NIMM - prizegiving and a great day out

NIMM - or the New Zealand Honda Club's North Island Monster Meet will be held at taupo on November 4th and will be the venue for the Winter Series prizegiving, as well as a fabulous opportunity to get out there and test you race cars!

Honda Cup will be running a lunch time BBQ and will do prizegiving fopr the Winter Series.Organisuers are hoping everyone from the series will be able to take time out and get along to the event - there are the series class and overall prizes to be given out, as well as a few other trophies for Most Improved Driver, Best Presented Honda and a few others.

The track day is one of the biggest events organised every year by the club, with plenty of budding racers and tuners from the NZ Hondas forum there getting in some track time. It is also one of the country's most established annual days out at the circuit.

For many it will be their first time out on the track, and several Honda Cup drivers will be on hand to provide driver instruction and encouragement where reqwuired, as well as set up tips for the long circuit. Rik Wakelin's NZ Hondas backed car will also be there on dispaly and out on track. It's quite possible the Honda Cup drivers and some of the NIMM guys may stay on for a few beers afterwards as well!

There is also a great deal on offer for Motul Honda Cup drivers - which probably equates to the most cost effective circuit time avakilable! Thanks to the partnership with The New Zealand Honda Club, racers can take part on a two for the rpice of one basis. That means $75 for the day and even though it is on November 4th, just a few days after Round 2 at Pukekohe, it should be a great day out and well worth going along to.

For track day booking, contact Ben Foote at NZ Hondas - or email richard AT petrolheads DOTco DOTnz and we will put you in touch.

Shaun gets there - but only just!

Shaun van Beers secured his first circuit racing championship with victory in the 2011 Motul Honda Cup Winter Series by just a single point from the consistent and fast Mark Walters.

In a four way shoot out for the title, van Beers and Walters were pretty much inseperable throughout the day.

Richard Gee took pole ahead of newcomer Shane Parsons, with van Beers and Walters behind and it was these two that led the field throughout the first race. When rain started late in the race, Gee slowed as his grip faded, and Parsons used the huge power in his CRX to blast by and establish a lead. Behind these two, Walters and van Beers duelled and it was the Just Tyres DC5 of van Beers that finished just a second or so ahead of Walter's Motavation EF.

Race 2 brought more rain and some very close racing. Gee's chances of stealing the championship at the last round disappeared as contact with van Beers left him with no choice but to go through a huge pool of water which left the engine sick for the rest of the day and without VTEC. Shaun was lucky to get back on track quickly and set off after Walters as Martin Dunn and David Grigor disappeared into a battle for the lead, closely tracked by the impressive Nathan Strachan. Gee took a while to get the car fired back up and fought past Walters and van Beers, but the Taranaki driver could not pass Walters and as they lined up for the wet handicap, it was all to play for. Van Beers can thank his pit crew for some sterling work in replacing a damaged radiator in an unbelievably quick time before the handicap race, and he was able to go out ready to charge.

In the race itself, Gee eventually started from the pit lane with three cyclinders and no VTEC as Grigor, Dunn and Strachan once again showed their wet weather prowess and dominated the results, joined by top rookie Ben Sunckell who once again demonstrated his considerable skill with a solid drive to third in the race with Grigor first, Strachan second and Dunn fourth. Dunn's drive took the round win using Winter Series entrants and points, and being a double header with a few extra drivers and a different points system, the first Summer round was actually a tie between Grigor and Dunn (We'll cover the points in the next issue). The championship though went to Shaun van Beers after a winter season of highs and lows, but highlighted by some very solid fight backs after the lows. Walters consoled himself with second overall and the 1.6 class victory, whilst Gee took another third place in the series and Gary Wilson took fourth. Top Master was Wilson, top rookie Sunckell and team winners Dunn and Gee.

Summer Series brings out some Honda favourites

It's great to see some drivers who have been out of the Honda picture for a while coming back to the series. Michael Bate with his rapid EK20 is down to race the series and will be at Taupo, and Rob Sutherland (pictured) with his mighty K20A powered DC2 is also down to run.

Another K20A powered DC2 - the ex Phil Noblett car of Grant Shirley, is also entered for the summer series and it will be great to see Grant back after a sizeable shunt last April in SS2000 that left the back of the car a little bit the worse for wear.

David Grigor and his superb Golden Homes DC5 will be back for Taupo as will Steve Taylor and his FD2.

"There is no question that the series has brought in the country's top Honda racers," said series director Alan Stewart. "There are one or two more people we'd love to see running with us on a regular basis. Guys like Steven Price for example, who is exceptionally fast in his 1.6 EG. It would be great to see him matched up in a race against the likes of Gary Wilson or Warren Tunley who have already proven to be very fast in their 1.6s and amongst the favourites for title honours in the class in the 2011-2012 Motul Honda Cup. Even so, it's all shaping up to be a great season."

Taupo - It's gonna be big

Taupo is going to be a great day for the Honda Cup - as we wave goodbye to another ultra successful winter series, we set off on a new venture, the summer series. We are very confident of a good number of cars out on track but please do get your paperwork in as quickly as posisble to avoid disappointment or any late fees. There is an opportunity to test on the Saturday as part of the Taupo Car Club's Dual Sprint series. There is a special deal on offer from the club with a $25 discount for anyone from Honda Cup entering the Dual Sprint and the racing on Sunday.

All the documentation you need for Taupo, for registration for the Summer Series and for the regulations for the series are available under 2011 Documentation on the right hand side - all open into simple pre-prepared Word files to make life easier for you!

New Class for 1.8s

When the Summer Series kicks off at Taupo in September - there will be a new class in the series specifically for 1.8 powered cars.

While the majority of automotive manufacturers have gone the traditional 1300, 1600 2000cc route, Honda made a name for itself with the 1800cc B18c . An engine that when released in R spec in 1996 put out the highest bhp per litre and has gone on to power more performance vehicles than any other production engine.

With so many B18C powered Hondas out racing, it was felt that there should be a class for the B18C powered cars given how difficult it is for them to compete against the much lighter 1.6 powered cars or more powerful 2 litre K or B series powered- machines. From the level of enquiry received its looking like the new 1601-1800 class will be one of the most hotly contest classes of the Summer Series.

Given there is an overlap of dates, it will be possible for someone to race at Taupo and for example, qualify for points in 1.8. So, for example, if you are running a 1.6 engine currently, but intend to change to a 1.8 after Taupo, then you can run the car in 1.6 at Taupo as you have done during the Winter series, and as well as taking your 1.6 points, also gain points towards the 1.8 Summer Series class. You can only do this for Taupo. After Taupo, you must be running in the class for which you engine cc is appropriate. So if you decide to change to a two litre after Round 2, then you move to the 2 litre class at that point. Any class points achieved for either 1.6 or 1.8 must 'stay' in that class. However, your overall series points will remain the cumulative total of all points scored.

Refer to the technical regulations and series articles for further information - both of which can be found on the front page. Any technical queries can be made direct to the Technical Officer whose contact details can also be found on the newsletter ot on the contacts page of the web site.

Race Classes

The Honda Cup Racing Series has classes as follows:

• 0 to 1600cc
• 1601 to 2000cc
• 2001 to 2200cc

B-series Honda engines shall be allowed a maximum overbore allowance of 0.5mm from the standard bore diameter when running a standard crankshaft with standard stroke for that engine. The purpose of this rule is to allow B16A and B16B engines to remain n the 1600cc class and B18C and B18CR engines to remain in the 1800cc weight category. There shall be no overbore allowance for any other Honda engine type.

Motul signs up for summer

Specialist motorsports oil company Motul has announced title sponsorship of the new-look Honda Cup summer series.

Motul has provided seed funding for the developing series during the three winter championships it has run over the past two years and is a natural fit for Honda Cup. Managing Director Tim Pollard is a keen racer and will run in the series in his own ex-Japanese Touring Car Championship Integra DC5.

"It's a great market for us," commented Pollard. "There is a huge opportunity for Motul to become the lubricant of choice for a younger generation of talented engine tuners and developers, many of whom choose Hondas for their bullet proof reliability and high basic performance. As well as that, the series has secured two very high profile meetings in the V8 SuperTourers, and it will be great to have a significant presence at those events as part of the package."

Sunckell wins - but Trevor too Strong overall

Ben Sunckell, one of the fastest rookies taking part in the Winter Series, capped a good weekend at Manfeild with a great win in the handicap race, but it was Trevor Strong in his EK20A who took the round with a solid performance on his home track.

Race 1 was all about Alan Stewart in his swift DC2 - actually the very first Integra DC2 to race anywhere in the world according to the original owner. Quite right too that it is still winning! Trevor Strong, always at the sharp end and invariably on the pace at his home track came a close second, setting himself up for a great day. Third was Gary Maddock in the ex-Justin Herbert championship winning silver DC2.

Race 2 was an absolute epic, with the eight cars scrapping wheel to wheel for the first few corners becoming seven cars when Maddock overcooked Higgins. He just missed Mark Walters as he slid off into the barriers, this left Alan Stewart, Shaun van Beers, Trevor Strong, Richard Gee, Mark Walters, Logan Morrell and debutant Tony Allpress engaged in a fierce battle. Van Beers led early on, but Strong got ahead and sneaked away for the win. Stewart had a drivetrain problem and retired, leaving van Beers in second and Richard Gee to pass both Walters and Morrell for a solid third place.

However, what most of the leading drivers didn't see was a notification that the Safety Car was coming out after the Maddock crash. By the time the train of cars arrived at Higgins on Lap 2, Gary had extricated himself and was heading back to the pits, but the stewards would call in the top runners after the race for a word about being aware of what is going on. When safety is potentially at risk, there is no argument and Honda Cup agrees 100%. It's never a bad thing to remind ourselves about this as we move forward, and we have published the Motorsport New Zealand Code of Conduct for Drivers in an article in this newsletter as a timely reminder of what is expected of all drivers out on track.

Race 3 was all about a great drive by rookie Ben Sunckell. Ben combined speed with some excellent passing manoeuvres to take his first race win in style as the faster cars at the back of the pack found their route to the front stemmed by some great racing in the mid-field. Gary Wilson took a strong second and kept himself in the overall championship chase, while Gary Morrell took his first top three finish in his DC2.

After the three races, Strong was the round winner from van Beers and Walters. Other notable performances during the day came from Noel Anderson - consistently fast in his EG, and Tim Blackwell-Chin, who bagged an impressive 1.20 seconds dead in his 1.6 EK on his first visit to the circuit.

Confirmed Summer Series Dates

• Round 1 - September 18th Taupo (one day)
• Round 2 - October 29th Pukekohe (one day)
• Round 3 - January 14/15th Taupo (two days)
• Round 4 - February 17/18/19th Hampton Downs with V8 SuperTourers (three days)
• Round 5 - March 3/4th Hampton Downs (two days)
• Finale - April 27/28/29th Manfeild with V8 SuperTourers (three days)

Motul signs up for summer with VTEC Screamers

Specialist powersports oil company Motul has announced title sponsorship of the new–look Honda Cup summer series.

The six round series will begin in September and will run through until the end of April, with two dates confirmed on the exciting new V8 SuperTourer race weekends. Motul has provided seed funding for the developing series during the three winter championships it has run over the past two years and is a natural fit for Honda Cup. Managing Director Tim Pollard is a keen racer and will run in the new series in his own ex–Japanese Touring Car Championship Integra DC5.

Upwards of 30 competitors are expected in the championship, and it is also closely allied with the biggest car forum in New Zealand, the NZ Honda Club. It has over 11,000 members, many of whom have sampled track day or circuit racing or who are keen engine tuners and car developers.

"It's a great market for us," commented Pollard. "There is a huge opportunity for Motul to become the lubricant of choice for a younger generation of talented engine tuners and developers, many of whom choose Hondas for their bullet proof reliability and high basic performance".

"As well as that, the series has secured two very high profile meetings in the new V8 SuperTourers, and it will be great to have a significant presence at those events as part of the package".

The Honda Cup is one of New Zealand's fastest growing racing series. Regularly topping grids of 25 during winter rounds, it includes rookie drivers making their first steps into circuit racing as well as old hands like Tier 1 aces Steve Taylor, David Grigor and past Honda championship winner Martin Dunn.

"Motul have been a great supporter of the series in its formative winter seasons" added Motul Honda Cup race director Alan Stewart. "Securing motorsport sponsorship in the current economic climate is not easy, but we have really tried to take a different approach for both sponsors and drivers and add commercial value with a few initiatives that are not the norm for motorsport. We are aiming to be the very best one–make racing series in New Zealand, however, and fundamental to that is having a supportive and recognised partner".

Van Beers bounces back

A great comeback and a round win was the perfect response to his round 2 problems for Taranaki's Shaun van Beers in the Just Tyres DC5. On his first visit to the legendary Pukekohe track, Shaun kept it all on the island this time to win the round after two competitive grid races and then a dominant run in the handicap race. Not the outright quickest car on the day, he was nevertheless the most consistent and his round win propels him to a very competitive looking second in the championship standings ahead of Richard Gee and just a few points behind series leader Mark Walters - who had another very consistent run in his EF.

On a day when 25 cars turned up to do battle, the racing was close and exciting, with Alan Stewart's hot DC2 having a second or so advantage on lap times, but with a snarling pack close behind that included David Grigor and Steve Taylor in their fantastic production racers, Mark Walters, Jason Weel and Richard Gee in their 1.6 Civics and van Beers and Tim Pollard in their swift DC5s.

Each of the three races were classics, with a damp/dry qualifying session putting Steve Taylor on pole position in his FD2 for Race 1. This was close affair, with Alan Stewart eventually taking the win from Steve Taylor, Walters and Gee, with David Grigor and van Beers making up the top six. Race 2 was one of the best in the three years of Honda Cup, with a train of six or seven cars doing battle throughout the race following the reverse top ten grid. Grigor had a superb race to win, but only after Stewart lost fifth gear and had to nurse his car home in sixth. Tim Pollard took second after some staunch defence of his front row starting position and held off a big train behind him comprising Van Beers, Gee, Walters and Stewart. A great drive from Logan Morrell netted seventh and the top ten was rounded out by Gary Wilson, Warren Tunley and Jason Weel.

Grigor blew his chances of winning the round when he was penalised for a jumped start in the handicap race, but Van Beers got is just right and dealt with the cars in front within a lap or two to put himself in the best possible position to move through and win the race, which he duly did. It wasn't plain sailing for the guys behind, and a huge scrap ensued amongst the pack which pretty much ended the faster cars hopes of moving through the field. The result was that Tauranga rookie Ryan McCartney - making his Honda Cup debut - took second place, with Jason Weel third, Garry Morrell fourth and Dave Harker fifth.

Walters maintains his lead in the series, with Van Beers now his closest challenger. Peter Dudson moves into top rookie spot overall after two rounds of consistent results, with Ben Sunckell dropping behind him after clutch failure in Race 1.

Production racers add spice

Round three was a watershed for Motul HondaCup, with its 25 car entry being a Winter Series record, and more big names and important cars fronting up to race.

Steve Taylor was there again with his Tier 1 production FD2, and the car was joined by two other ex production racers in Alan Smith's gorgeous DC5 and the sensational Squawking Magpie Golden Homes version shared by Gavin Yorte and David Grigor (it was David in the hot seat at Pukekohe). The presentation standard on all three cars was superb and the drivers all gave the thumbs up for the series format.

It was great to have so many entries, and great that the top guns in New Zealand Honda racing were there to be part of it.

Photos from Pukekohe

Someone has kindly uploaded the Round 3 photos to facebook for everyone to see.

Motul Honda Cup confirms Summer Series

Series secures two dates with stunning new V8 SuperTourers.

The Motul-sponsored Honda Cup racing series, one of the fastest growing motor racing series in New Zealand, has announced its first summer series - a six round championship that will include two dates with the exciting new V8 SuperTourer Series of Champions.

Honda Cup which is partnered by the country's most popular car forum in the New Zealand Honda Club's NZHondas.com - has already run two Winter Series and is currently half way through its third, with each round averaging well over 20 cars - a figure many summer classes struggle to muster. Top production car racers like FD2 racer Steve Taylor and DC5 ace David Grigor have already sampled the series during the winter and given the format the thumbs up.

The six round Championship will run from September to April and will include visits to Taupo, Pukekohe, Manfeild and Hampton Downs. The focus will be on giving drivers and engineers with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity and flair the chance to shine and to give them an unrivalled motor racing experience for a modest budget.

The championship will begin with a one day event in September (a double header round for the winter and summer series due to unavailability of dates) and will build up towards a huge series finale at Manfeild in April when a three day meeting will include practice on Friday, qualifying and one race on Saturday and two races on Sunday in front of a big V8 SuperTourer crowd.

The series will also run with the new V8 SuperTourers at their debut weekend at Hampton Downs in February. "There's a lot of work gone into the series by competitors and organisers and to secure two dates with the V8s is simply fantastic for us," confirmed Series Race Director Alan Stewart. "We listen and we try to deliver and I believe that is why we have had such big grids over the winter. All indications are that this field will increase significantly again with the announcement of a full-blown summer series. Our prime objective will remain close, quality racing that is both achievable financially for the drivers and exciting for spectators."

New Zealand V8 champion John McIntyre, one of the prime movers behind the exciting new V8 SuperTourer series, believes it will be a great experience for the Honda drivers to have the chance to race over the same weekend as big name drivers like Greg Murphy, Craig Baird, Paul Manuell, Andy Booth and Kayne Scott.

"The events we are planning for the first year of V8 SuperTourers are going to be sensational for motorsport fans and drivers and it's great to have the Honda Cup on board with us for two rounds," he said. "There is a real vibe in the Honda community. The series is well organised and forward thinking with a focus on good value, great racing and entertainment for spectators. That's a philosophy we very much identify with at V8 SuperTourers."

Practice/Testing - Manfield Round 4

Manfield Round 4 practice will be on Saturday August 6th, starting at 11.00am.
Five sessions will cost $100.

Entry form and Regulations for the race are now available.

Rain produces three more winners

With two rounds gone and five different winners taking the chequered flag, it's hard to fault this year's Motul Honda Cup series for excitement and competitive racing. Round 2 at Hampton Downs was packed with action. A solid day earned Martin Dunn the round on only his second comeback race.

The quickest man in the varying track conditions was Taranaki's Shaun van Beers, and in the damp qualifying his speed was sensational, comfortably securing him the pole spot for the rolling start scratch grid. Mark Walters had his car on the pace as well, several seconds ahead of the rest of the competitive 1.6L battle.

Practice/Testing - Pukekohe Round 3

Controlled Testing on Saturday 16 July 2011 (open to the public).

• Phone: 09 238 8049
• Fax: 09 238 8886
• Email: pukepark@ihug.co.nz
• Web: www.countiesracing.co.nz

Testing from 10.30am to 4.30pm (unless advised otherwise).

$90 per vehicle (Cash or Cheque with I.D.)

Driver and passenger must have a Helmet/Bike riders must have Full Leathers. To check the availability of the helmets for hire at the track please contact Gary Devon on 029 496 7759.

Passengers not secured in a race harness/seatbelt will not be permitted onto the circuit.

Parental Consent is required for persons under the age of 15 to allow admittance onto the PP Circuit.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have not driven on the Pukekohe Circuit previously, you will be required to attend a briefing prior to going onto the circuit. Please make yourself known to the Circuit Manager, Gary Devon. No vehicle or machine may exceed a noise level of 95dBA at any time either on the circuit or grounds of Pukekohe Park. Offending vehicles maybe excluded immediately.

Download the Driver Hire Agreement Form.

NZHondas.com announces Works Driver for Honda Cup

The New Zealand Honda Club, the country's most popular car forum with around 13,000 members, has announced Edgecumbe driver Rik Wakelin as its 'works' driver in the Motul Honda Cup in a deal that is believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand motorsport.

Wakelin's Honda Civic will run in the current and future series with NZHondas.com branding, featuring graphics that will be chosen from a competition run on the NZ Hondas site. The winner will receive a credit for the graphic design on the car itself and will also get some hot laps in several of the series cars.

The tie-up will add a new dimension to the hugely popular forum, with Wakelin compiling an on-site blog of his racing exploits, and coincides with a major rebranding exercise.

"Rik fits the profile of the target group for the New Zealand Honda Club forum and for the Motul Honda Cup series perfectly," commented NZHondas.com CEO Ben Foote.

"Our community follows Hondas in motorsport with real enthusiasm and we have been partners with the Motul Honda Cup for some time. As it has grown and developed it has become the perfect place for the guys and girls in the community who want to challenge their driving prowess – or indeed their engineering skills – out on the track in a safe and hugely exciting environment.

"Motorsport is an important part of the on-line community and having a proper NZHondas.com race car out there competing should give lots of our members the excuse they need to go out and support both Rik and the series. These guys are determined to make their series a long term success and we share that goal. It's a perfect synergy."

The Honda club plans to market all future Motul Honda Cup rounds to its huge membership as it works with the series to develop Honda racing in New Zealand over the long term. Wakelin won one of the three races at the first round of the series at Taupo and is one of the country's best Honda 1.6 racing drivers.

You can find out more about the competition on NZHondas.com.

New drivers flock to Motul Honda Cup as series roars into action

Motul Honda Cup 2011 Round 1 was a resounding success - and that's the verdict of the 22 drivers who took part.

Biggest news at Taupo was that the series welcomed no fewer than 12 drivers new to racing, some with no track experience and others with just a few track days and dual sprints under their belts.

"This has always been one of our key objectives," explained series organiser Alan Stewart. "It's very difficult for new drivers to find the right place to go racing for the first time. The type of car they have, their budget and the type of community they want to be part of all play a part and we knew a long time ago that there were large numbers of Honda owners and tuners just itching to give it a go.

"To get 12 new racers surpassed our expectations. Not only that but we had a great day's racing with some fascinating results. We can only go on from here and we know we have more new entrants and experienced racers joining the field at Hampton Downs."

Round winner Richard Gee took two wins in his 1.6 powered EK Civic, with Rik Wakelin taking the third handicap race win after a solid day in his ever-improving Civic EG. Gee and team mate Martin Dunn clashed in the third race, leaving Dunn with no option but to retire and Gee finishing seventh. Mark Walters sits in second in the series after a second, third and fourth placed finish and Taranaki's Shaun Van Beers sits third in his lovely DC5 and the experienced Gary Wilson fourth. Wilson remains very much a dark horse in the series with a new engine in the pipeline expected to propel him to the sharp end.

Top rookie Ben Sunckell impressed all of the experienced racers with three top ten finishes and leads the newcomers in fifth overall in the series.

To see the results for Round One, go to the results page.

Round One Photos

Photos from round one are now available on Rolling Wheels.

To order photos, email lyall.chinnery@gmail.com and provide the following details:

• Race venue and date
• Car number
• Photo number (see thumbnails)
• Name and delivery address

Notice of Practice for Round Two (Hampton Downs)

Testing will be from 9am to 4pm and cost $150 per car ($135 if you enter online).

For more information and to enter,
visit www.hdticketing.co.nz or http://www.hamptondowns.com.

Notice of Entry for Rounds Two & Three

The Notice of Entry for Round Two (Hampton Downs) and Round Three (Pukekohe) are now available to download.

Entries for the Winter Series are now open on www.motorsportentry.com.
Please send all enqiries to race@aucklandcarclub.org.nz.