Andy Knight MotorsportV8 SuperTourers 2012 update: Round three, Manfeild, 27th to 29th April 2012

Team profile: Barry Neale, Data Engineer

As the Data Engineer for Andy Knight Motorsport, Barry’s job is to help decode the information that comes out of the onboard datalogging systems and help identify where we can make improvements to the car and go faster. He talks us through his background and how he came to be part of the team.

“I’ve been a motorsport fan from a very young age. My first hero was Graham McRae, I wanted to be an engineer just like him when I grew up so that I could build and race my own race cars.

I started my motorsport career, as a driver, during the 1990 National Formula Ford season, I drove for two years against the likes of Greg Murphy, Ashley Stichbury, Andy Neale and Internationals such as Russell Ingall.

I realised that I wasn’t going to be the next great thing so I stopped driving and started working on other people’s car;, first as the second mechanic, progressing to Race Engineer, Data Acquisition and Team Manager.

Initially I worked on Formula Fords. As a race engineer I was involved in winning back-to-back NZ Formula Ford titles with Phil Helebrekers and then James Cressey. The next session I worked with Jonny Reid in his first year of car racing. After that I moved to touring cars; firstly in the NZ 2 litre championship with Toyota, where I worked as a Data Engineer for both cars and Race Engineer for one. We finished the session first and second.

Since then I have worked on NZ V8 Utes, Formula BMW in Malaysia, and Formula Ford in Australia. In 2007 I started working on NZV8’s. My first session was with (current V8Supertourer CEO) Paul Radisich and in 2009 I joined Knight Motorsport for their second year of NZV8’s. As well as working on the V8Supertourer I work for Richards Team Motorsport in NZV8’s.

Outside of Motorsport my other passions are Music (I used to play guitar in bands) and skiing (It takes me 65 minutes to get from my house to the chairlift). I’m a software developer by trade and I live on a lifestyle block west of Christchurch with my wife and two children.”

Track info: Manfeild (International circuit, 3.03 km)

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Turn three: SplashApproach speed: 175 km/hApex speed: 100 km/hThe section through 2-3-4 is a bit like the infield at Ruapuna; your line through one corner will affect the next, so Andy treats these as one flowing section. One of only two left-handers, it’s important to think about tyre grip during early laps as the right hand tyres won’t be hot and grippy as the left’s because they’re not working as hard over a lap.

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Turn five: The HairpinApproach speed: 150 km/hApex speed: 65 km/hMultiple lines through here, so you can pass or be passed! Avoid hitting the kerbs on exit so the car stays settled and gets power down on the next straight.

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Turn seven: DunlopApproach speed: 220 km/hApex speed: 115km/hAndy’s favourite corner at Manfeild. He’ll be on the rev limiter on the approach, braking as he turns in. Hit the apex and nail it on the exit for the best laptime.

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Turn one: ToyotaApproach speed: 225 km/hApex speed: 75 km/hTurn one is unusual for Manfeild as it’s a flat corner whereas most others have noticeable camber. There are a few different lines into Toyota, so you can attack or defend as you enter, but the key to this turn is being patient and getting the car in the right place for a fast exit.

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Turn six: HigginsApproach speed: 215 km/hApex speed: 85km/hOne of three key corners at Manfeild (with the hairpin and Dunlop) as a slow exit will drop your top speed down the next straight and allow someone to overtake. Get it right and you’ll enjoy a slingshot as the corner opens and you can get solid power down on the grippy cambered exit.

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Top speed: 220 km/hTS

Race one: Andy opens the weekend with good form in Qualifying and race one

Round 3 of the V8 SuperTourers at Manfeild Autocourse in Feilding opened with practise one in changeable conditions on Friday afternoon. The weather dictated a change of tyres, with all teams running the wet compound tyres in a competitive situation for the first time. Excelling in the wet conditions, Andy Knight posted the second fastest lap time in the session at 1:08.902, just 0.046 behind pace setter Paul Manuell.

Saturday morning saw the team sit out practise two in order to preserve the car and engine for qualifying later in the day. When qualifying got underway early afternoon, the KMS Gulf Oil – Century Batteries Falcon was sitting mid-pack until Andy Knight unleashed a blistering lap time in the very last lap of qualifying. With qualifying completed Andy Knight was sitting in 4th position with a fastest lap time of 1:12.001, only 0.553 of a second slower than Jonny Reid who took pole.

The 20-lap race one started Saturday afternoon in what proved to be the best weather conditions of the entire race weekend. A clear rolling start saw all cars underway. A relatively incident free race saw Andy close out the opening stanza in seventh position. Both car and driver were showing good pace with the fastest lap time being set on the final lap of the race.

Jonny Reid took first place from John McIntyre with Greg Murphy in third.

Fastest lap 1:09.58

Race one 7th

Race two proved to be the polar opposite to race one. Where the first race of the weekend was relatively incident free, race two was going to have many dramatic twists and turns.

Andy Knight started from grid position seven for race two of the Manfeild round of V8 SuperTourers. The second race of the weekend was to be a 25 lap affair. The rolling start proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Gulf Oil – Century Batteries Falcon, improving several positions off the start line and through turn one.

Cleanly passing Craig Baird, Ant Pedersen and Eddie Bell, Knight was making good progress through the field when Pederson spun in turn one. This brought out the first Safety Car of the weekend and allowed the field to consolidate behind race leader Jonny Reid. When racing re-commenced, Knight executed a move to pass John McIntyre for outright third place.

The race was stopped in dramatic fashion when Colin Corkery and Andre Heimgartner came together in the final turn onto the front straight. The contact shunted Corkery into the tyre wall at high speed with the car coming to rest in the middle of the racetrack. Officials red lighted the race immediately.

Racing re-started with nine laps to go. Knight began a compelling duel with Greg Murphy for second place, eventually getting past his Mike Pero Commodore. Murphy fought hard to take back the position but Knight held on for his first podium finish in V8 SuperTourers.

Final positions were Jonny Reid first, Andy Knight second with Greg Murphy in third place.

Race two: An action packed race sees Andy take his first V8Supertourers podium

Fastest lap 1:08.56

Race two 2nd

The starting positions for the feature race at Manfeild were determined by a combination of finishing positions from races one and two. The KMS Gulf Oil – Century Batteries Falcon therefore was starting off grid four for the 30-lap race.

All cars gridded up on wet tyres as there had been reasonably constant rain leading up to the feature. Tyre pressures were a matter of debate for many however, as teams tried to make educated guesses as to whether the rain would continue or cease. The Andy Knight Motorsport team decided to run on lower tyre pressures in the expectation the rain would continue.

With racing underway Knight was quickly around John McIntyre and Jonny Reid and into second place. This position was held for a number of laps with the car and driver demonstrating competitive speed against the other top tier drivers.

Unfortunately the expected continuing rain did not eventuate and the track started drying out. The wet weather tyres on Knight’s car started to deteriorate as the track became dryer and dryer. The question of whether to pit and change tyres for slicks was answered by Andy Booth who did just that.

Re-entering the race Booth was almost immediately posting the quickest lap times on the track. He was not able to make up the time lost by pitting however and the Andy Knight Motorsport team elected to carry on racing the wet tyres.

Knight fought hard to maintain position as cars with superior tyres challenged and he managed to close out the race in tenth position. Post race inspection of the tyres showed how delaminated they were from heat wear.

Greg Murphy claimed first place from John McIntyre and Richard Moore in third.

Along with the strong result in qualifying, the three race results had Andy Knight in fourth position for the round and back inside the top ten for the series. This proved to be a great result after the disappointment of Ruapuna.

Race three: Changeable weather makes tyre choice a gamble

Fastest lap 1:12.525

Race three 10th

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Team Manager’s report

As with any motor racing event, round three of the V8 SuperTourers had it’s high points and not-so-high points for the Andy Knight Motorsport team. The real highlight was Andy Knight achieving his first ever podium result in this brand new class of racecar. Manfeild has always been a happy hunting ground for Andy, including his New Zealand Grand Prix win at the track, so we had always approached the weekend with a high degree of confidence.

Another highlight for us was the genuine competitiveness of the car against the other front runners in the series. Watching Andy comfortably passing the likes of Greg Murphy, Jonny Reid and John McIntyre during the three races really gives the team confidence for the remainder of the championship.

We also learnt a lot about the car, particularly in wet weather conditions. The Hankook wet weather tyres are very good and Andy Knight was very complimentary of how the car handled in wet weather conditions on those tyres. We made a call in regards to tyre pressures for the feature race that did not work

in our favour, but if the rain had continued that decision could have easily paid dividends. Sometimes motorsport requires a bit of luck, even from the weather gods.

The team remains amazed at the level of support this new series is attracting. Thanks to all of you who made your support known at Manfeild, and of course I must take this opportunity to thank again our amazing family of sponsors.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the next round, at Hampton Downs in June.

Best regardsAndy Neale

Team Manager

Next race: Round four, Hampton Downs, Waikato, 1-3 June 2012 (Queen’s Birthday weekend)

Series calendar

Check www.v8st.co.nz for more information and to buy tickets

Round one: Hampton Downs, Waikato, 17-19 February 20121

Round two: Ruapuna, Christchurch, 7-8 April 20122

Round three: Manfeild, Feilding, 27-29 April 20123

Round four: Hampton Downs, Waikato, 1-3 June 20124

Round five: TBC5

Round six: Pukekohe, Auckland, 26-28 October 20126

Round seven: Ruapuna, Christchurch, 24-25 November 20127

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Andy Knight Motorsport wishes to thank our sponsors for their generous support

Published by Championship Digital for Andy Knight Motorsport • Design and images by Andrew Bright/Championship Digital • Text by Gerard Wade/GDub Marketing

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