Graeme Rhodes and Paul Rickerby of Markhams Racing took out the 3501 cc+ Class 1 series with a position of eighth overall in the final round in their Mazda RX7 V8. An excellent result for a new team! The other main contenders for the win, Bruce Davidson and Dave Garden in a Chev C5 Corvette, retired from the race, leaving second place in the series to John Wadsworth and Warren Croft.

Meanwhile, the overall winners of the third and final round of the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series were Paul Kelly and Kevin Bell in their Porsche 997 GT3 – a feat that earned them a clean sweep across the series. Saturday’s win was undoubtedly their toughest. Kelly and Bell took the lead for the final time just four minutes from the end of the race – when the Ferrari F430 of Craig Innes (Taupo) and Sam MacNeill (Palmerston North) struggled with a vibration thought to be a damaged wheel bearing. Good tactics earlier in the race, when they went into the pit just 43 minutes into the race during a safety car period, had put them a lap ahead of the field. But another safety car period allowed Bell to make up the difference and when racing resumed he caught Innes and took the win by just 3.567 seconds. As well as a cheque for $10,000, Kelly and Bell were awarded the South Canterbury Toyota Cup.

Meanwhile the 2001 – 3500 cc Class 2 (and the spot prize of an original watercolor painting by Norman Sinclair valued at $10,000) was won by Shane Helms and Rob Bolland of Auckland in their BMW.  

The 0 – 2000 cc Classes 3 & 4 were won by Steve Parker and Matt Jackson in their Honda S2000.

8th was good enough to clean-sweep all three rounds in our class and finish 4th overall in the series. A big thanks to everyone who helped us, especially our very patient principal sponsor – Markhams – thanks guys!

Markhams Racing is currently leading Class 1 (the 3501 cc and above), with the RX7 V8 driven by Graeme Rhodes and Paul Rickerby edging out Bruce Davidson and Dave Garden in their C5 Corvette and John Wadsworth and Warren Croft in their VY Commodore, but it’s a race to the finish because the class could still be won by any of these teams.

Perry Scarfe and Stu Black in their XR8 Ute and Dean Perkins and Grant Silvester in their BA Falcon are also dangerous. With engine failures in previous races, both will be seeking the redemption of a class win. The Supra-powered Levin driven by Craig and Scotty McDermid has yet to really fire in this series.

With the richest prize money pool in New Zealand Motorsport up for grabs – a total of $30,000! – Saturday 15 October is going to be an exciting day. As well as a cheque for $10,000, the overall three-hour series champion will be awarded the ‘South Canterbury Toyota Cup’ and there are also numerous other trophies, prizes and awards for the series. 

It’s all on tomorrow, so make sure you get down to Timaru and support the team!

For more information on the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series, visit www.facebook.com/southislandenduranceseries.

But Saturday’s victory didn’t come without a battle! They were challenged at Ruapuna by newcomers Craig Innes of Taupo and Sam MacNeill of Palmerston North. Driving a Ferrari F430, they battled it out with the Porsche throughout the first hour of the race. Kelly and Bell gradually pulled away, however, and were two laps ahead by the end of the race. In third place was the father and son team of Mike and Seadon Baker in a Porsche 997 GT3.

Gary Cliff and Hayden Knighton in their Porsche GT3 were fourth across the line, sneaking in ahead of Paul Rickerby and Graeme Rhodes who took fifth place in their V8 Mazda RX7 (beating out reigning series champions Allan Dippie and Grant Aitken in their Porsche GT3). For Paul and Graeme, this placing meant clinching Class 1 (3501 cc and above) honours once again!

Also in the top ten were Peter Van Eekelen and Kane Lawson (Porsche 996 GT3), Arron Black and Warren Good (BMW E46), Bruce Davidson and David Garden (Chev Corvette C5) and Brent Esler and Andy Neale (BMW M3).

The Ruapuna round of the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series was an eventful one, with the safety car coming out after the Porsche 997 GT3 driven by Lindsay and Matt O’Donnell went off the circuit late in the race and mechanical issues for a number of teams.

This coming weekend the series takes a break for Bathurst and it resumes again for the third and final round at Levels Raceway in Timaru on 15^th October 2011.

For more information on the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series, visit www.facebook.com/southislandenduranceseries.

ASKO Appliances Overall Points
1^st Kelly/Bell – Porsche 997 GT3 – 180 points
2^nd= Dippie/Aitken – Porsche 996 GT3 – 129 points
2^nd= Baker/Baker – Porsche 997 GT3 – 129 points
4^th Rhodes/Rickerby – RX7 V8 – 128 points
5^th Esler/Neale – BMW M3 GTR – 123 points
6^th Davidson/Garden – Chev Corvette – 111 points

GT Class
1^st Kelly/Bell – Porsche 997 GT3 – 180 points
2^nd Baker/Baker – Porsche 997 GT3 – 144 points
3^rd Dippie/Aitken – Porsche 996 GT3 – 139 points 

Class 1 (3501 cc +)
1^st Rhodes/Rickerby – RX7 V8 – 180 points
2^nd Davidson/Garden – Corvette C5 – 164 points
3^rd Wadsworth/Croft – VY Commodore – 135 points

Class 2 (2001 – 3500 cc)
1^st Esler/Neale – BMW M3 GTR – 172 points
2^nd Helms/Bolland – BMW M3 – 139 points
3^rd Good/Black – BMW E36 – 105 points 

Class 3 & 4 (0 – 2000 cc)
1^st Parker/Jackson – Honda S2000 – 180 points
2^nd Sinclair/Ham – Puegeot 106 – 164 points
3^rd Driver/Parmenter – Integra – 20 points

Everything went to plan for the first half of the race, with us slowly moving through the field, and we were 5^th at the halfway point. We maintained this through to the end, being beaten only by Porsche and Ferrari factory race cars. The car’s braking did prove to be problematic, with a violent shudder slowly getting worse as the race went on (this week’s job to sort), but we won our class and a trophy for first V8 home. We are now 4^th overall on points and are absolutely stoked! The final round is at Levels Raceway in Timaru on the 15^th of October.

Competing in Class 1 (3501 cc and above), Markhams Racing will be looking to repeat last weekend’s awesome performance. Winning the class last weekend at Teretonga, Paul Rickerby and Graeme Rhodes will again be seeking a strong finish with their RX7 V8. The V8 BA Falcon of Dean Perkins and Grant Silvester is likely to be a major threat – it set a strong pace at Teretonga, but was slowed by two punctures. It’s likely to be at home on the fast Powerbuilt Ruapuna track.

Also in the class are the Bruce Davidson/Dave Garden Corvette, Perry Scarfe/Stu Black XR8 Ute and George McFarlane/Geoff Ball Turbo Altezza.

After the second round of racing at Powerbuilt Ruapuna on Saturday 1 October 2011, the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series pauses for a week (Bathurst!) before the grand finale at Levels Raceway in Timaru on 15 October 2011, where the richest prize money pool in New Zealand motorsport will be paid out to the overall and class winners. Thanks to ASKO Appliances and class sponsors Hagley Aluminum, Southern Finance, Burnside Contractors, Southern Demolition and Allied Petroleum/Mobil 1 for making the series possible.

For more information on the ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series, visit www.facebook.com/southislandenduranceseries.

The weather for the weekend was harder to prepare for – blazing sun, sub-zero wind chill, rain with lumps in it and some snow overnight – all in the space of two days! We were destined to have some sort of hiccup and this happened on Friday when our clutch failed. Turned out it was a slave cylinder that had given us some grief last season (small fire…). Brent and Wayne were superb, calling in a few favours and working through the evening to drop out the box and fit the new part – thanks, guys, and Macaulay Ford for the use of their workshop.

We qualified the car in 10^th in the rain which, given the quality of the field, the fact we had never driven the car in the rain before and a new circuit, wasn’t a bad effort, we thought. The field of around 28 cars included some very trick cars including a half dozen flash VWs.

Amazingly, the rain restricted itself to some brief but exciting (sideways moments!) showers for the race proper and through Wayne’s calming influence over the radio and Bert’s expert use of the rattle gun, race tape and cable ties we managed to hold it together to finish 5^th overall and first in class. Awesome. Bring on Ruapuna this weekend.

Markhams Racing will be competing in Class 1 (3501 cc and above). Rookies in the 2010 Series, this year Graeme Rhodes and Paul Rickerby will pit their Batman RX7 V8 against Dean Perkins and Grant Silvester in a powerful V8 BA Falcon, and Craig and Scott McDermid in their twin turbo Corolla. Also competing in this class are an Altezza, a Corvette C5, a pair of ex NZV8 Commodore VY’s and a 427 ci Falcon XR8 Ute.

The 2011 Series is sponsored by ASKO Appliances as well as class sponsors Allied Petroleum/Mobil 1, Southern Demolition, Burnside Contractors, Southern Finance and Hagley Aluminum and features the richest prize pool in New Zealand Motorsport – a huge NZ$30,000. After the opening round at Teretonga in Invercargill, the 2011 Series continues at Powerbuilt Ruapuna in Christchurch on Saturday 1 October and concludes with the 2011 Series Grand Finale at Levels Raceway in Timaru on 15 October.

For more information on the ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series, visit www.facebook.com/southislandenduranceseries.