Two of New Zealand’s motorsport legends will cut the first hot laps at the new Highlands circuit in Cromwell aboard their V8 SuperTourers this weekend.
Greg Murphy and Angus Fogg are on the bill for the opening extravaganza this Easter weekend at the stunning new circuit and will be aboard their familiar Number 51 Mike Pero Holden Commodore V8ST and the Number 3 Property Tutors Holden Commodore V8ST respectively.
Also out on track in that session (scheduled to start at 2.30pm on Saturday) will be the TLX specification NZV8 car run this season by Tulloch Motorsport. It will be the first time in New Zealand the two genres of V8 racers have taken to the track at the same time.
Murphy – who leads the BNT V8 SuperTourer series after two rounds – is looking forward to what he regards as a rare challenge.
“I am really looking forward to getting to Highlands to check out the new track and facility,” he said. “I have only seen the photos of it to date. Getting out on a brand new track for the first time is always bloody exciting. Exploring the lines, finding brake markers, working out the fast way around and probably making a few mistakes is something we don’t get to do all that often as new circuits don’t come along every day.
“The weekend is all about celebrating Tony Quinn’s new track so I don’t think we will be able to set to many records or learn as much as we would if it was an official test. There is going to be a lot of different cars sampling the track over the weekend and I am lucky to have a car owner who is as passionate about this stuff as I am. Mark Cromie decided we were going down for the opening before I even knew about it, so I was going regardless! Definitely no complaints though.”
Fogg too, is looking forward to the rare challenge. “Having done the “Internet 500″ around the circuit, I am now amping to get down to Cromwell and sample this world class facility in the Property Tutors Commodore. The amount of progress in a short time is quite staggering, and Tony Quinn and his team deserve every success with their venture. We will be flying the flag for V8 SuperTourers, and look forward to visiting again soon for a real race meeting.”
V8ST driver and legendary Porsche racer Craig Baird will also be in attendance, cutting some hot laps in McLaren’s latest MP4/12C hypercar. For those not going to the Highlands opening, the next round of the BNT V8 SuperTourers is scheduled for the new-look Pukekohe circuit on May 26 and 27.
