Craig Baird in F5000 action. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell
They say that if you want a job done give it to a busy man and at MotorSport New Zealand’s annual Tier 1 meeting at Christchurch’s Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna Park on Sunday that man was defending Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge champion and NZV8s category front-runner Craig Baird.
Though one of the only drivers at the meeting to be contesting not one but two championship classes, the 21-time New Zealand champion made the time to join MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series regulars Ian Clements, Tony Richards, Sefton Gibb, Russell Greer and Lindsay O’Donnell a special lunchbreak demonstration run to promote the upcoming Lady Wigram Trophy round of the 2009/10 MSC series at the Christchurch track.
F5000 Tasman Cup Revival. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell
Baird expressed interest in ‘having a drive in one of those 5000s’ on Friday and when local Lola T430 owner David Abbott found out he was quick to offer the Hamilton-born but now Queensland, Australia-based driver his car for the lunchtime demo run on Sunday.
And what did Baird think?
“I loved it,” he said. “Absolutely loved it. As I said to David, I didn’t want to go out there and drive it fast or anything, I just wanted to drive one to get a feel for it – tick the box if you like.”
Though Baird is best known these days as a tin-top specialist the now 39-year-old pioneered the well-worn current route from karts to single-seaters, winning the New Zealand Formula Ford championship as a 16-year-old before graduating to the Formula Pacific class here and eventually the Formula 3000 one in the UK.
So how did the Abbott Lola T430 compare?
Baird and car owner David Abbott. Photo: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell
“I was thinking about the last time I drove a single-seater,” he said, “but, you know, what it reminded me of more was my old TraNZam. It had the same sort of power, the same sort of big tyres and not much downforce. Obviously its got more (downforce) than a Porsche or an NZV8 but power-wise it’s closer to the TranZam. There’s a lot of it but, you know, it’s nice power, not nasty power, power you can really enjoy.”
Sunday’s meeting at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway @ Ruapuna Park was the last major one at the Christchurch circuit this year with a full field of the crowd-pleasing MSC F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series cars headlining the first major meeting of the New Year at the circuit, the Lady Wigram Trophy meeting, over the January 09-10 weekend.
ends
Photos: There is 1 x pic of Craig Baird in action in the car, 1 x pic of Baird and car owner David Abbott and 1 x pic of Baird and the five other drivers, Lindsay O’Donnell (Begg FM5), and Tony Richards, Ian Clements, Sefton Gibb and Russell Greer (all Lola T332s) together during the lunchbreak demo at the Tier 1 meeting at the New Zealand circuit. Photo Credit: Fast Company/Alex Mitchell
2009/10 MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series
Rnd 1: November 14-15 2009 MG Classic meeting Manfeild Feilding
Rnd 2: January 08-10 2010 Lady Wigram Trophy meeting Powerbuilt Tools Raceway @ Ruapuna Park Christchurch
Rnd 3: January 22-24 2010 NZ Festival of Motor Racing – celebrating Bruce McLaren Hampton Downs north Waikato
Rnd 4: January 29-31 2010 NZ Festival of Motor Racing – celebrating Bruce McLaren Pukekohe Park Raceway Pukekohe
Rnd 5: March 19-21 2010 VHRR Phillip Island Classic meeting Phillip Island Australia
Rnd 6: Mar 25-28 2010 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix Albert Park Melbourne Aust
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Last 5 posts in F5000 Tasman Cup
- Australian Grand Prix Support Slot Confirmed For Second Year - December 16th, 2009
- McLaren Trophy Back In Hyde's Hands (Event Report) - November 16th, 2009
- Hyde Back To His MSC F5000 Series Best At Manfeild (Day 1 Report) - November 16th, 2009
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