Eight Rookie drivers have signed up for the 2008 NZ Lites Jetsprint Championship. NZ Lites is the name for the development class in the Parker ENZED Jetsprint Championships. However with around 500 horsepower (375 KW) available from their 7litre V8 engines and a small alloy hull, the only thing light weight about them is their mass.  

This seasons development class rookies include a handful of complete novices, some young chargers looking to make a name for themselves, and a couple of die hard Jetsprint supporters who at last get to have a go for themselves. 

Hamilton father and son team, Mark and Sam Newdick will debut this season. Neither father Mark, nor son Sam has competed in any form of Motorsport before. Mark was drawn to Jetsprinting as sponsor for Steve McCafferty and Robert Stubbs last season, and will form a two boat - four driver team supported by Mark’s business Drainage Systems. Turakina’s Steve Fouhy has also joined the sport from the sponsor’s marquee after supporting Richard Burt’s team last season. With wife Denise navigating, Steve will be behind the wheel to experience the thrills first hand this year. Northland’s Denis Crene is also a novice in Motorsport, but Denis has been planning his 2008 debut carefully and could surprise with his pace.

Daniel Tall and Adam Poulsen fall into the ‘young charger’ category. Christchurch’s Tall joins as a Jetsprint rookie this season and is expected to utilise his Motorsport experience to make his presence felt. Adam Poulsen drives Jetsprint Boats for a living at the AgroDome entertainment complex in Rotorua. Adam will be hoping to provide a strong challenge in his first attempt at the championship. In the ‘seen it all’ category, Christchurch Jetboat stalwarts Clark Marshall and Mike Harris will each drive their new Jetsprint machine after years helping the sport in the pits and with event organisation. Marshall and Harris have been invited to race for the USA AMF Racing team which will debut in New Zealand this season. AMF will enter a team in each of the three classes at Parker ENZED Championships for 2008.

Last seasons NZ Lites championship challengers David Stone (Manawatu), Jeremy Bull (Wanganui), and Don Wood (Upper Hutt) will all be back behind the wheel in NZ Lites this season and are expected to resume their battle at the front of the field. Current NZ Lites Champion Brian Kelly has stepped up to Jetpro Group A for this season as has fellow Tauranga driver Deane Allen. That leaves Stone, Bull and Wood as NZ Lites favourites. However don’t discount series regulars Collins Brown (Masterton) and Graeme Jones of Piopio. 2007 debutants Bill Swan (Lower Hutt) and Simon Callaghan (Featherston) could also move to the front of the pack this season.

Among the rookies, Tall, Poulsen and Sam Newdick are all young chargers and may surprise the more experienced teams. However the more worldly wise approach of Crene, Marshall, Harris, Fouhy and Mark Newdick could provide the formula to do well in the championship. The first test for all the teams will be at Round One of the Parker ENZED Championships in Wanganui at Christmas. The Jetsprint Racing is on the 27th December, the day after the legendary Boxing Day Cemetery Circuit Motorcycle races on Wanganui’s streets. We will all have to wait until then to sort the form from the bravado. Check www.jetpro.co.nz for more event details.

Rookie influx to Jetsprint NZ Lites, Media Release – 4th October 2007 by Jetpro        

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