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Edgell laments tough Timaru round

 

 

Top NZV8 driver Tim Edgell wonders when his luck is going to change after getting caught up in two incidents at the fourth round of the BNT V8s Championship in Timaru over the weekend of 22 and 23 January.

 

There is no doubt that the North Shore-based driver has the pace and talent – Edgell is a regular top five runner in the ultra-competitive NZV8 series. At the Timaru event, Edgell showed his form in the Chesters-BNT Falcon securing fourth place on the starting grid with two NZV8 champions – John McIntyre and Craig Baird – starting behind him. Qualifying times among the top four were very close – there was just four-hundredths of a second separating Edgell, in fourth, from another NZV8 champion, Kayne Scott, in third, with just eight-hundredths of a second between Edgell and yet another NZV8 champion, Paul Manuell, in second. Also, the top seven competitors set lap times under the race lap record of 1:06.573 set by pole-winner Angus Fogg two summers ago.

 

“The whole Edgell Performance Racing team was happy with the car’s performance in qualifying,” said Edgell. “I thought it was well balanced and was really happy to get fourth, as the times were so very close.”

 

Sunday’s first 12-lap race and Edgell was in the thick of things from the outset, with a freight train comprising Scott, Edgell and Baird chasing the leading pair down the back straight for the first time. Baird’s move on Edgell didn’t work the way it was intended, spinning Edgell off the track and out of contention for a top three placing. He finished 14th.

 

“This meant I started race two in 14th and managed to improve to eighth, despite struggling with the handling a bit, but was then spun by another competitor again!”

 

The afternoon’s reverse grid race can throw up some challenging situations. With the team having made a few positive adjustments to the car, Edgell started from seventh and commentators picked him as a strong prospect to take the win and the valuable 75 points. Steadily, Edgell picked up place after place, working forward through to the field. By nearly the halfway point, he had the lead.

 

“I had about half a dozen car lengths on Nick Ross in second when I got the message to slow down. I did – marshals had yellow flags waving to warn of an incident – but there was oil everywhere and like about seven other drivers, I slid off the circuit. Things were pretty hairy for a while as I shot off the circuit at high speed with a safety marshal’s vehicle parked in the way and the marshals running away from the car. Luckily there wasn’t much damage to the Chesters Falcon and I managed to get back on the track and drive around to line up for the re-start while 

the carnage was cleared away. To eventually finish eighth in this race was something positive, given the earlier circumstances.”

 

Round five of the BNT V8s Championship takes place at Manfeild outside Palmerston North on 12 and 13 February. Edgell is looking to improve his overall championship standings from seventh.

 

“I’m really looking forward to racing at Manfeild again. It’s where I had my first NZV8 race win last season and we must be due for a change in luck after two very average rounds down south.”

 

Edgell Performance Racing thanks the following sponsors for their support: Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom, BNT, Marley, Hansen Products, Fuchs, Tru-Test Group, North Harbour Ford, Roca, FujiFilm, Element 82 Ltd, Wurth NZ and Journey on Roadside Solutions.

 

Keep up with the latest news from Edgell and his team via the Tim Edgell Racing Facebook page.

 

2010/11 BNT V8s Championship Points after Round 4

1, Angus Fogg, Falcon, Auckland, 713
2, Craig Baird, Falcon, Gold Coast, 657
3, John McIntyre, Falcon, Nelson, 608

4, Kayne Scott, Falcon, Hamilton, 591

5, Andy Booth, Commodore, Auckland, 527

6, Andy Knight, Falcon, Christchurch, 503

7, Tim Edgell, Falcon, Auckland,468

8, Jason Bargwanna, Falcon, Victoria, 409

 

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