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Double podium on V8 SuperTourers debut! Hi and welcome to the first Issue of The Finish Line, an online e-Magazine where I will share the latest news and updates on my motor racing activities in New Zealand and Japan.
The first Issue comes at the closing of my first Endurance Round in the V8 SuperTourers with John McIntyre Racing, where ‘The Boss’ [John] and I took the #47 BlackwoodsProtector Ford Falcon FG to two third place finishes at the Father’s Day 400. It was a terrific turnaround after a poor qualifying performance saw us start both races back in the pack, but team work and consistency saw us finish each 200km leg in strong contention. More about that later! Throughout each section of The Finish Line, I’m proud to showcase the brands and products of my valued partners and associated race teams. Without their support and faith, I couldn’t go racing. So make sure you click through and support them just as they have done myself! The conclusion to my 2012 racing season will be very busy, with two more V8 SuperTourers Endurance races, two more Super Taikyu Endurance rounds in Japan with the PETRONAS Syntium Team, and the first two rounds of the South Island Endurance Series with Fastway Racing in their Porsche GT3 Cup 997. Pics, videos, media links and personal accounts of each in my own words will fill future issues of The Finish Line, so make sure you subscribe, share it around and enjoy what follows! Thanks for your support,
Jono Lester
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The Father’s Day 400
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My first event in the V8 SuperTourers - a new V8 racing category in its first season in New Zealand - came at the first of a 3-round endurance portion of the championship. For this series, I am paired with the recently crowned Sprint Series champion, John McIntyre. John is a 3x NZV8 Champion and Ford Performance Racing Enduro driver in Australia. Needless to say, I was confident in being paired with one of the best in the business for my first V8 touring car race! The first V8ST endurance event was the Father’s Day 400 at Taupo, which has two 200km, two-driver races making up the schedule. Being the JMR home circuit, and a track that both John and I have had a lot of success at in the past, there was a lot of pressure on us all heading into the weekend! We were happy with our pace during testing on Saturday, focussing on a slightly different ‘race format’ strategy than most of our rivals. This did hurt our qualifying pace however, and we only managed 8th and 16th between us in our two qualifying session. Despite this, we were quietly confident of how Sunday would pan out. After all, the team had been at Taupo since Wednesday morning, ensuring our pit stops, driver changes and team synergy was at the highest level possible. Sure enough, as a cool, sunny Sunday dawned; the entire JMR camp - including our #556 team mates Steven Richards and Will Bamber - were feeling good about the 120 laps of racing ahead.
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The Father’s Day 400 - continued
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John ran a full stint in the opening race, raising our car into a competitive 3rd position at the pit stop on lap 35. Our change went mostly without drama, and I rejoined under the safety car behind the lead pair of cars. At the restart, with fresh outside tyres, I felt the car was strong throughout, and in the latter part of my stint I was able to close the gap to the second place car of eventual round winners Scott McLaughlin and Jono Webb, to around 1-second. A small mistake through the fast turn 9 with five to go saw me lose a bit of ground, and with the big picture of John’s championship hopes in mind, I coaxed the 580hp V8 machine home to a pleasing 3rd place finish. The second race was a much harder task, starting back in 13th place, this time with myself at the wheel. Much commotion at the first corner saw me exit in 6th place, and after a slow start I picked off a couple of cars and handed the car over to John in 4th at the pit stop. This time around, we elected not to change tyres to save precious seconds in the pit lane, and John rejoined to hunt down the final podium spot, snatching another 3rd place finish for us in the closing laps of the race! In finishing 3rd overall for the round, we also ensured John maintains a healthy gap in the overall V8 SuperTourers points standings, although the ‘pace man’ of the series at present - Scott McLaughlin - is closing in fast. So, for the next round of the series at Pukekohe on October 27-28, we not only know who we need to beat, but also what we need to work on as a team to be even better and competing for race wins on New Zealand’s fastest circuit!
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On Press Technology and Innovation for the Flexible Packaging Industry
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My highlights from the Father’s Day 400
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Two 3rd placings for the #47 John and I sit in 3rd overall in the V8 SuperTourers Endurance Championship John now leads the overall 2012 V8 SuperTourers by 99 points from Scott McLaughlin Our race pace, fitness and strategy made up for a lack of qualifying speed A great start to the endurance series with a packed out parade, driver signing and ‘Fan Zone’ in Taupo central on Friday night Good airtime for our sponsors LIVE on TV3, and online ‘OnDemand’ thereafter
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Father’s Day 400 Photo Gallery
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S W E N T R O P S R O T O M T X S O E T B A N L I R ’S U D O N Y A L O A TT C E R I D NEW ZE D N A E N ONLI
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Father’s Day 400 Results Qualifying 1 (JM)
Qualifying 2 (JL)
1 McLaughlin/Webb 1:28.610 2 Perkins/Cassidy 1:28.770 3 Pedersen/Halliday 1:29.209 16 McIntyre/Lester 130.152
1 McLaughlin/Webb 1:28.737 2 Gaunt/Waite 1:28.803 3 Perkins/Cassidy 1:28.898 8 Scott McLaughlin 1:29.412
Race 1 (200km / 56 laps)
Race 2 (200km / 56 laps)
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Overall Round Points
1 Perkins/Cassidy 1 McLaughlin/Webb 1= McLaughlin/Webb 580 2 McLaughlin/Webb +5.310 2 Perkins/Cassidy +0.888 1= Perkins/Cassidy 580 3 McIntyre/Lester +6.547 3 McIntyre/Lester +12.458 3 McIntyre/Lester 486
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www.sony.co.nz/xplod
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Father’s Day 400 Photo Gallery
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Double podium for McIntyre & Lester in V8 SuperTourer enduro (Official Press Release)
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V8 SuperTourers’ sprint champion John McIntyre and co-driver Jono Lester secured third place in both long distance races at the V8 SuperTourer endurance event in Taupo on 2 September. McIntyre and Lester, supported by impeccable teamwork from the John McIntyre Racing crew, turned their starting positions of sixth in race one and 13th in race two into two hard-fought and well-deserved third places in the #47 Blackwoods Protector Falcon. “Overall it was an excellent weekend for John McIntyre Racing,” says McIntyre, the team’s owner and lead driver, from Nelson. “The speed with either car wasn’t quite there, but they were reliable and strong, we had solid race pace and our young co-drivers did a great job. With #47, we definitely had the fastest crew, who changed both right hand tyres during our pit stop in less time than it took for me and Jono to swap places. We really nailed the race strategy and I’m delighted with the overall results.” Lester, the 22-year-old international race driver formerly of Palmerston North and now residing in Auckland, was rapt to finish his first event with JMR so well. “I was quietly confident we could get a better result than our qualifying times indicated and it’s terrific to then secure two podium finishes. The last few laps of race two when John was battling with Richard Moore for third place were really intense.” The endurance event format saw V8 SuperTourer teams complete two 60 minute practice sessions on Saturday, then there were separate qualifying sessions for co-drivers and lead drivers. Originally scheduled to be 60 laps each, the two races on Sunday were shortened to 56 laps each when officials reviewed likely fuel usage versus tank capacity. Each driver had to start one race each with the start order determined by relative qualifying times. JMR’s strategy saw McIntyre and Richards start the first race - McIntyre gridded up sixth. McIntyre held off pitting until the last possible lap and took advantage of the safety car being called out on the same lap. With tyres holding up well, McIntyre was delighted to see Lester do a great job to wrap up the race with third place behind the pairings of Jack Perkins and Nick Cassidy, and Scott McLaughlin and Jonathan Webb. After the lunchtime break and a refuelling interval, Lester gridded up 13th. Team mate Will Bamber explains what came next. “Everyone went wide into turn one and with Jono behind me, we took an inside line. Then Andre Heimgartner’s engine blew right on the corner and several were caught up in that, so we both improved seven places coming out of turn one!”
McIntyre praised the young co-drivers. “They both showed really good judgement and Jono really set us up for another podium with #47 with the way he came through the first part of race two. Again we were in the lead when we pitted. When I came out, I was determined to catch Richard Moore just in front of me - I had to think about balancing pace against how much fuel was left, so to finish with a second podium position was excellent.”
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YouTube Featured Video
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Check out this on-board footage in the John McIntyre Racing #47 V8 SuperTourer, during practice for the Father’s Day 400 at Taupo.
Missed the race action? Catch it OnDemand by clicking here.
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Recent Media snippets
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New Zealand Herald - 5th September
Manawatu Standard - 28th August
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Put your money where your heart in your mouth is
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Recent Media snippets - web links CRC motornews.co.nz
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speedcafe.co.nz
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STM PROJECT 86
FOLLOW JONO AND THE TEAM WITH THEIR NEW TOYOTA 86
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Closing Notes
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Next event:
South Island Endurance Series Round One Teretonga Park, Invercargill 28-29 September, 2012 Driving the Fastway Racing Porsche GT3 997
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Remaining events on the 2012 Calendar: 28-29 Sep 12-13 Oct 20-21 Oct 27-28 Oct 10-11 Nov 24-25 Nov
SI Endurance SI Endurance Super Taikyu V8 SuperTourers Super Taikyu V8 SuperTourers
Round 1 Round 2 Round 5 Round 2 Round 6 Round 3
Invercargill Timaru Suzuka Pukekohe Autopolis Christchurch
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Fastway Racing Fastway Racing PETRONAS JMR PETRONAS JMR
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For all your Signage, Poster and Display requirements. Proudly supporting Jono Lester.
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Finally, a big thank you to my supporting Partners!
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