NZ Performance Car No 283 July 2020

Way before either Jaden or I took up camp in the NZ Performance Car office, the team introduced ‘kW Club’ stickers as a supplement to the already popular drag-time stickers. At the time, having 300kW was a big deal, but thanks to a decade of advancements in tech, knowledge, and parts, getting that out of most engines, especially when boosted, is a very simple affair. Hell, 400 and 500kW club stickers are now the most popular, and you wouldn’t believe how fast we are dishing them out. However, we are always faced with questions around the authenticity of some claimed power outputs, a rabbit warren of fiddling numbers and hidden correction factors, strangely cropped photos of dyno graphs, and even guys stealing other people’s sheets. It would truly amaze you…

I’m an Aucklander—you may be able to tell—and if there’s one thing Aucklanders love more than soy lattes, overpriced houses, and having no idea where any place outside its 1102km2 radius is, it’s complaining about traffic. We’ve done a pretty stellar job at keeping all the traffic confined to the war zone that is Auckland motorways—you’re welcome, regions—but if this whole Covid-19 lockdown situation has highlighted one thing, it’s how awesome it is going anywhere when everyone else stays home. I’ve managed to shave a good five minutes off my lap time—I mean, er, commute—to the supermarket, and the essential milk run to the local dairy via the back-country roads has never been more unobstructed. With the shift to Level 2 meaning we have a big hit of normality back, and…

After four long years in the works, the ST Hitec / Dodson Motorsport prototype R35 drag car has finally spun a wheel in anger. Not only has it racked up back-to-back eight-second passes and reclaimed the title of quickest/fastest R35 in New Zealand but as of 17 May it set a mid-seven-second personal best! Making use of private testing opportunities at Meremere Dragway, owner Iain Clegg was behind the wheel and told us that, despite battling misfire issues on the first two outings, the team managed to bank a 8.91 at 163mph pass straight off the trailer followed by a 8.57 at 169mph (272kph) the following outing. “We had persistent misfire issues every time. Fighting the miss we changed the plugs and leads. It was still missing, so we changed the leads,…

The nation may be taking a steady-as-she-goes approach to stamping out Covid-19, for good reason, though with restrictions starting to ease as we duck down into Level 2 and hopefully Level 1 not long after, South Island event organizers are keen to provide competitors with the proposed event dates. Obviously, all events are subject to restrictions; however, we have a number of proposed dates that show rallying could return to the country’s larger island as early as July, with the Otago Sports Car Club Circle Hill Rally Sprint. Following that could be the Eastern Southland Car Club Catlins Coast Rally in August, the Hanmer Rally and Ashley Forest Rallysprint in September, and the Gore Clubmans Rally and Canterbury Rally in October. The final event of the year is set to be the…

Massive news from the automotive industry that heavily affects not only street cars but also motorsports. New Zealand petroleum giant Gull New Zealand has announced that it will be permanently withdrawing Force Pro (E85) from its retail sites and sales to third-party suppliers. The news comes after disruption to blending of Gull Force Pro due to the ethanol supply constraints that saw a shortage of the product. Primary ethanol supplier, Fonterra, notified Gull early in the year that the local drought was limiting production and importing ethanol has proven to be “a drawn-out process and not a viable long-term option”, according to a Gull statement. “With limited local supply and imports, we can only obtain enough ethanol to support one fuel grade and we will continue to blend Gull Force 10 (E10),…

With motorsport dates wiped off the calendar for the foreseeable future, those series part way through a season have been left with not much choice but to call things early. This was the decision made by organizers for the 2020 Mazda Racing Series after cancelling the final two rounds set for Hampton Downs and Taupo, leaving the current points table to determine the final placings. Committee spokesperson Steve Spear says racing is highly unlikely to continue under current conditions: “As a committee we decided we had enjoyed a strong season and it was time to be realistic, crown our champions, and look forward to a full season in 2020–2021… We’re disappointed to miss running at Hampton Downs and Taupo to close our season off, but we’re not complaining, because everyone understands…