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Parker ENZED Jetsprint Championship |
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 22nd January 2008
Gisborne set to shake again on Saturday
By Jetpro
Gisborne is set to once again shake to big horsepower excitement when round two of the Parker ENZED Jetsprint Championship returns to town on Saturday (26/1). A top quality field of 40 Jetsprint teams have entered the twilight event at Gisborne’s Electinet Thunderpark Jetsprint Circuit which is located right next door to Gisborne Airport.
 and peter briantxx.jpg "Rex and Peter Briant") Beaurepaires Superboats are always the crowd favourite, with 1000 horsepower being the norm in the unrestricted methanol burning machines, they are a fearsome experience. Front runners entered include Taupo’s Bryan Smith, Wanganui’s Duncan Wilson, and Putaruru’s Daryl Hutton all in ‘Big Block’ powered boats of over 10,000 cc capacity. Other front runners in Beaurepaires Superboats include Palmerston North’s Richard Burt who has a ‘small block’ engine of ‘only’ 8200 cc capacity but has the advantage of a lower weight unit. Auckland’s Graeme Mincham will also fight for the win in his supercharged small block weapon, while Pat Dillon of Wanganui will add his Ford powered supercharged machine to the battle. The Hutt Valley’s Ian Ferguson should finally get to debut his 11,500 cc Big Block machine, and Taupo’s Darren Macfarlane will take the Beaurepaires Superboat field to eight with his supercharged rig.
 Smith took the win at round one ahead of Wilson who has just stepped up to run with the Beaurepaires Big Boys. Hutton currently holds third after accepting the generous loan of Smith’s boat at round one, when his own boat was rendered inoperative at the last minute. Mincham has picked up support from new sponsor Rylock and was challenging for a top 2 spot at round one before having to settle for fourth behind Hutton. Burt suffered from a lack of testing at round one and was out early, but can be expected to be on the front pace at Gisborne.
The set mechanical formula of the Chemz Group A boats always provides a close fight in the Parker ENZED Championship, and the 2008 season looks like being the most close fought ever. The win at round one went to Rex Briant by just 9/100ths of a second, a mere blink of an eye, and the battle will be no less intense at Gisborne.
World Champion Superboater Peter Briant has joined his brother Rex in the Chemz Group A competition for 2008 and will be looking to win at home after placing fourth at round one. The battle of the Briant’s will be titanic at Gisborne with both brothers used to winning at home, but as Peter Briant has acknowledged, there are at least half a dozen drivers who have every chance of winning the Chemz Group A battle. Others expected to pitch into the battle for the win include Lower Hutt’s Ray Ferguson who took third ahead of Peter Briant at round one, Baden Gray (Auckland) and Bevan Muir (Thames) who share the same immaculate Toyota sponsored boat, and Levin’s Andrew Guthrie who has a new boat from Peter Cauhey’s Sprintec factory.
2007 Jetpro NZ Lites Champion Bryan Kelly is also expected to feature in the battle at the front after finishing 5th in his first time out in Chemz Group A. Don’t discount the Hutt Valleys Shane Wood either, Wood and navigator Lisa MacGibbon had a wild ride into the safety fence at Wanganui after their engine stalled at high speed during qualifying, but they were back on the horse-power 30 minutes later to take a brave 8th place.
The Jetpro NZ Lites provides the starting opportunity for up and coming Jetsprint Racers learning the game, with 8 rookie drivers entered Jetpro NZ Lites are sure to provide some thrills for the crowd and their drivers. Piopio’s Graeme Jones was the surprise of the class at round one, fighting for the win in his second year behind the wheel. But the experience of Dave Stone was too much for Jones last round, with Jones taking a career best 2nd place behind Stone. Upper Hutt’s Don Wood was a regular on the podium in 2007, his third place at round one sets his championship up well. Of the Rookies at round one, Northland’s Denis Crene got everyone’s respect with a fine fourth place on debut, ahead of another rookie, Daniel Tall of Christchurch. After a year on overseas study, Matt Brown of Masterton returns to the Parker ENZED Championship Series at Gisborne.
Teenager Brown was just 17 when he last competed in Jetsprinting two years ago, having made a strong impression back then, Brown is one to watch out for.
The Gisborne meeting kicks off with qualifying from 11am. The all action elimination racing begins at 5pm at this twilight Parker ENZED Championship meeting.
Photo credits 1/ All with title prefix IT – Ian Thornton (IT – DSC ….) 2/ Briant’s mug shot – H2O Full Throttle Magazine (XO8X ….)
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