NZV8: Caltex Racing round five preview

CALTEX DRIVERS KEEN FOR MOMENTUM TO CONTINUE AT MANFEILD

Buoyed by their race winning performances at the recent South Island rounds, Caltex Racing Ford Falcon drivers Angus Fogg and Paul Pedersen are looking for the momentum to continue at the fifth round of the 2005/06 Parker ENZED NZ V8s Championship at Feilding's Manfeild Autocourse this weekend.

Caltex Star Mart Falcon driver Fogg set the fastest time in qualifying and won the first race at both Teretonga and Timaru, and at Timaru he went on to win the round.

Teammate Paul Pedersen, driving the Caltex Havoline car, was also competitive, claiming his first win of the 2005/06 season in the third race at Timaru, after a lights-to-flag victory over John McIntyre.

The round win - a first for the International Motorsport-run Caltex Racing team - elevated Fogg to third place in the overall series points standings with 595 points.

That is just 11 less than second placed John McIntyre and 97 behind championship points leader Kayne Scott, and with 75 points for first, 67 for second and 60 for third, another round win or even round podium for Fogg could change the whole complexion of the championship.

"In terms of the top ten, and who's in it, I don't think you're going to see much change," Fogg said this morning. "But within that top ten there's plenty of room for movement."

Since returning to his Auckland base Fogg and his International Motorsport team members have stripped and rebuilt both Caltex Racing cars and Fogg and Pedersen head south with some confidence.

Paul Pedersen's progress in the South Island was slowed by a fuel surge problem but that was finally identified and fixed at Timaru and Pedersen's winning performance in the final race - in which he also set the fastest race lap - suggests that the former champ is also going to be a factor at Manfeild this weekend.

Pedersen has effectively been on the comeback trail since being punted out of the lead by Australian driver Luke Youlden in the first race at the second round of the 2005/06 Parker ENZED championship at Christchurch's Powerbuilt International Raceway at Ruapuna Park.

After the first round of the 2005/06 championship at Pukekohe Park the Rotorua man was fourth in the points standings. At the end of the Christchurch weekend he had slumped to tenth.

The win at Timaru helped elevate him to eighth place with 432 points heading into this weekend's Manfeild round and Pedersen is hoping that he can gain at least another couple of spots at the Feilding track.

"I'm too far back to get back up onto Angus but sixth is achievable - as long as we don't have any more dnfs (did not finishes)," he said today.

Joining the Parker ENZED NZ V8s Championship on the programme at Manfeild Autocourse this weekend is the Toyota Racing Series, Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship, Bridgestone Porsche championship and the New Zealand Formula Ford and Formula First championships.

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