AUS Utes: Series Trans Tasman fast facts

10 Fast Facts about Aussie V8 Utes in New Zealand

The Australian V8 Utes will head to New Zealand for the first ever Trans Tasman Challenge, 16 – 18 April 2010. The event will be run as a part of Event 4 of the V8 Supercar Series at the ITM Hamilton 400 Street Race and will feature 3 "Test Match" events.

2009 Crowd: 121,836 over three days
Circuit length: 3.4-kilometres
Circuit direction: Clockwise
Race Laps: Test Match 1 (10 laps), Test Match 2 (10 laps), Test Match 3 (14 Laps)
Total laps scheduled for the weekend: 34 (115.60km)

Brief description of the circuit: A genuine street circuit in the heart of the Frankston business district in Hamilton, the 3.4-kilometre circuit is relatively fast and flowing with several good passing opportunities. The track runs alongside the Waikato Stadium – home of Rugby Super 14 team the Waikato Chiefs – and the international cricket ground at Seddon Park, where Australia recently defeated New Zealand in a Test Match. (Ref: V8 Supercars Australia.)

1) The last time the Australian V8 Utes raced in New Zealand was in 2006 at Manfeild Park, a two driver format, which included one Aussie driver and one Kiwi driver per team.

2) The 2006 Manfeild Park winner was Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs and Simon Wills followed closely by Kim "The Assassin" Jane and Rhys McKay in Second.

3) Reigning Champion, Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs and runner-up Kim "The Assassin" Jane will both be returning to New Zealand to defend the Aussie title. As defending champion, Kovacs will hang up his original #69 and done #1 for the weekend, which is a part of his tenth year racing a V8 Ute.

4) The ENZED V8 Ute Racing Series has just completed its third year, whilst the Australian V8 Ute Racing Series is in its tenth year.

5) V8 Utes used in both the New Zealand and Australian series were built by Brock Race Engineering and Advanced Vehicle Design.

6) Current V8 Ute Specs:

Ford BF Falcon XR8
5.4 litre "Boss" V8 engine
6 speed gearbox
Live axle rear end
Pacemaker Headers
Berklee Sports Exhaust System
PDW Vega 17 inch wheels
Yokohama Tyres
Quadrant Suspension Control springs and shocks
DBA Brake Package and Ferodo Pads
Xtreme Clutch Pressure Plate and Clutch
Century Battery
Billet Products Shifter
SS Inductions Airbox and Filter
Nulon Oil

Holden SS Commodore VE
6.0 litre Gen 4 engine
6 speed gearbox
Independent rear end
Pacemaker Headers
Berklee Sports Exhaust System
PDW Vega 17 inch wheels
Yokohama Tyres
Quadrant Suspension Control Springs and Shocks
DBA Brake Package and Ferodo Pads
Xtreme Clutch Pressure Plate and Clutch
Century Battery
Billet Products Shifter
SS Inductions Airbox and Filter
Nulon Oil

The ECU is sealed and coded by the category administrator, Australian V8 Ute Racing P/L. All Ute's are regularly checked on a Dynapack Dynamometer for eligibility, gearbox and diff ratios, power and torque figures, Both Ute's deliver about 275 kw and are basically standard production Ute's with the modifications as listed above. Race ready, the Ute's cost around $70K and have a top speed of around 250 kph.

7) New Zealand drivers, Chris Pither, Colin Corkery and Matthew Lockwood have all raced in the Australian V8 Ute Racing Series. Pither and Lockwood have claimed overall titles in the ENZED V8 Ute Racing Series (2007/08) and (2009/10) respectively and both recently competed in the 2010 Yokohama V8 Ute Racing Series – protected by Armor All "Ten Years of Legends" event in Adelaide, Australia. Pither and Corkery have also both raced in the Australian V8 Supecar Fujitsu Series.

8) A lap time is yet to be set at the ITM Hamilton 400 in a V8 Ute as this will be the first year V8 Utes have raced at the inaugural Event.

9) On track there will be 8 Australian V8 Utes competing in the first ever Trans Tasman Challenge against 12 New Zealand V8 Utes with a total of 8 Fords and 12 Holdens.

Australian V8 Utes driving in New Zealand include:
"Captain" Robert Jarvis – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Charlie "Handlebars" Kovacs – Holden VE SS Commodore
Kim "The Assassin" Jane – Holden VE SS Commodore
George "Hollywood" Elliot – Holden VE SS Commodore
Warren "Wake-up" Millet – Holden VE SS Commodore
Greg "Freddy" Willis – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Allan "King Al" Letcher - Holden VE SS Commodore
Jeff "The Dingo" Kernohan – Ford BF Falcon XR8

New Zealand Drivers include:
Simon "Junior Burner" Beirne – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Matt "The Phantom" Lockwood – Holden SS Commodore
"Dirty Dave" Kernohan – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Simon "Sly Si" Grace – Holden VE SS Commodore
Geoff "Spence" Spencer – Holden VE SS Commodore
James "Huggi" Urquhart – Holden VE SS Commodore
Peter "Rocketman" Robb – Holden VE SS Commodore
Peter "Kaos" Ward – Holden VE SS Commodore
Steve "Rusty" Elliot – Holden VE SS Commodore
Graham "Senior" Beirne – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Chris "The Doctor" Pither – Ford BF Falcon XR8
Colin "Crusha" Corkery – Ford BF Falcon XR8

10) Aussie drivers who have raced in New Zealand in a V8 Ute previously include: Robert Jarvis, Greg Willis, Kim Jane and Charlie Kovacs.

-source: ausv8 utes