way the team wanted to finish the weekend, but overall there's a pretty good feeling about the way the car is performing on the track, and the team is putting in a lot of effort to make sure we
build from here.

Bring on Ruapuna!

Race times are available here:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=1364168

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 2

2009-11-08T14:40:00.003+13:00

Race 2 finished pretty well for Dale and the team. After starting
11th, the 12th place finish was a good result (about .5s off 11th and
2s off 10th). A little more power would be nice, but a clean race with
only a couple of rubs is good at Pukekohe.

The race results and times are available here:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=1364105

And the racing should be on TV later this afternoon too, so keep an
eye on TV3 for the action. Next up the reverse grid at 4:00pm.

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 1

2009-11-08T11:52:00.002+13:00

Dale started in 12th position off the grid, and drove well to finish in 11th place.

With no major racing incidents, the car performed well although maybe a little down on horse power from the front-runners.

The team's pretty happy with how the car's performing. All-in-all a good start to the season, looking forward to the second race this afternoon.

Race times are available here:
http://www.mylaps.com/results/showrun.jsp?id=1363960

NZV8s 2009-2010 - Round 1 - Pukekohe

2009-11-07T17:00:00.003+13:00

Dale and the team had a great day out today - the first round of the new season, with the new Rayglass Ford Falcon V8 - and everyone was happy with the results.

Dale qualified in 16th place in the first round of Qualifying (with a time of 1:02.584), then went on to qualify in 12th place in the Top 20 round (with 1:01.888). Not only that, but the difference from where Dale qualified to a spot in the Top 10 was only .068s! Pretty good for the first time out on the track.

Round 7 - Pukekohe - Race 1

2009-03-15T12:30:00.000+13:00

Dale finished the 2nd race of the weekend in 13th place after a pretty
uneventful race. After starting 15th on the grid Dale was pushed wide
off the 2nd corner, but held position and made a little progress. He
was bogged down a bit by other drivers so couldn't make a lot of
headway, but finished well in the end.

The team is now preparing for the 3rd and final race of the season at
4:30pm this afternoon.

Round 7 - Pukekohe - Race 1

2009-03-14T19:26:00.003+13:00

Definitely an exciting first race, full of action! Unfortunately none of it went Dale's way, starting on the very first corner when he went looking for a gap he was spun off the track and ended up at the back of the pack. He made great progress to regain position, and was helped along when a major crash (again on the first corner) red-flagged the race and Dale was in 15th spot on the grid at the restart.

Unfortunately when chasing down Andy Knight Dale came off at the hairpin, and he lost ground again, finishing the race in 16th place.

So the team knows he has the speed, now all he needs is a little luck on his side and Dale should be bringing in a better result for the final two races of the season at Pukekohe tomorrow.

Round 7 - Pukekohe - Qualifying

2009-03-14T14:00:00.001+13:00

Round 7 Qualifying, Dale's final weekend racing in his Rookie season of the NZV8s Championship and Dale put in a great drive, qualifying in 10th position. That's a great way to start the weekend, the first time he's made it into the Top 10 qualifying this season. The Team SCG racing crew are very pleased, understandably, after putting in a lot of hard hours making changes to the car's setup over the past few days.

It was a nail-biting finish to the second (Top 20) Qualifying session though. Dale was sitting in 15th place right up until the last minute. The chequered flag was coming out to signal the end of the session and Dale put in a flying lap jumping up to take the 10th place spot on the board (to much cheering & back slapping in the Team SCG pits).

Dale couldn't make any more headway in the 3rd (Top 10) qualifying session though, and kept his 10th place spot when the car all but ran out of gas with a few minutes to go.

Everyone is looking forward to an action-packed first race in a few hours time.

Dale's fastest qualifying time was 1:01.70.

Round 5 - Teretonga - Race 3

2009-01-18T17:00:00.000+13:00

Dale's 3rd and final race of the weekend was his best result so far, but following the theme of this weekend's racing, Dale suffered another significant hit in the rear in a racing incident. Dale's Team SCG Racing teammate was also taken out on the track, hitting the wall in a crash that not only brought out the safety car and caused a subsequent restart, it's likely the car will be written off. A major blow for the team.

Dale finished in 14th position (was 13th). The race results and times are available here.

Dale's fastest time was 1:05.017 (in lap 14).

Round 5 - Teretonga - Race 2

2009-01-18T12:00:00.000+13:00

Dale had a better race this morning at Teretonga, but it was still marred by the actions of other drivers on the track. It was a real mixed bag with 1/2 of the cars racing on wet tyres and half on slicks. Dale was driving really well (on slicks) when he was turned around by another driver, effectively putting him out of the running for a top-10 result. Dale finished in 18th place, which was OK, but doesn't reflect the position he was really driving in for much of the race. Dale was also handed a 50s time penalty - for 'driving behaviour'.

The race results and times are available here.

Dale's best time was 1:07.754 (in lap 16).

Round 5 - Teretonga - Race 1

2009-01-17T12:00:00.002+13:00

Dale had another unfortunate race result today when two cars crashed into the rear of his car early on in the first race at Teretonga, Invercargill. A wet race, where Dale has traditionally done really well, Dale had a great start but had to pit after the incident which put him at the back of the field. Dale only completed 7 laps when he had to pit again due to engine overheating issues, which was thought to be a result of a coolant problem caused by the crash. Although the engine is fine that was the end of Dale's race, posting his 2nd DNF result of his NZV8s career.

The race results are available here (the NZV8s website).

Dale's fastest time was 1:12.782 (in lap 4).

Round 4 - Timaru - Race 3

2009-01-11T16:52:00.002+13:00

Some racing carnage unfortunately took it's toll on Dale and the Stabicraft Ford Falcon today, as he was caught up in a huge crash at the start of the 2nd lap of the race. Much of the front-running cars were involved, and Dale's 14th place start had him just behind the incident. As he slowed down to pass by the crash he was hit from behind by faster-moving traffic. With a bent diff, leaking oil, Dale made it through most of the race, but the diff eventually ceased with only three laps to go.

That's Dale's first and only DNF for the season so far, so while it's a real shame, the team has been lucky to make it through relatively unscathed to date. A bit of a sour end to an otherwise great weekend's racing, but Dale and all the SCG Racing team go into next weekend's 5th round in a positive state of mind, knowing that the Stabicraft Ford Falcon has the speed to keep up with the best.

Dale's fastest lap was 1:09.175 in lap 11. He completed 17 of the 20 laps of the race.

The race results and lap times are available here.

Round 4 - Timaru - Race 2

2009-01-11T12:30:00.002+13:00

Dale put in another great performance this morning at Timaru, on another overcast day. After starting well Dale got mixed up with Andy Knight and dropped back from his starting 9th position to 12th. Dale put in a great drive though, finishing in 11th place, and putting in the 7th fastest lap time of the race.

Dale's fastest lap was 1:07.822 in lap #10. His finishing time was 21:28.227 (10th was 21:25.799, 1st was Kayne Scott with 21:10.454).

The lap times are available here.

Round 4 - Timaru - Race 1

2009-01-10T17:24:00.002+13:00

Dale finished Race 1 in 9th place after yet another great race for him, the Team SCG Racing crew and the Stabicraft Ford Falcon. Dale started really well, up from 14th place on the grid to 10th or 11th straight off the line. He drove really well from then, putting in another consistent drive and delivering another top-10 result.

The race results and lap times are available here.

Dale's best time was 1:07.590 (in lap 3). His race time was 13:40.303 (8th was 13:39.011, 1st was Kayne Scott with 13:25.528).

Round 4 - Timaru - Qualifying

2009-01-10T12:53:00.003+13:00

Dale has qualified in 14th place after a close-run session in Timaru this morning. He was running about 9th place when first a broken gear stick and then a rear sway bar slowed things down. The times were tight with many drivers placing within a second of each other.

We're looking forward to the first race this afternoon at 4PM. It should be a good one.

The 2nd Round (Top 20) Qualifying times are available here.

Dale's best time was 1:07.655.

All times/results from this weekend's racing are available here.

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Round Results

2008-11-30T19:00:00.001+13:00

Dale completed Round 3 of the NZV8s Championship at Pukekohe in 7th place overall - an awesome result for Dale and the team, reflecting the hard work everyone put in over the weekend. Dale now sits at 9th place overall in the Championship points table, with 300 points.

Dale's results page can be found here:

http://www.dalewilliamsracing.com/race-results

Official Results:

http://www.nzv8s.co.nz/pages/9/results.htm

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Race 3

2008-11-30T17:52:00.001+13:00

Dale just finished Race 3 here at Ruapuna in a fantastic 6th place,
after putting in an awesome drive to round of the weekend in style.

Dale started at 14th place on the grid, and after the first attempt at
a rolling start failed the race was underway. Dale quickly moved from
14th to 4th place and held out all but the most experienced
competition to maintain his position throughout the race, finishing
6th from a field of 24.

The team and of Dale's supporters are stoked with the result of the
race and the overall round. It has taken a bit of time in the car, and
a lot of work from the SCG Racing team, but now Dale and the
Stabicraft Ford Falcon are finishing where they want to be: up with
the best.

Dale's fastest lap time was 1:32.380. Dale's race time was 24.302s
back from 1st place (but Craig Baird maintained a huge lead).

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Race 2

2008-11-30T13:26:00.001+13:00

A cooler day today, with more cloud about and a bit of wind, the track
here at Ruapuna isn't quite as fierce.

Dale finished race 2 in 9th place after an awesome start, and a really
solid drive. A moment of distraction saw Eddie Bell get past Dale
when he took a corner wide, but that was the only moment anyone came
near after the start. Dale held his position for the remainder of the
race, and put in some good lap times, faster towards the end.

Dale lost a wing-mirror in a clash on one of the first corners of the
race, but it was recovered by a friendly race official and reattached
before lunch ;-)

Dale's fastest lap was 1:31.683 In lap 6. Dale's final time was
17.139s off 1st place.

So it's a few hours wait now, before the third and final race of the
weekend, the 20 lap reverse-grid race.

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Race 1

2008-11-29T17:48:00.001+13:00

Dale finished the first race here at Ruapuna this weekend in 11th
place after working his way through the pack from 18th off the grid.

There was plenty of action out there on the track today (as always!),
but it was a hot track today too, 112 degrees on the surface! A few
incidents in front and to the side of Dale left the car in a bit of a
mess, but nothing too serious, thankfully. Dale lost a few spots and
had to work to get them back when a crash ahead forced him to slow to
go around.

Dale did a great job out there today, and the team is happy with the
result. If qualifying had gone a bit better, then maybe we'd be inside
the top 10, but just outside it in a field of 25 is a good result none
the less.

I'll update this a little later too, with more details, as they come in.

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Qualifying

2008-11-29T14:03:00.001+13:00

It has turned into a really hot day today, Dale must have been boiling
in the car during qualifying! After making it through to the top 20
qualifying round in 19th, Dale qualified in 18th position in the second.

The tyres contributed, but Dale is still not feeling 100% today, which
is making it difficult for him to drive at his best.

Dale's best time was 1:32.604, in lap 5. That's about 1.1s off the top
10 times.

So with the qualifying sessions over the team is now focussing on Race
1, starting at 4:25pm this afternoon.

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Warm Up

2008-11-29T10:18:00.001+13:00

Its a beautiful sunny Saturday morning at Ruapuna today. Looks like
we're in for another hot and dry day.

Dale just came in from the warm up session, with pretty good times.
His best lap time was 1:31.916, which puts him 14th fastest. It's a
really tight pack though with only 0.8s difference between 3rd and
14th place.

So the team is happy with the car setup so far, and I don't think
they'll be changing too much between now and the 1st qualifying
session in a couple of hours time.

Round 3 - Ruapuna - Testing

2008-11-28T19:51:00.001+13:00

Dale and the Team SCG Racing crew had a good day's testing today at
Ruapuna. With incremental gains being made every time they get the
Stabicraft Ford Falcon on the track, we're starting the weekend really
positive about the racing ahead in round 3.

Dale is a little under the weather today, but hopefully he'll be
better tomorrow after a good night's rest.

We're starting a little earlier tomorrow, with the warm up at 9:40AM.
Then qualifying starts a bit later at 12:25PM.

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Round Results

2008-11-10T17:00:00.002+13:00

Dale completed Round 2 of the NZV8s Championship at Pukekohe in 6th place overall. A great result for Dale and the team. Dale is now placed 10th overall in the Championship points table, with 189 points.

Dale's results page can be found here:

http://www.dalewilliamsracing.com/race-results

Official Results:

http://www.nzv8s.co.nz/pages/9/results.htm

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Race 3

2008-11-09T17:29:00.002+13:00

Dale finished 15th in the 3rd and final race of the weekend at
Pukekohe. Dale struggled a bit for power, and got shunted from behind
into the car in front causing more damage to the bonnet & breaking the
front splitter down the middle. The fuel system held out for most of
the race though, which was good.

Dale’s fastest time was 1:03.536 (in lap 10). The gap to 1^st place was 27.102s.

So there's a few weeks now for the team to complete repairs, and also
some testing to work through the car setup a bit more.

Next stop Ruapuna, in Christchurch.

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Race 2

2008-11-09T14:57:00.001+13:00

Race 2 finally restarted almost 2 hours after it began. Dale fought
hard throughout and despite fuel surging issues he maintained his 8th
place position to the finish.

Six cars started from pit lane after repairs, but a number were still
out after the major crash on the 1st corner of lap 1.

He had a bit of contact with Michael Bristow at the hairpin which
damaged the front bonnet (again).

Dale's best time was 1:02.800 (in lap 9). The gap to 1st place was
13.411.

So the team are working hard now on the fuel system before Race 3,
which will start later than planned due to the long delay.

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Race 2

2008-11-09T12:25:00.001+13:00

Race 2 started with a bang. A huge crash actually. Dale was clear of
it starting 8th on the grid, and fighting Eddie Bell for position off
the start line when behind them cars were coming 4 and 5 wide for the
first corner, which was never going to work.

A number of cars were totalled, three went over the 1st corner fence
and carnage ensued. After a safety car lap the race was red-flagged
and the remaining 16 (of 29) cars left unscathed have parked up again
on the grid.

We're waiting now for barrier repairs to complete over lunch, then the
race will be restarted. So stay tuned for part two of Race 2...

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Race 1

2008-11-08T17:17:00.001+13:00

Wow, that was a great result from a pretty eventful race! After
starting at 19th position on the grid, Dale finished in 8th place.
There were a number of racing incidents but Dale managed to stay clear
of them.

His only real contact was during a battle with Eddie Bell (which
damaged the left-hand side panels and front guard).

The team is very happy with the result and the car was getting some
pretty good speed, hitting 240km/h on the back straight. It's a great
start to the weekend's racing. Race 2 tomorrow morning should be just
as exciting.

Dale's fastest time was 1:03.001 (in lap 11). The gap to 1st place was
8.291s.

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Qualifying

2008-11-08T12:00:00.000+13:00

It's a beautiful warm sunny day out at Pukekohe today. Dale qualified
19th out of a field of 29. The times were tight with only a second and
a half separating the top 20.

The team seem to have worked through the fuel pump issues from testing
yesterday, but there may be a few more things to do to get the car
going a little quicker.

Race 1 is at 3:50pm this afternoon.

Round 2 - Pukekohe - Testing

2008-11-07T17:00:00.002+13:00

Dale and the team spent the day testing today at Pukekohe, in preparation for this weekend's racing - Round 2 of the NZV8s Championship. Dale made good progress through the day, while the team worked through some fuel pressure issues. His first test run put him around 18th position, but the second run went better with his time putting him in around 12th spot.

I'm sure the crew will be working on the car right up until the first qualifying run tomorrow morning, and hopefully any remaining issues will be sorted by then.

We're all looking forward to a great weekend out at Pukekohe, Dale's home track. I'm sure he'll put on an impressive show, as always, so it'll be a good day out at the track tomorrow. The weather forecast is for a fine day, so there'll be no repeat of his Round 1 Wet Weather driving from last season, but it's sure to be just as exciting.

Round 1 - Taupo - Round Results

2008-10-05T21:44:00.006+13:00

Dale has finished Round 1 of the NZV8s Championship in 13th place overall, with 83 points. Dale's results page can be found here:

http://www.dalewilliamsracing.com/race-results

Official Results:

http://www.nzv8s.co.nz/pages/9/results.htm

Pos	Car No.	Name	Car	Hometown	Total	Total
Pos	Car No.	Name	Car	Hometown	Points	Rd1
1=	777	Paul Radisich	Falcon	Melbourne	184	184
1=	99	Kayne Scott	Falcon	Auckland	184	184
3=	1	John McInytre	Falcon	Nelson	165	165
3=	23	Andy Booth	Commodore	Auckland	165	165
5	82	Michael Bristow	Falcon	Auckland	117	117
6	96	Paul Pedersen	Falcon	Taupo	109	109
7	69	Eddie Bell	Falcon	Christchurch	100	100
8	27	Craig Baird	Falcon	Queensland	96	96
9	48	David Besnard	Falcon	Gold Coast	93	93
10	70	Andrew Anderson	Commodore	Auckland	90	90
11	111	Andrew Porter	Falcon	Auckland	88	88
12	49	John Penny	Commodore	Taupo	84	84
13	22	Dale Williams	Falcon	Auckland	83	83
14	4	Simon Richards	Falcon	Hamilton	64	64
15=	41	Adam Brook	Falcon	Christchurch	60	60
15=	15	Paul Manuell	Commodore	Auckland	60	60
17	88	Boyd Norwood	Falcon	Palmerston Nth	56	56
18	12	Inky Tulloch	Falcon	Southland	55	55
19	26	Tim Edgell	Falcon	Auckland	52	52
20=	50	Julia Huzziff	Commodore	Auckland	50	50
20=	21	Alan McCarrison	Falcon	Auckland	50	50
22	51	Chris Adams	Commodore	Dunedin	48	48
23	2	Angus Fogg	Falcon	Auckland	47	47
24	007	Nick Ross	Commodore	Cambridge	36	36
25	52	John Hepburn	Commodore	Timaru	22	22
26	9	Andy Knight	Falcon	Christchurch	19	19
27=	90	Shaun Turton	Commodore	Auckland	18	18
27=	8	Cam Hardy	Commodore	Hamilton	18	18

Updated after Angus Fogg was DQ from Race 3.

Round 1 - Taupo - Race 3

2008-10-05T17:00:00.003+13:00

A disappointing finish for Dale this afternoon with a 20th place finish after having to pit twice during the race. He had a nose-to-tail collision which bent his bonnet and generally smashed the front of his car enough that it looked like a safer choice to pit and repair it. He then pitted later after an oil warning light came on.That pretty much put him out of contention, which was sad as he wasputting in some of the best lap times of the race (top 5). But that's motor racing, as they say.

All in all he had a good start to his V8s racing career this weekend, and I'm sure there'll be more great results to come.

Dale's best lap time was 1:38.190 (in lap 4).

So the team are planning the repairs needed now, while I'm about to hit the road for the drive back to Auckland in the rain!

Updated after Angus Fogg was DQ.

Round 1 - Taupo - Race 2

2008-10-05T12:00:00.001+13:00

Dale had an awesome 2nd race this morning finishing in 6th place. It
was a hard race, in the wet, and 6 cars didn't even make the end. The
team is really pleased with his performance, as he drove really well
with pretty competitive lap times (Dale typically does well in the wet).

Dale's teammate David Besnard wasn't as lucky not finishing due to a
broken fuel pump (and he spent much of the race in 3rd and 4th
position).

Dale's fastest time was 1:46.760 (in lap 10).

Round 1 - Taupo - Race 1

2008-10-04T17:17:00.002+13:00

Dale's first race in the NZV8s championship didn't start well this afternoon with fuel pump issues leaving him stalled off the start line. So he had to fight his way from the back of the pack (28th) to come in to finish at 14th place. But he drove really well, working through the pack, making passing look easy. It was great to watch.

He dropped a couple of positions in the last couple of laps too, with a broken sway-bar, but he managed to hang on and finish the race well. Aside from that and a big of panel damage to the nose the car finished well.

There was carnage up the front with a few of the leading V8s coming off the track. It made for a great spectator race (which would have been better if it wasn't for the cold wind!).

Dale's best time was 1:38.200 (in lap 5), which was about 9th fastest overall.

Dale is up for his 2nd race is at 11:10am tomorrow morning.

Round 1 - Taupo - Qualifying

2008-10-04T14:30:00.002+13:00

After making it through to the Top 20 qualifying round Dale finished
up qualifying 15th (of 28 cars). Overall I think the team was hoping
for a little better, but it's early days yet and we're still working
through communications etc.

Dale's best time was 1:38.044 (in lap 6) +2.151s off John McIntyre's
time and +.297s off David Besnard's best time (13th).

The first race of the season starts at 3:35pm this afternoon. It's a
pretty cold, grey and windy day here today but we're all looking
forward to seeing Dale make an impact in his first race.

Round 1 - Taupo - Testing

2008-10-03T20:20:00.002+13:00

Dale had his first taste of the Taupo track today in his new car,
putting the Stabicraft Ford Falcon through it's paces. Testing went
well and the team was pretty happy with the times, coming in 13th from
the first run and 10th in the second.

Testing wasn't the only thing Dale had to worry about today. He &
fellow Team SCG driver David Besnard went bungy jumping today in a PR
event that made TV3 news.

But tomorrow will be all about the racing, and all eyes will be on
Dale tomorrow morning in Qualifying.

Round 1 - Taupo - Preparation

2008-10-01T19:57:00.003+13:00

It's almost game time and in a couple of days Dale will get his first taste of racing in the NZV8s Championship with testing on Friday in Taupo. I'll be blogging from the track with live updates of Dale's progress through the Qualifying rounds and races 1-3 on Saturday & Sunday.

The team is really looking forward Dale's debut in the Stabicraft Ford Falcon and the Team SCG Racing crew have done all they can to prepare the car and give Dale his best shot at a great start to the championship this weekend. Stay tuned!...

Round 7 - Manfeild - Race 3

2008-03-30T16:23:00.000+13:00

!! NZ Production Racing Series Championship Winner (Class B) 2007 - 2008 !!

Well that was an awesome way to finish the season! Dale finished 1st in his class again, and 2nd overall, so a convincing win for the round overall this weekend and also the year. Congratulations Dale!

Also congratulations to Simon Sceats, who took out the championship in Class C, the 4wds.

The car is now being pulled apart under the supervision of Motorsport NZ's technical services team, to check everything for compliance with the rules. They wanted to pull the turbo out but that's a major job on this car so that'll have to be sealed and checked back in Auckland.

We're off to the podium for the presentations now, so hopefully i'll get some good photos to post a little later on.

Round 7 - Manfeild - Race 2

2008-03-30T13:05:00.000+13:00

The rain came at just the right time for us this morning, and with a race in hand Dale has won the championship!

He had an excellent race, driving really well in the wet as usual, and came in 1st place Class B and 4th overall. It was a long race, 12 laps, and Dale was in the first three for most of it. Another great result though and now Dale is so far ahead in the points table he doesn't even need to start the last race!

Overall race time was 17:22.217 (5th place was 17:22.715 Scott McKelvie, 2nd place in class B 17:49.162)

Dale's fastest lap 1:25.821 in lap 8 & 11

So there's one more race to go this afternoon, at 2:05pm, and then we can celebrate. The team has got to be proud with the final results, truly the reward for a lot of hard work.

Round 7 - Manfeild - Race 1

2008-03-29T16:35:00.001+13:00

Dale finished Race 1 in 1st place in his class (7th overall). He had a good run, pretty clean but a small incident at the hairpin with Michael Modgill left some white paint & a little panel damage on the car.

Dale's fastest lap time was 1:20.317. His overall time was 10:52.547 (8th place 10:53.734)

The team's going to do some minor setup changes this afternoon, then we'll call it a day. It's another great result for Dale, with only 2 races left in the season the end is in sight!

Round 7 - Manfeild - Qualifying

2008-03-29T13:10:00.001+13:00

Dale just came back in after a great Qualifying run, out in 1st position for his class, and only 1 second behind the 4wd cars. It looks like the latest work on the car is paying off, so well done team!

Dale's fastest time 1:18.709 in lap #2 (2nd fastest in Class B: 1:19.844 - Mike Modgill).

Everyone's pretty happy with the way the car ran so there's nothing much to change before the first race this afternoon at 2:35pm.

Round 7 - Manfeild - Testing

2008-03-28T11:48:00.001+13:00

Back in Manfeild again for the 7th and final round of the NZ Production Racing Series. We're racing this weekend with a few improvements, not least of which is the new Diff, but also a larger exhaust and a little more power c/o our friends in Napier & the UK, Ecutek (http://www.wrcdevelopments.co.nz/).

This weekend has a different lineup of classes than usual, with the Production Racing taking centre stage, along with the V8 Development Series. There's also the Pro7 RX7s, OSCAs (with a few nice Corvettes & a Jaguar), along with other classes from the Tier 2 Motorsport classes.

It's a beautiful sunny morning here today, forecast for 28 degrees, so its going to be a warm one.

There's three testing sessions today, with the first we've just had @9:30, then 11:40 and 2:30pm. There's also a sponsor's Hot Laps sessions this afternoon at 4:30 (so hopefully I might actually get out on the track today!).

The first test sessions saw the return of our Manfeild 'glowing brake' syndrome :-( Straight after the first lap or so & the brake rotors were fully glowing. After a few more laps they were so hot they ceased on, so Dale had to cruise back into the pits.

When he got in the brake dust was on fire the rotors were so hot! So there's some work to do on the brakes...Hoodie & Dodge have them in pieces on the floor at the moment.

Oh and the other casualty this morning was young Mr Hood, with a nice crack to the forehead (c/o a hospitality truck closely parked during the wheel alignment). So he's been to see the lovely folks @St John for a nice big plaster, which he'll be sporting for the rest of the day. (no sympathy till Renee arrives though!)

Round 6 - Teretonga - Race 3

2008-03-09T15:31:00.003+13:00

Well it could have ended up much better, but we're pretty happy with the overall result anyway. One slip in the back end on the first corner cost Dale his lead and in the end the overall race win. Mike Modgill took maximum advantage of the slip and drove really well to hold onto 1st place.

So that means Dale takes 2nd place for the overall weekend result. Still a good place to be, and as the points stack up Dale is looking really good in the overall results.

Best lap time: 1.09.158. Race time: 14:28.074 (3rd place:14:26.232)

With only one round left, in Manfeild at the end of the month this season's racing is almost coming to a close. The team is going to try and fit in a few more changes to the car before then though. There's a list a mile long, so we'll soon see whether there's enough time to fit it all in.

But now its time to head for the airport and home. For Robin it's the start of a long drive pulling the Zoom Zoom trailer back to Auckland...

Round 6 - Teretonga - Race 2

2008-03-09T10:52:00.002+13:00

"I'm blown away, know what I mean!" Wind, rain & hail. Oh and did I mention the wind? :-) We arrived to find our camp in ruins this morning. The new Mazda tents were completely destroyed. Everything else was in disarray. The organ donor car survived without a scratch though!

It's been four seasons since then with warm sunshine, rain and even a good dumping of hail.

So Dale went out racing with dry tyres on, even though it got a bit wet by the end. But he had a great race, an awesome start, and kept right up with the Class C 4WDs. He led Class B off the line and never looked back. Dale finished 1st in his class, 4th overall.

There were a few incidents with other cars on the track, but thankfully nothing involving Dale.

Dales fastest lap: 1:09.434. Race time:9:26.147 (5th place: 9:36.050)

So we're working from a pretty bare camp ground for the rest of the day. The car setup is great though, so Hoodie & Dodge don't have to do too much work in the mud. Got a couple of hours to kill before the final race, so we'll be doing our best to stay out of the weather, and make the most of the sunshine.

Round 6 - Teretonga - Race 1

2008-03-08T16:50:00.001+13:00

Well that was a fairly uneventful race. Dale had a good start but had a slip with the clutch, and then just couldn't catch Mike Modgill for the rest of the race. I think we'll be looking even harder for that extra horsepower next week.

Dale finished 7th place overall, 2nd in Class B. Dale's best time: 1:09.670 (in lap 2)

So we're packing up now and going to watch the V8s race. But we'll be in 1st thing in the morning, ready for the 2nd race at 9:35am.

Round 6 - Teretonga - Qualifying

2008-03-08T11:33:00.000+13:00

It's a beautiful day down here in Invercargill today. The sun is out, and not much in the way of clouds about. A little disappointing for Dale, who was hoping for some more rain, but fine for the rest of the team :-)

Russell and the guys from Stocks are happy with the suspension setup (taking over from Grant this weekend), and everything else on the car seems pretty good too. Of course some more horsepower & the new Diff would have been nice, but not in time for this round unfortunately.

Dale qualified 7th overall. 2nd in his class. A bit of a change, as Dale has consistently Qualified 8th this year. Could signal good things ahead.

Best lap time: 1:09.384 (next fastest: Mike Modgill's Honda Integra with 1:09.220)

John is cleaning up the Red MPS (aka Organ Donor) beside our tent so the fans can have a sit in it. We should really have a salesman here to take orders ;-) Could make some spare cash with the commission!

We haven't got much to change before the 1st race this afternoon, at 3:15PM. So might have to go for a walk and enjoy the sunshine...

Round 6 - Teretonga - Testing 2

2008-03-07T17:39:00.002+13:00

"Right, let's pull apart the Red one!". That's about how to sum up the end of the 2nd testing session. A bit of a suspension issue, and so we've cracked into our Donor car for parts (and we haven't even started racing). :-)

Dale said the car felt a bit better than this morning, but the times were slower all around.

We've just been standing in the cold wind & occasional spit, watching the V8s testing. A bit of action too with 2 V8s coming off the track and rolling in the same corner! Classic. There's a crazy setup here at Teretonga, where the support teams cars and pits are inside the track, so you have to wait the 20mins or so for the track to clear so you can drive out. So we're just standing here (while testing is red flagged) waiting and watching.

But we're off to the hotel soon, to get warm. Bright & early start in the morning, ready for the Qualifying session.

Round 6 - Teretonga - Testing 1

2008-03-07T13:04:00.002+13:00

It's cold down here in Invercargill today, so its jackets all round. Cloudy, but only a couple of drops of rain so far.

The Zoom Zoom race car has had a bit of work done on it this week. Monday/Tuesday was panel & paint c/o Ballantyne Auto-Paint - repairing the damage from Race 2 in Timaru (which made the national TV news last Sunday night, so I've heard!). We've also replaced the Turbo as the last one was down on boost last weekend.

Dodge gave up his last few days of work this week for a road trip. He flew down to ECUTek in Napier and picked up the Red Mazda3 MPS (which they've been using for computer testing) and drove it all the way down here to Invercargill. Why? Rolling spare parts! :-) There's no MPS' on the yard here in Invercargill, for us to sabotage, so we were forced to bring an organ donor. He quite enjoyed the drive by the sound of it. The MPS with a tricked-out computer is a real little rocket, apparently.

Dale had a good run in the 1st test session this morning, with the best times in his class. The numbers are close though, so no real surprises.

We've got another test session this afternoon at 1:50pm.

Round 5 - Timaru - Race 3

2008-03-02T15:16:00.003+13:00

That was a great way for the team to finish the weekend, with Dale leading for a considerable period (but had to work for it all the way). He finish 1st in his class, 4th place overall. While there was plenty of wind around there wasn't much rain to speak of, just a sprinkling.

Dale's best lap: 1:13.908 in lap 7

We've pretty much packed up the camp now, and some of us are going to hit the road for the Airport and home. It's off to Invercargill for the rest of us, via Queenstown for a couple of days break. Alright for some eh!?

The official Race Results and times are available here. The full event timings are available here.

Dale finished the round 3rd overall on points, with the top of the points table looking like this:

Dale Williams: 1029

Steve Taylor: 928

Michael Modgill: 899

The full results table is available here

Round 5 - Timaru - Race 2

2008-03-02T10:44:00.004+13:00

Boom! The hit came fast & hard right on the start line as Dale's car got used as a bumper bar when Grant Aitken's Evo9 came flying from behind, looking for a gap that didn't exist, smashed into Michael Modgill's Integra flew into the air almost rolling over. But Dale caught the car in time ;-) Unfortunately not only did it take Dale out, straight off the track, it blew the valve off the front right tyre, so he had to limp around the 1st lap into the pits.

The pit crew did an awesome quick change and got him back out on the track, but by that stage he was well back and had to fight from behind to come in 20th overall (6th in his class). Michael Modgill's car is a mess with all rear windows blown out, but he managed to carry on for the win in Class B. There was more carnage in the race too, so all the drivers have been summoned to a briefing@11:00am.

Poor little Zoom Zoom's always getting a taste of the hard knocks :-) Keep your eye out for the video on You Tube, I'll cut it up & post it as soon as I get a chance. It makes great watching.

Dale's best lap time of 1:14.088 in lap 4 shows the car wasn't really at full speed after the crash. There's still rain forecast for today so we may yet see a full wet race for the split grid Race 3 at 1:40pm.

Round 5 - Timaru - Race 1

2008-03-01T15:27:00.003+13:00

Wahey! Another outstanding result for Dale, and a great race to watch. It was a little wet for the start, which worked to his advantage. Dale had a great start, straight up to the front pack past the 2 other class B cars, and gave the class C 4WDs a good run too.

Dale finished 5th overall, 1st in his class, showing once again how well Dale can drive the little Mazda3 in the wet. If it hadn't dried up we could have done even better. Bring on the rain tomorrow!

Best lap time: 1:21.583

Round 5 - Timaru - Qualifying

2008-03-01T10:56:00.002+13:00

It's a bit damp and cool down here in Timaru this morning. No rain though, but we're still wrapped up in our Jackets.

Dale had an OK qualifying run, coming in 8th overall, 3rd in his class. There's not much in the times though. Dales best time: 1:13.262 in lap 6, behind Michael Modgill's Integra (1:12.999) and Steve Taylor's Civic (1:12.591).

We're taking it easy in the new Mazda corporate tents (very flash!) while the crew work on the car. We've got a few hours before Race 1 at 2:15pm. With any luck the weather will make its mind up and change for the better, or really rain (we're still looking forward to a good wet race).

This little character (very talkative) came to check out Dale's car and kept the team busy explaining all the details. An up & coming racing driver I'm sure :-)

Round 5 - Timaru - Testing

2008-02-29T17:05:00.002+13:00

Testing times indeed! Not a good start to the weekend.

Dale only got through 6 laps of the 1st test session and the clutch completely died. So the team has spent the remainder of today here at Timaru Motors (the local Mazda dealership), using their workshop (thanks to the guys here for helping us out). So we put in a new clutch (meant for a Mazda 6), had a quick test and the slave cylinder is toast.

The helpful locals once again came to the party with a replacement. How's this for a story: Grant, a guy who owns the company next door has rung his wife, who owns the only Mazda3 MPS in Timaru, she's on her way down here now with her car to donate parts to our cause :-) Gotta love small town New Zealand hospitality!

I'm not sure how much longer we'll be here, but I bet the team will be happy when we get back to the hotel. They've all been working pretty hard today to make sure the car is ready for the qualifying session in the morning.

Its a nice sunny afternoon down here, but forecast for rain in the morning. Let's hope things go a little bit smoother tomorrow :-)

Round 5 - Timaru - Looking Ahead

2008-02-27T22:31:00.005+13:00

So it's Round 5 coming up this weekend, and we're racing at the Timaru International Motor Raceway. The schedule of events is in the information sheet here:

Robin and the car are already on their way down there. Most of the team are heading down tomorrow night.

After the last race in Palmerston North we looked into the brakes overheating in the corners. Have a look at these shots I took on the first corner. Now they're some hot brakes!

Round 4 - Manfeild - End of Round Update

2008-02-17T22:54:00.002+13:00

Well another update following today's final race. Unfortunately for Michael Modgill he was disqualified (TKO) after Race 3, so Dale was awarded 1st place. That puts Dale in 1st overall for the weekend, so well done Dale - another win! Pity we never knew about it earlier - we might have stayed for the Podium Prizegiving :-)

Dale finished 6th overall in Race 3, 1st in his class.
Best lap time: 1:20.641 (in lap #2)

All track timings for the weekend are available at Mylaps.com

Official results for Race 3 are available at Motorsport NZ

So the points table after Round 4 looks like this:
Dale Williams - 837 points
Steve Taylor - 734 points
Michael Modgill - 697 points

Round 4 - Manfeild - Race 3

2008-02-17T15:13:00.002+13:00

Well that was an awesome way to finish the weekend. Some really great racing in the split grid 3rd Race. Dale led for a good part of the race, but Michael Modgill managed to get past him and raced really well. Dale fought really hard to maintain his position, even with the car issues working against him.

That puts Dale in 2nd place overall for the weekend, in his class. A pretty good result, but we know the car can do better.

We took off out of there after the race, to get on the long road home (a 7 hour journey ahead). So I don't have the times or official results at the moment, but I'll post them later.

To be honest I can't type any more right now, as Dale's flying around the corners through the hills (I'm sitting in the back of his Zoom Zoom road car) and if I type much more I'll probably be sick!

Round 4 - Manfeild - Race 2

2008-02-17T11:07:00.000+13:00

Race 2, the Reverse Top 10. Dale started out 2nd on the grid, and after being swamped by the 4wds he led Class B for most of the race. But yet again gear/clutch issues troubled Dale so he slipped back to 2nd after being passed by Michael Modgill's Honda.

Dale finish 9th overall (2nd in Class B).

Best lap time: 1:20.081 (in lap #2)

Now the team has got some work to do, to try and improve the car a bit before the 3rd race. We can't fix the clutch or gearbox in time, so it'll be changes in the setup only.

Round 4 - Manfeild - Race 1

2008-02-16T15:43:00.001+13:00

Another race, and another great result for Dale, 1st in his class (9th overall). And a little more panel damage (c/o Steve Taylor once again) :-} We only just put the 'Zoom Zoom' back on that door after the last lot of Panelbeating!

Unfortunately Dale had a bad start due to a clutch issue, but he powered on to take back 1st position after the 2nd corner and never really looked challenged from then on. The team have obviously done a great job once again with the car's setup.

The race was slowed down with a few laps under yellow flag, due to a clash between one of the little Suzukis and the new entrant MG. So the final lap, when the safety car came off, was a sprint for the finish line.

Thankfully the weather cleared up for a time before the race, so rain didn't affect things.

Best lap time: 1:20.293

Round 4 - Manfeild - Qualifying

2008-02-16T12:12:00.001+13:00

Well there was a bit of action in the qualifying round. Craig Silby, driving an Evo7 hit the wall and destroyed his car. That red-flagged things for a while, but when we got underway again Dale set a great time, qualifying 1st in his class and 8th overall. The rain stopped before the cars hit the track but there was still a bit of water about.

Best time: 1:19.961 (in lap 9)

The first race is at 1:40pm this afternoon. If it's still raining then we could be in for a fun race.

Round 4 - Manfeild - Saturday

2008-02-16T09:46:00.001+13:00

Well Dale's about to head out on the track for the Qualifying session @9:30. It has been pouring down here overnight & this morning, so it's a wet setup, even though the sun has finally broken out and theres a big patch of blue sky overhead.

Here's the new trailer we've been huddled up in, out of the rain.

Round 4 - Manfeild - Testing#2

2008-02-15T14:36:00.002+13:00

Wind, rain & hail. An unwelcome addition to the second round of
testing (about 10mins in). Dale did well with his time, even though
everyone was slightly slower this time out (atmospherics, I'm told).
His time puts him 9th overall, 1st in his class.

Best lap time: 1:20.544 (in lap 5) (2nd best in class: 1:20.857)

The only casualty of the race was the Mazda 'Zoom Zoom' umbrella,
which will be sorely missed (especially if we have more black clouds &
squalls tomorrow). It collapsed into a heap when the showers came a
blowing in :-)

The team's pretty happy with the car setup now. Still making little
changes and improvements each round and after each race. The new diff
which is being built (a custom job) is still being finished, so we
don't have that this round. Hopefully we'll have it in time for the
two South Island rounds ahead.

We're probably going to head off early now, and start again 1st thing
in the morning. Qualifying is @9:30AM, we're 2nd up, after the V8's
test session.

Round 4 - Manfeild - Testing#1

2008-02-15T11:57:00.002+13:00

Dale just finished the first round of testing, which went pretty well.
Testing results put him 10th overall, 2nd in his class behind Michael
Modgill's Honda Integra.

Dale's best lap time: 1:20.348 (in lap 7) (1st in class B: 1:20.336)

We've got to do a bit of machine work on the new brakes before the
second test round, as they're just a little bit too tight a fit. So
John's off to an engineer now to get that done. Hopefully we'll have a
bit of time improvement through decent brakes in the next test.

Robin's new car trailer is excellent, fully enclosed with all the
tools and spare kit within easy reach. It's really useful having it
straight out of the back of the marquee pits, especially as we're
pretty well crammed in with everyone else, so having all the room in
the trailer is great. Lots of room to sit in, out of the rain too!

The second test run is at 1:30pm this afternoon.

Round 4 - Palmerston North - Arrival

2008-02-14T14:06:00.004+13:00

Valentine's Day. And where are the motor racing teams? Heading away from their families and loved ones, and into Palmerston North :-) Priorities, eh. It's a beautiful day in Palmy today, and the team will be arriving in ones and twos later on today. Robin, Grant and the racing car will be here in the next couple of hours, Dale flies in tonight and Dodge & Hoodie will be probably be here about 10 (after a long drive, I imagine).

I've seen other teams arriving too, the great big trucks have been driving through the town centre and the Mastertrade V8 team is on display up the road.

The weather's not looking so hot for this weekend 21degrees and thunderstorms tomorrow (so testing will be fun), 18 degrees and showers for Saturday (which could be OK as Dale drives great in the wet), maybe just cloud on Sunday. We'll soon see how accurate that is though.

Round 3 - Taupo - Race 3 - Update

2008-01-20T17:00:00.000+13:00

To correct my earlier post, Dale finished 3rd overall in the weekend results (not 4th), after a tie for 1st place in points. Congratulations Dale! An excellent result after a tough weekend's racing.

The official points table is available here.

Round 3 - Taupo - Race 3

2008-01-19T15:00:00.000+13:00

Carnage! That's about the best way to describe Race 3. One driver disqualified, and a few other investigations into 'racing incidents'. Dale got whacked big time by a Nissan Silvia who was obviously unhappy to be overtaken in the first half of the first lap and took out his frustration on the side of Dale's car (see damage below).

It has definitely been a bad weekend for the little Zoom Zoom - a few repairs required before the car show in a week or so.

Dale had an awesome start to Race 3 though, from 9th position on pole to 2 by the end of the first turn. A very classy run indeed.

But on to the final race results. Dale finished 2nd in his class - 10th overall - after a fight not only with the other cars on the track, but also issues with the gearbox - so it was a pretty good finish.

Fastest lap: 1:46.455 (lap 6)

Unfortunately due to the penalty in Race 2 the overall position for the weekend was 4th - so no podium this weekend. But we'll be back faster (and fully repaired) in Round 4 at Manfeild.

Official results/times are available here and on the Motorsport NZ website.

Round 3 - Taupo - Race 2 Updated

2008-01-19T13:45:00.000+13:00

Oh dear. Post race investigations have thrown up some interesting decisions. Dale has been penalised for the nudge to the rear of the Honda Civic, as it was caught on video tape and thought to be in breach of the rules. The penalty is a 50second addition to Dales race 2 time, which effectively knocks him all the way back to 9th place in his class, and a next-race start position at the back of the grid. Also there's 3 race demerit points.

Pretty harsh. But the worst thing really is that even though the Civic constantly hit the back of Dale's car during the race, causing a fair bit of damage, the driver receives no penalty as there was 'no evidence' of breaching regulations. This all despite us showing photographs and video of Dale quite clearly being spun in a corner from behind.

That's Motor Racing, I guess.

Official results/times are available here and on the Motorsport NZ website.

Round 3 - Taupo - Race 2

2008-01-19T10:45:00.000+13:00

Well it was a pretty eventful 2nd race this morning, and while it ended up another great result for Dale - 1st in his class - it was tainted a bit by more than one hit on his car by a Honda Civic. There were a few other hits on cars so the results are still tentative, pending an investigation.

There was a swamp of cars off the line, and Dale's 2nd place position on the grid was challenged on the first corner by a pile of Evo and Subarus. He managed to hold off the Civic for almost the whole race - despite being hit from behind on the S-bend and in other places - but a missed gear change let him past on one of the last laps. They tangled in the next corner, the Civic went slightly off into the dirt, and Dale swept past and held on for the win.

Dale finished 10th overall, with a fastest lap time of 1:45.672.

Round 3 - Taupo - Race 1

2008-01-18T10:45:00.000+13:00

Another great race result for the team this morning, when Dale finished 1st in his class at Taupo. The car handled really well, and even managed to hold off a few of the class C four-wheel drives for a 9th overall position.

Best lap time: 1:46.432 (in lap 4)

Our second race isn't until tomorrow morning now, so the team will probably finish off a bit of work on the car, watch the V8 qualifying round, and head down to the lake for a swim. It's another hot & sunny day here today, so it'll be a nice break away from the track.

Official results/times are available here and on the Motorsport NZ website.

Round 3 - Taupo - Qualifying

2008-01-17T17:45:00.000+13:00

The team did an awesome job altering the car's setup this afternoon, following the testing session. Dale qualified 8th overall, 1st in his class! A great improvement, and Dale said the car drove really well.

Dale's best lap time was 1:45.472 - a full 2 seconds faster than the testing round. A couple of adjustments - a little bit more boost, and a change in springs/ride height seems to have done the job. We're still under the regulation boost, so there's a little bit more to play with. Maybe some springs/suspension adjustment to come, and we'll get even better.

Over all though the team is feeling pretty confident that the development of this car is going really well. We're all learning more, every round, how to get better and better performance from the vehicle - which is what this year is all about.

We're looking forward to the first race tomorrow morning, around 10:00AM, for the real test on how things are sitting so far.

Official results/times are available here.

Round 3 - Taupo - Testing

2008-01-17T12:55:00.000+13:00

Beautiful weather in Taupo today. Around 28 degrees, clear blue skies, hot and dusty. We got here early & setup in the corporate pavillion tents that were provided, chose a good spot and got straight into the finishing touches on the car.

Dale had a great run out on the track in the testing session. The car seems to be running much faster, and the Endless brakes have made a huge difference. Dale was pretty happy with the car, even though there's a number of changes needed with the suspension/springs setup and we're waiting for a new diff.

There's a few more cars running this weekend, some only for this round (obviously attracted by the chance to race in the A1GP weekend). The actual testing times and results could have been better,Dale tested 13th fastest, 3rd in his class. It looks like some of the other teams have made good improvements on their cars too.

Dales best time: 1:47.782 (to beat 1:47.148 for 1st)

We've got a 1hr 20 minute delay to the start of Qualifying this afternoon, due to track problems. I think the heat is taking its toll! :-) Looks like we won't be leaving the track early for a swim in Lake Taupo after all!

Official results are available here

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 3

2007-11-25T13:25:00.000+13:00

Another great result for Dale, with a 1st place finish in the 3rd race (7th overall), and 1st place in his class for this weekend's round.

With a best time of 1:40.981 it wasn't the best time of the weekend, but there's some time now to spend further developing the car, before the next round at Taupo (during the A1GP).

Full Race Results available here.

The Production Racing series points table is available here:
http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Points/racepoints.htm#PR

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 2

2007-11-25T09:55:00.000+13:00

The race results are in, Dale came 2nd in this morning race (8th overall). There was a bit of action off the start, but it was deemed a simple racing incident.

Motorsport NZ race results:
http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/raceresults.htm

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Race 1

2007-11-24T14:25:00.000+13:00

After a pretty hard fought race Dale came in 1st place in his class, 6th place overall. It wasn't an easy job keeping the Integra at bay, but Dale did a great job driving to bring home the win. There was some good action out there today too, with two of the Evos leaving the track in a good spin.

It looks like there'll be some good racing to be had tomorrow at Ruapuna. There's definitely still some work to be done on the car to bring the speed and handling up to where it should be, but that's all part of the development process.

Another hot, sunny afternoon in Christchurch today. There's a chance of rain tomorrow, so we'll have to see if the weather plays any part in the racing on Sunday.

Motorsport NZ Race Results available here. http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Results/raceresults.htm

Full race results available here.

Fastest time: 1:40.561 in lap 4.

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Qualifying

2007-11-24T10:45:00.000+13:00

Qualifying this morning went pretty well. Dale's qualified 8th overall, with 1:38.982 - almost a second faster than his fastest test yesterday.

Race 1 is this afternoon, at 2:25PM.

The wind has really gotten up today, so its much cooler than yesterday, although the sun's pretty warm when it comes out from behind the clouds.

Results from the Qualifying round are available here.

Motorsport NZ Results available here.

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Testing 2

2007-11-23T14:42:00.000+13:00

After the 2nd round of testing Dales sitting 3rd in lap times, and theres some major issues with the car's brakes. Dale came off the track at the end of the straight - 240kph into a corner with no brakes! :-!

The team's working through a fix now so hopefully things will be sweet for the qualifying round tomorrow morning.

It's really hot out here too, sun, blue skies & it must be 30 degrees plus. The track's 54 degrees, so Dale must be roasting out on the track in that suit.

Testing #2 results available here.

Round 2 - Ruapuna - Testing

2007-11-23T10:31:00.000+13:00

Dale just finished his first test run of the day, and the car is running really well. The engine is sitting back in the right place after replacing the snapped engine mount during the practice runs yesterday :-)

Lap times have Dale in 2nd place after the first round of testing.

There's another round of testing this afternoon, at 1:40PM.

Testing results available here.

All results from this round are available here: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=267942

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 3

2007-11-04T14:00:00.000+13:00

Dale finished first in his class and first overall in Race 3, after getting a fantastic start in the wet in a split reverse grid.

Motorsport NZ Results PDF
MyLaps Results Page

There's a great photo of Dale's car in this (very wet) race on the Pacific Motorsport Website.

That meant Dale moves straight out into 1st place in the Points Table. What a great start to the racing season.

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 2

2007-11-04T09:30:00.000+13:00

Dale finished Race 2 1st in his class (B), and 7th overall. Dale got another track record with a time of 1:08.068.

Motorsport NZ Results PDF
MyLaps Results Page

There was a bit of action in this race between Dale and the driver of the #27 EVO9. The EVO9 almost forced Dale sideways and out of control, but Dale was able to recover and continue out of the corner. There was a fair bit of panel damage though, so hopefully there's not too much more of that kind of driving in the season ahead.

I've uploaded a video which shows the action above, onto Dale's new You Tube Channel. Its available here:

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Race 1

2007-11-03T15:00:00.000+13:00

Dale finished first in Race 1, 7th place overall, and got a track record (Class B) with 1:08.080.

Motorsport NZ Results PDF
MyLaps Results Page

Round 1 - Pukekohe - Qualifying

2007-11-03T11:00:00.000+13:00

Day 1 of Round 1, Pukekohe, Production Racing Series 2007-2008.

Dale qualified in 1st position in Class B, 8th position overall.

Round 1 MyLaps Results Page
Motorsport NZ Results PDF
MyLaps Qualifying Results Page