The vision of creating an international class motor racing circuit has come true for the team at Highlands Motorsport Park today, 8 November, as the first race was run on the Cromwell circuit.
With the exotic Australian GT Championship class having the honour of the first race on the 4.1 kilometre circuit – and Australian drivers Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot taking that never-to-be-repeated first race victory – Highlands’ general manager Mike Sentch is pleased to describe the day as “very successful”.
The 8 to 10 November running of the Highlands 101 meeting represents the first-ever national and international race meeting for the motorsport-focused complex just outside Cromwell, Otago, which has been open since Easter this year. Over the three days, the event sees over 160 cars in action from four categories: the Australian GT Championship, presented by Pirelli, the 1-Hour and 3-Hour South Island Endurance Series and the world-debut of the one-make Toyota TR86 in the Toyota Finance 86 Championship.
Italian former Formula 1 competitor and current commentator Ivan Capelli, was seriously impressed with the Highlands circuit and setting.
“There’s nothing compares to this circuit. I can’t think of anything comparable in Europe,” said Capelli, who is racing with Australian Jim Manolios in a Corvette in the two Australian GT races.
Sentch says: “In recent weeks a massive amount of hard work and preparation has been completed by our small team, around a hundred volunteers from car clubs around the South Island, the class co-ordinators and officials from MotorSport New Zealand and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS).
“Watching the first race, with those fantastic Australian GT cars, we’ve seen our dream in full-speed action. Throughout the day which saw all categories race virtually without incident. The MyLaps timing system and high tech control lighting system around the circuit has worked faultlessly.”
Nearly 5,000 spectators enjoyed the on-track action from corporate suites and four different viewing areas around the multi-configurable race track.
In terms of the race action, there was a dramatic fight for superiority in the Australian GT qualifying between series leaders Klark Quinn and Craig Baird driving the VIP Petfoods Porsche and circuit owner Tony Quinn and co-driver Fabian Coulthard in the Darrel Lee Aston Martin. Baird claimed pole, breaking his own track record with a time of 1:34.214 – Baird established the original 4.1 km Highlands track record of 1:41.9 in March in a McLaren. Fans were watching Greg Murphy and Australian motorsport commentator Neil Crompton closely as they debuted the now GT3 race-spec McLaren to take fourth with a time of 1:37.079 behind Peter Edwards and Australian racing legend John Bowe in a Ferrari.
But with Audi drivers Rod Salmon and Liam Talbot taking that very special first race victory, Kiwi fans had to settle for seeing favourite drivers like Fabian Coulthard come home second with Tony Quinn and Greg Murphy pilot the McLaren into third with co-driver Crompton.
Another popular Kiwi racer Angus Fogg set the quickest time during qualifying for the opening round of the Toyota Finance TR86 Championship ahead of touring car newcomer Tom Alexander earlier this afternoon. The one-make Toyota TR86 class has three races over the weekend.
For Saturday’s final 3-Hour Asko-backed South Island Endurance Series, Shane Van Gisbergen and Dwayne Carter are on pole ahead of series leaders Simon Ellingham and John McIntyre Racing with Paul Kelly and Dan Gaunt start from third. In the 1-Hour race for the same series, competitors will qualify on Saturday.
Saturday’s action includes the final 40-minute race of the Australian GTs and will also see the fastest 42 cars on track selected for Sunday’s feature race, the Highlands 101. These competitors will contest 101 laps to try and win a magnificent claymore sword trophy and the honour of winning the first-ever Highlands 101.
Tickets for the inaugural Highlands 101 event are available from TicketDirect or at the gate. Children aged 10 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult.
More information is available on the website, www.highlands.co.nz, where fans can sign up for free e-newsletters and find links to the event timetable, Facebook page and more.
