The first round of the Auckland Car Club Trophy Series at Pukekohe on Sunday 6 September was one day of motor racing I was not going to miss. Two things were going for it:
Feeling decidedly like pooh (not Winnie) when arising on the Sunday morning, I looked out the window and said to myself "at least it looks like a nice day" but being Auckland I packed my rain coat and rain pants just in case. Roof off, CD on and in convoy with a friend’s chipped 300ZX Twin Turbo, to Pukekohe we headed. Despite keeping to the speed limit it is rather hard at times to keep up with a car with at least 300hp more than the MX5, but at least I had a convertible.
Finding a nice quiet spot in the grandstand I was happy watching the practice until ‘The Hotdog’ arrived. Now as with most things in life everything is subjective (I met someone once who adored Austin Allegros - a blue 1100 shared his garage with his other 1100 - a Suzuki GSX R1100) and I know some people swear by the Hotdog’s hangover remedies, but I literally cannot stomach them. Then there were two and like ugly women they started arriving in packs and soon nearly everyone in the grandstand was eating Hotdogs. Clearly out numbered, I decided to head to the pits to get some nice fresh Avgas air. Bumping into Steve I heard about his spin the previous day going through Mobil, and as he also spun the week before at Dunlop, Steve said he was making his way around the track spinning at every corner. I then decided to wander down to the hairpin and noticing the weather deteriorating I buttoned up my coat for the brief shower. One thing about rain and cars and a hairpin is that it is bound to be exciting especially when the production muscle cars are out. Exiting the hairpin sideways seemed to be a prerequisite but the most spectacular were a 7litre 69 Mustang and a Z28 Camaro that not only came into, drove through and then out of the hairpin with the driver looking at the track through his side window (left hand drive), but he spent half of the next straight still sideways exhibiting a fine example of car control. The next race was the ladies’ race with Ade doing a superb job chasing a well driven Anglia and 240Z. However being down at the hairpin, I missed out on Ade’s wiggle going into the sweeper. Apparently in anticipation of a big lose the crowd in the grandstand went ‘ooooohhhhh’ only to be disappointed when she corrected the slide and carried on merrily. Looking up at the sky and thinking the weather would clear just like the forecast said - because the forecast’s are always right, I wandered down to the sweeper to watch Steve’s race and also my other friend Kevin in his Fiat. Before this race was the production saloon race which had the usual front wheel drive Sentras, FXGTs, a couple of CRXs and also a Honda Integra Type R. Now having seen it road tested on BBC World’s Top Gear, I’m not surprised the Integra won, putting it’s 187 bhp down very well in the by now appalling conditions. This win despite getting pursued by a well driven Charade GTTi which I don’t think was standard as I don’t emember the one I owned being that fast, although it did share it’s trait of lift off oversteer (fun, but not the fastest way around the track). Still determined to stay out in the weather which was now hailing, I watched Kevin in the Fiat take it pretty easy as did most other people in the Modified Saloons race apart from the odd RX7 which would spin occasionally at Castrol. Taking it easy was not on the agenda for a few drivers in Steve’s race - more akin to playing Ice hockey than motor racing. Standing at the sweeper thinking that the weather couldn’t possibly get worse, mother nature had to prove me wrong. First to go was a very rapid Mazda 323 turbo - so much for the theory of front wheel drive being easier to drive in the wet - spinning tidily onto the grass on the outside of the sweeper, then selecting first and continuing. Next was Ray Williams in his 930 turbo spinning in the same spot, then back on to the track with a large wiggle from the rear and away again. Continuing the fun and games, another Mazda 323 turbo - this time a 4wd 1800 GTR - went off on the INSIDE of the sweeper with the nose of the car 6-8 inches from the Armco as it slid sideways for a good 50 metres finishing up on the infield, again unscathed. It wasn’t until a couple of GT Falcons got more serious in their desires to leave the track that the race was red flagged. First to go was an XB GT that went off either at Dunlop or Mobil - I didn’t see which, next was an XA GT that was travelling forwards, then sideways, then backwards down the front straight with the right hand side of the car bouncing off the Armco. The race was red flagged while the carnage was cleaned up, half the cars came in including Steve, while the other half stayed out and restarted with no mayhem this time. Freezing cold and wet, I walked back to the grandstand to watch Ade in the final ladies’ race - a reverse grid and handicap race with Ade starting second from last. The 240Z didn’t take long to get from the back of the grid to the front to win. Ade drove carefully on the river bed, and there was a fantastic tussle going on between a 1300 Toyota Starlet (admittedly with a Lynn Rodgers engine) and an HSV Commodore, swapping places numerous times. On the last lap coming over Mobil, the Starlet was in front only to be beaten across the line by half a car length. The crowd in the Grandstand voiced their displeasure of the Commodore winning by booing loudly. Of course a superb day of motor racing would not be complete without the token pitlane expert and he was there in full strength telling the world that his Mitsubishi Galant lapped Pukekohe in similarly wet conditions in 1min 15 secs! Ray Williams was doing 1 min 16 secs, and even if the Galant was a company car (which like rental cars tend to go faster than your average car), I don’t see it being quicker than a 930 turbo driven by a very experienced driver. Looking forward to driving home in my nice warm car, I got to the car to find I had left the window open a fraction and the Miata was soaked - c’est la vie. Of course being Auckland with its crap weather the next day was beautiful, which at least allowed me to dry out the car. Despite the deplorable conditions it was an enjoyable day and inspired me to get my own race car sorted and get back out on the track.
Matt Haliday
AE86 Corolla RWD Race Car
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