As the V8 Utes descend on Taupo International Motorsport Park this weekend, traditional rivalries will be reignited as former champion Peter Ward faces off against some seasoned veterans, plus a new breed of rising stars. The Core V8 Utes join a packed program of 175 entries at NZIGP’s ‘Great Lake Taupo’ speed fest.
Peter Ward is a familiar face to motorsport fans, having raced his Holden ute on both sides of the Tasman. He’s also been a force to be reckoned with in Central Muscle Cars and now in the TA2s.
Peter, standing in for his son Tyler, will face off against talents including current champion and veteran Ford racer Glen Collinson – setting the stage for a classic Ford vs Holden grudge match. Glen has notched up a win and several podiums so far this season and is a serious contender for the title once again.
They’ll have their work cut out for them to keep ahead of the current series leader and two-time former champion, Brad Kroef, another Ford racer. Brad has notched up several race wins and podiums so far this season, and is closely followed by Daniel Ludlam – flying the flag for Holden, sitting in second on the points, with Brad’s father Greg Kroef in third.
Phill Ross, in the C & R Developments Holden, has had the speed but not the consistency, with a race win plus some solid minor placings, and sits fourth in the pecking order. Just a few points behind Phill is an exciting rising star of the category, Mitch Sparrow.
Despite being only 19 years old and embarking on his first full season in the V8 utes, Mitch is already turning heads, having already notched up a race win, several podiums and impressive qualifying pace.
An added challenge this weekend has been international shipping delays, which have caused a shortage of the Yokohama control tyre. So drivers may have to emulate the tyre-saving tactics of Liam Lawson at the Shanghai F1 GP to get through the weekend, as teams will need to delve into their stocks of old tyres.
The event kicks off Friday with testing and practice, but the serious action for the Core V8 Utes will be Qualifying on Saturday morning, followed by Race One in the afternoon.
Sunday morning’s reverse-grid Race Two sees the previous day’s race winners start at the back of the field; a format which typically results in some wild overtaking action. Then the final Race Three is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Header Image: Dillon Photography
