We lashed out and purchase a mini weather station and a colour TV to go with the on- track timing system, which has not worked as it should in two seasons. Most of the time at least one was working and we get a bit of a crowd around our pit when qualifying is on, and during races as our TV gets the track image as it is being filmed. Our pit cart looks a bit like the first moon buggy with all the aerials, microwave signal receiver etc.

I left Auckland four hours before Dennis with the tow vehicle and trailer. This was a worry as it’s a six hour trip and he would try to catch me. With time to spare I stopped at some sights along the way that I have been wanting to visit for many years. The first was the Trout Farm on SH1 at the north end of the Desert Road. Within two minutes I ran into the chairman of the board, none other than Robert Lester, the founder of Manfield.

Next stop was Waiuru War Museum to view the “returned” medals and other magnificent war displays. Well worth the visit. I stopped at Mangaweka for a BBQ evening meal and about an hour or so later the crew arrive with the trailer still connected!!

The first test session on Saturday morning we are on the case and the fastest for a bit. We got a setup and feel for things, but on old, well-used tyres and couldn’t go any quicker. So, pulled in and get knocked back to 7^th. We only did a few laps in total. Second test session; we are quick again still on old tyres, but changed around. The car felt good so parked again on P1.

Qualifying; first session and still with used tyres; one warm up and one flying lap and park in P1. This was a 20 minute session and we got knocked back to P3.
Qualifying; second session and my notes say terrible gusty wind. A head win on the back straight, overcast, humid, hot and threatening to rain. Our out lap was a 1:13:219, and gave us P1 in a fifteen minute session; parked again. Tim Edgell puts in a blinder just prior to the rain starting and goes to P1 by 0.126!

The top 10 shootout we are safely in second spot, but the rains fell and the organisers cancelled the shootout, and reverted to the second qualifying times. This was a wise decision. We will start Race 1 on Sunday on the front row.

One learns over the years, and I still do manual timing with a digital watch. I always use a different  area to stop the clock than the official timing, normally on the back straight. This gives us an extra timed lap that can be important if testing something. Our best time in the second qualifying was 1:12:86, and still on only used tyres.

Race one; 22 cars into the first gear turn normally gets a tad crowded and we came out of the turn in P6^h, with two bent wheels and some work to do.

Back to P4 by lap 3 and my notes say “are we being blocked on lap 5?”, as we are now losing almost one second a lap.

Lap 6, 7 and 8 simply say “yes, yes, yes”.

Lap 9 says “big time now”.

Lap 10 says the same.

Lap 11 says “a----hole”.

Lap 12 we get past and into P3, lapping about one second quicker again and finish in P3, with a fastest lap of 1:13:1. A good drive; magnificent to watch.

Race two; we start in grid 3. No drama this time and we stay in P3 until lap 6 and lap 7 a yellow flag is out and the field closes up again. Lap 8; green, green, green and into second place, and Tim Edgell has a good lead of over one second and looks like pulling it off. Just as I am thinking P2 is okay, safe and we will collect good points, my split times on Tim say we are gaining on him.
I say to myself “hang on Gaz, it ain’t over yet” (I did…..)

Lap 9 we are minus .98

Lap10 we are minus .56

Lap 11 Tim goes wide…

Lap 12 we are in P1

Excellent race and results, and the crowd’s favourite for sure.

Race three; reverse grid. We start on the last row in grid 21. Possible to win but not likely as Angus Fogg is on pole position and will win easily. Between laps two and four we go from P17 to P9 with some amazing moves, but the front bunch has gone. We get to P4 and stay put for 13 laps in a safe position, lapping in a second off a good time and changing gears at lower revs to keep the engine cool.

Lap 19 the fuel pressure light flashes

Lap 20 the fuel pressure light flashes again

Lap 21 the light stays on, John McIntyre goes by and we cruise over the line in P5, unscathed.

We have since found some debris in the fuel regulator causing a malfunction.

We have only used two of our new tyres at Manfeild, and with savings from other tracks we go into the series final with eight new tyres. Our tyre allocation is four per round, but we can “save” other marked new tyres. We have had to set our car up a bit different for the reverse grid races to allow Craig to change direction faster. This works good, but not the best set up when running at the front in clear traffic. If it stays dry at Taupo our extra tyres could help but I am sure we are not the only team to have “banked” some tyres. We can but do our best…..

All in all a great weekend; 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th and some more points in the championship, which we are still leading.

We take an extra day to get home, stopping at Smash Palace, the Horopito car wreckers, then down the road to the Raurimu railway complex. This railway line goes around and through a steep incline with viaducts and tunnels. Some mighty photos in the restaurant. All done with pick and shovel, dynamite, horse and cart. The timber to support the tunnels had to be milled from the nearby forest; all by hand.

As I travel to work each day through a town called New Lynn, it is getting a railway line up to date. This is simply an open channel with part to be covered in so the road can pass over the track without interruption. This will take approximately two years to complete with a spend; I’m told, of almost half a million per day and its less than 3km long.

I have never seen any hand tools used except a broom.  They have a machine for every purpose, thousands of witches hats and high-viz vested people everywhere. Looks like approximately 30% work on the project. My, how things have changed; nothing to do with motor racing but interesting nevertheless!!

One round to go and a huge amount of work. The day of sightseeing was great……

All the best to everyone

Garry and the team

PS Racing