Media release

Start your engines
News
Mark Sammut is officially the fastest Computerworld reader
By Forsyth Thompson Auckland |

Like many readers I'm sure, my eyes glaze over once any kind of briefing begins. Maybe it's too many years of listening to PR presentations, but whatever, as a general rule, 7pm on a Thursday evening, after an hour in the bar, is not the best time to be imparting information to me.

But then again, when the person concerned is former New Zealand racing champion Mark Russ and he's holding a baby F1 steering wheel (you know the sort: it comes complete with buttons and lights, and makes your palms sweat just thinking about driving the car that it's attached to), and he's talking about apexes, slicks and wets, spins and gear changes, well, it's a bit different.

All 22 of us were in Taupo to take part in the final Ricoh Formula Challenge for 2006. There is a bit of a quantum leap between picking the results of Formula 1 races and getting into such a car, where you're almost lying down and you feel like you're a bare inch above a very hard racetrack. This is precisely the difference that Craig and Charlie, from Formula Challenge, were trying to get across to us.

The following morning, out at the Taupo racetrack, Craig talked us through a race lap, with everyone looking much less confident than they were the previous night. The 13 corners on what he repeatedly described as "a real driver's circuit" didn't look at all easy. I wanted to point out that I have a diesel 4WD and don't do acceleration, but for some reason I didn't.
We were broken into four groups of five cars, with the fastest driver from each car, after three rounds, going through to the shoot-out, with the fastest lap-time determining the winner. Confused? We were.
But Craig and Charlie were old hands and, largely, managed to keep us all in the right place at the right time. With the heavy morning rain, even their best advice couldn't keep many of us on the circuit, however. I never knew so many ICT managers were interested in farming, but they must be, given how much time many of them spent on the grass.

Lap times got noticeably quicker as the rained eased off towards lunch-time. Suddenly, they were around the one minute, 30 second mark that we'd been told to aim for. In fact, those who went on to the shoot-out, to determine the overall champion, were all very close to the top of the running leader-board the Formula Challenge team run.

The final saw Mark Sammut take out the overall prize, followed by Mark Gibbison and Tony Lange.

Great effort guys. Here's looking to next year's race day.

Photos: Max Wong

Copyright © Fairfax Business Media

Taupo tourists kit up for speed thrill

They look like Formula One cars, they sound like Formula One cars, and they offer seat of your pants excitement that only motorsport can offer. Now, thanks to a fast growing New Zealand company, tourists, car enthusiasts and special groups can have a go at driving a genuine racecar around a high-speed racetrack.

The company that bought Formula One style racing to New Zealand racetracks is now offering a once in a lifetime motorsport experience at an internationally spec'd race track in Taupo.

Formula Challenge racing is already well known to New Zealanders, thanks to regular screened racing on television's programme, Shell Helix Motorsport, and for giving new and experienced drivers the opportunity to speed around a professional-level racetrack from its Taupo driving school

This year, following a $13million upgrade of the facility, the company relocated its headquarters to the heart of the Taupo Raceway, where it will offer full sales conference facilities overlooking the track, twelve genuine Formula Challenge racecars, professional drivers, and even a V8 racecar.

Customers book to drive a car, partake in a safety briefing and tuition, and get kitted up in safety gear, driving suit and helmet, before getting behind the wheel. A session is usually around ten laps per driver or six on the new larger circuit, and as most people don't get to drive a single seater in their lives, is a completely unique experience. For those that don't want to self-drive, there is also an option to be driven by a professional driver in a V8 - or to try both.

So how fast is fast? The cars go from 0-100 in 3.8 seconds, and will reach up to 140km/hour on the back straight.

"It may seem fast but it's a completely different environment and the cars, which are the same as those which are professionally raced in New Zealand, are geared down for first time drivers," says Formula Challenge Marketing Director, Charles Dawson. "Each driver goes at their own pace - there is no requirement to go fast or slow."

Dawson compares the experience to jumping out of an aeroplane. "It's an adventure sport," he enthuses. "It's popular with both men and women, for anybody over 14 years of age."

The Formula Challenge facility will include a full sales and conference room, a classroom, changing room and full safety gear. Companies can book the conference room and track for a day or half day, as well as 3-6 Formula Challenge and V8 cars. Dawson says it is proving a very popular activity for rewarding sales people or incentivising customers. "Motorsport is a high performance game that needs sharp reactions, tactics and strategy, much like sales," says Dawson Formula Challenge is located at the Taupo Raceway, ten minutes from Taupo township, on the corner of Centennial Drive and Broadlands Road.

(Scroll mouse over Workshop image for
Map of the circuit)

(ends)