m2 motorsport supporters magazine - v8 supertourers round seven
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Round seven in Christchurch marked the end of the first season V8SuperTourer series, and of our campaign within it. Overall we had a very successful weekend, and we hope you enjoy our account of everything that happened. Thanks for following us over the last few months, and please feel free to share this or our other updates with anyone you think might be interested. The next season kicks off 16th-17th February 2013; we hope to see you then!TRANSCRIPT
M2 Motorsport supporters magazine:V8 SUPERTOURERS ROUND SEVEN
M2 Motorsport hoped to carry some of the momentum that they had gained at Pukekohe, through to Ruapuna in Christchurch for the V8SuperTourer final. Once again, Wellingtonian Simon McLennan would be joined by Australian driver Cameron Waters for their second round together.
A productive test program had the M2 Motorsport crew improve the car greatly in preparation for qualifying. Simon qualified the car in eleventh place and Cameron in fifth, each driver starting their race from that spot on the grid. Simon was unlucky not to improve from eleventh after a mid qualifying setup change didn’t go to plan, while Cameron improved his place in the top ten shootout, moving from sixth to fifth.
Starting from eleventh in Race one, Simon had a strong first half of the race and moved up the order to hand the car over to Cameron. A quick pit stop propelled the M2 V8SuperTourer further up the order, and a strong performance from Cam delivered a fifth place finish (the first in the team’s short V8SuperTourer season). The team weren’t able to capitalise on the stronger starting position of fifth in race two, however. A strong and steady first half of the race exploded into contact and drama in the last half. Contact on the main straight while well inside the top ten dropped the car back to twelfth, leaving Simon to nurse the car home with an oil leak inside the cabin.
An improvement on Pukekohe, and a sign that our small Wellington-based team has the pace to be competitive. A strong base from which we prepare for 2013.
review:ROUND SEVEN, RUAPUNA
CARBOGLASS
A quick pit stop propelled the M2
V8SuperTourer further up the
order, and a strong performance from
Cam delivered a fifth place finish...
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track info:
245 KM/H85 KM/H
150 KM/H
110 KM/H
POWERBUILT RACEWAY AT RUAPUNA PARK
Powerbuilt Raceway/ Ruapuna in Christchurch is a favorite amongst motorsport competitors in New Zealand. At 3.33 kms and with eight major turns, the track has everything from fast, high commitment sweepers, to slow highly technical sections. To put a competitive time together here requires a smooth and tidy lap. High ripple strips create some spectacular images and opportunities for tin top drivers to get deep into the turns.
CARBOGLASS
105 KM/H
105 KM/H
60 KM/H
150 KM/H205 KM/H
180 KM/H
205 KM/H
START/FINISH LINE `225 KM/H
debrief:QUALIFYING
The format for the V8SuperTourer final meant that both Simon and Cameron had a session each to qualify the car. Where they would qualify is where that driver would start their race, before handing it over at the pit-stop.
Simon was strong out of the box, comfortably within the top ten and relatively happy with the balance of the car. The M2 team took the opportunity to make a chassis adjustment, one that they were planning to make before race one. As Simon set out, a few cars leapt up the leader board later in the session, and the change made to the M2 V8SuperTourer didn’t have the anticipated effect. Eleventh for Simon; not all bad though as the team were able to scrap what would have been a detrimental change to the car during the race.
Cameron continued to tweak the car setup during his session, and after an early brake bias issue that destroyed a new tyre, he went on to qualify in fifth place. This was quite an achievement - due to the bias and tyre issue, Cam had only a few flying laps near the end of the session to put in a good time. To deliver such a good result in such a short window was a superb effort.
Cam had only a few flying laps near the
end of the session to put in a good time.
To deliver such a good result in such
a short window was a superb effort.
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CARBOGLASS
capture:QUALIFYING
debrief:RACE ONE
Simon started race one, and quickly found himself amongst a V8SuperTourer pile-up at the hairpin halfway through the first lap. With cars facing the wrong way and tyre smoke hindering any view of what was ahead, Simon somehow made it through with the car intact and in ninth place.
From here on in, it was about settling in and maintaining position. After a fairly uneventful stint, Simon handed the car over to Cameron in ninth place. The M2 Motorsport pitstop was hectic by our standards, however we somehow ended up with one of the quickest stops for the race. Cameron jumped in and immediately started to push forwards to try and move up the grid. By lap forty the M2 V8SuperTourer was sitting well in eighth. The excitement of the final few laps must have got to some of the drivers ahead, because after a safety car period there was drama at the front of the field. This resulted in a car leaving the circuit, and a drive-through penalty for another competitor. Cameron was in the best position to pounce, and jumped from eighth to finish fifth at the chequered flag.
A fantastic top five finish for M2 Motorsport. An achievement the team was very proud of, in only our third V8SuperTourer round.
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A fantastic top five finish for M2
Motorsport. An achievement the
team was very proud of, in only our third
V8SuperTourer round.
CARBOGLASS
capture:RACE ONE
debrief:RACE TWO
A strong start to Race two with Cameron at the wheel quickly had the M2 Motorsport V8SuperTourer sitting comfortably in the top five. Pitlane opened, and we were in third place as Cam came in for the driver change.
Unfortunately, a slow pit stop had Simon rejoin the race in eleventh - a disappointing outcome given the strong position we had been in just moments before. Simon moved the car up through the field, and after a move to take seventh, there was contact on the main straight with another car. A scary moment as we rubbed tyres and the other car leapt into the air! The M2 Motorsport V8SuperTourer nearly ended up in the pit wall, and Simon nursed the car for the next lap to ensure brakes and steering were safe to continue. This dropped us back through the field, and we eventually finished in thirteenth.
A disappointing finish to the season, however the M2 team achieved a lot over the final weekend. The car ran comfortably inside the top ten, and even as high as third. Our first top five finish, and a good lesson in V8 racing - prepare to get your elbows out!
The positives definitely outweighed any negatives, and the M2 Motorsport team go into the summer break with a sense of pride. This small Wellington V8SuperTourer team were competitive with the best teams and drivers in New Zealand...bring on 2013!
...after a move to take seventh, there was contact on the main straight with
another car. A scary moment as we
rubbed tyres and the other car
leapt into the air!
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CARBOGLASS
capture:RACE TWO
sponsor profile:SIGN FOUNDRY
M2 Motorsport’s new V8SuperTourer has a striking livery designed by Granger Design. And when it came to taking Keiran’s design and turning it into reality, the M2 team approached Steve and Duncan at Sign Foundry, a new business based in Petone, Wellington.
Sign Foundry pride themselves on being ‘Not your usual Design Company’ whose purpose is to achieve a customers marketing and publicity aims through effective use of signs and graphics. Focussed on quality work and aware of the importance of great cusomer service, the Sign Foundry team gathered up their tools and came to us, working at the M2 Motorsport workshop north of Wellington as we rushed to get the car ready before our first meeting back in September.
Given the bish-bash nature of V8 racing, the Sign Foundry continue to help our team by maintaining the vinyl and graphics on the M2 Motorsport V8SuperTourer after each round. When repair time comes, the team has our artwork stored on computer and can print and apply a complete replacement section to one of our spare doors or panels quickly and easily. It looks great, is flexible as we make changes to our design, and is much cheaper and faster than the old method of layer-by-layer signwriting.
Check them out at www.signfoundry.co.nz!
It looks great, is flexible as we make
changes to our design, and is much cheaper and faster
than the old method of layer-by-layer
signwriting.
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CARBOGLASS
our thanks to...
Simon McLennanPh: 0274 072808
Colin McLennanPh: 0274 407671
We are currently looking for partners to join M2 Motorsport for the 2013 season. If you are a nationally based business, or local to one of the V8SuperTourers rounds in Auckland, Waikato, Taupo or
Canterbury, and are interested in an exclusive opportunity to accelerate your brand, please contact us!
M2 Motorsport20 Dunns Street
SilverstreamUpper Hutt 5019
M2 Motorsport would like to thank the following partners for their support in the team’s 2012 V8SuperTourer Endurance campaign:
CARBOGLASS