1998 New Zealand Grand Prix

Last updated
1998 New Zealand Grand Prix
Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Grand Prix Circuit).svg
Race details
Date6 December 1998
Official name XLIV New Zealand Grand Prix
Location Ruapana Park, Christchurch, New Zealand
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.841 km (1.765 miles)
Distance 34 laps, 96.6 km (60 miles)
Weather Light rain/overcast
Pole position
Driver SH Racing
Time 1:15.782
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy Greg Murphy Racing
Time 1:17.031 on lap 32
Podium
First Birrana Racing
Second SH Racing
Third Greg Murphy Racing

The 1998 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Ruapana Park near Christchurch on 6 December 1998. This event marked the events return after a two-year hiatus. It was the forty-fourth New Zealand Grand Prix and was the first to be run to Formula Holden regulations. The event also served as part of the briefly revived Tasman Series.

Contents

The event was won by Simon Wills driving for Birrana Racing, while Scott Dixon and Greg Murphy rounded out the podium.

Background

Ever since the inaugural event in 1950, the New Zealand Grand Prix had attracted some of the best racing drivers from home and abroad, with the honours roll consisting of some of the greatest drivers in the sports history. However, by the turn of the 1990s, the relevance of the event began to wane and eventually culminated in the 1995 iteration only receiving seven entries. The event would lay dormant for two years before making its return in 1998, with the aim to restore the status of the marquee event back to its golden years.

Running to Formula Holden regulations, the grid contained drivers from a mixture of different backgrounds. This included front-running drivers in the Australian Drivers' Championship, which also utilised Formula Holden cars. An array of local drivers were also entered, one of whom was former All Blacks player, Graham Sims. There were also three international drivers, which included Wouter van Eeuwijk from the Netherlands, Robert Lechner from Austria and Akihiro Asai from Japan, who had also been running in the Australian Drivers' Championship that season. [1]

The favourites heading into the event were Greg Murphy and Scott Dixon. Murphy had won the 1994 iteration of the event and by this stage was an established driver throughout the Australasian motor racing scene. Dixon was still in his formative years of racing but had won the national Formula First and Formula Ford championships back-to-back. He had also competed in the Australian Drivers' Championship the previous year, finishing third, and would go on to win the championship later this year.

Race report

Dixon once again proved his pace by securing the pole position, setting a time almost eight-tenths faster than the second-placed driver, Simon Wills. The Birrana Racing driver was regarded as a promising talent but compared to the likes of Dixon especially, had a disappointing season in British Formula Three and was thus never regarded as a favourite for the race. The preliminary race held on Saturday and Wills defied the critics by capatilising on a mistake from Dixon to take victory. Dixon had not only lost places to Wills off the start, but also to Murphy. Australian-based Kiwi Chris Staff spun on lap two, losing a bundle of positions while Dixon eventually wormed his way past Murphy at turn one a couple laps later. Dixon left Murphy behind but Wills was able to stabilise the gap and even with having to negotiate traffic every so often, never ceded position to the fast-charging Dixon. With a couple laps remaining, Dixon resigned himself to second place and Wills crossed to line 3.3 seconds ahead of his fellow Aucklander.

Two drivers - Lechner and Ross Rutherford - would be forced to withdraw from the race. Lechner owing to internal disputes with NRC Racing while Rutherford was thwarted by a lack of spare parts. Minutes before the start, light rain started to fall upon the circuit. This made track conditions quite slippery and resulted in Murphy and Asai spinning on the formation lap. Off the line, Dixon once again got a poor start and lost a bundle of positions. Wills shot through to the lead while van Eeuwijk scythed through to second place. The elation for the Dutchman was short-lived as he would be taken out of the race by Murphy at turn three on the first lap, with the Kiwi misjudging the track conditions. In the melee, Murphy fell right down the order while up the front, Dixon had worked his way up to Wills and passed him for the lead. Soon after, cars down the field began to drop out of the race. Sims had retired on lap four due to a faulty clutch while the Birrana car of Brenton Ramsay went out with a valve spring. Asai would once again be caught out by the conditions and retired from the race on lap 20.

Dixon had established an affirmative lead early on. However, as the race wore on, Wills began to rein him in. Feeling the pressure, Dixon ran wide at the first corner as Wills got to within one second of his lead. A couple corners later, Wills had taken the lead. Dixon, desperate to keep up, speared off the circuit just a couple corners later with the greasy track conditions catching him out. Once again, Dixon was forced to remain content with second place as, even without the mistake, Wills' pace was so absolute that, save for a mistake, the result was beyond doubt. Wills crossed the line to take victory with Dixon in second and Murphy a distant third.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeGrid
135 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon SH Racing1:15.7821
28 Flag of New Zealand.svg Simon Wills Birrana Racing 1:16.6332
322 Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy Greg Murphy Racing 1:17.0933
412 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris StaffChallenge Recruitment Racing1:17.4754
57 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jason LieftingRalt Australia1:17.6095
619 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Wouter van EeuwijkNRC Racing1:17.6376
774 Flag of Japan.svg Akihiro Asai Chris Hocking Racing1:17.7477
89 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brenton Ramsay Birrana Racing 1:18.5708
96 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham Sims 1:20.9049
1015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les CramptonSun Wipes Formula Racing Team1:22.16110
1124 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian PetersPeters Racing1:22.35511
1269 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Damien DigbyDamien Digby Racing1:22.36112
-28 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger OakshottBarshott Racingno time13
Source(s): [2]

Race

PosNo.DriverTeamLapsTimeGrid
18 Flag of New Zealand.svg Simon Wills Birrana Racing 3448min 23.870sec2
235 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon SH Racing34+ 8.3201
322 Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy Greg Murphy Racing 34+ 24.4913
47 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jason LieftingRalt Australia33+ 1 lap5
512 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris StaffChallenge Recruitment Racing32+ 2 laps4
615 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les CramptonSun Wipes Formula Racing Team31+ 3 laps10
769 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Damien DigbyDamien Digby Racing30+ 4 laps12
824 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian PetersPeters Racing29+ 5 laps11
Ret74 Flag of Japan.svg Akihiro Asai Chris Hocking Racing20Spun off7
Ret28 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger OakshottBarshott Racing19Retired13
Ret9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brenton Ramsay Birrana Racing 10Valve spring8
Ret6 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham Sims 4Clutch9
Ret19 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Wouter van EeuwijkNRC Racing0Spun off6
Wth Flag of Austria.svg Robert LechnerNRC RacingWithdrawn
Wth Flag of New Zealand.svg Ross RutherfordWithdrawn
Fastest lap: Greg Murphy (Greg Murphy Racing) - 1:17.031 on lap 32
Source(s):

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Hulme</span> New Zealand racing driver (1936–1992)

Denis Clive Hulme was a New Zealand racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1965 to 1974. Nicknamed "The Bear", Hulme won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1967 with Brabham, and won eight Grands Prix across 10 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Grand Prix</span> Motor race held in Australia

The Australian Grand Prix is an annual motor racing event which is under contract to host Formula One until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Grand Prix has moved frequently with 23 different venues having been used since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. The race became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1985. Since 1996, it has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, it was held in Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vern Schuppan</span> Australian racing driver (born 1943)

Vernon John Schuppan is a retired Australian motor racing driver. Schuppan drove in various categories, participating in Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and most successfully in sports car racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formula Holden</span> Former Single-Seater Racing Championship

Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category introduced in 1989.

Simon Peter Wills is a former racing driver who currently runs a graphic design business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Murphy</span> New Zealand racing driver

Gregory David Murphy is a New Zealand professional racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and James May presenting Top Gear Live, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from 12 to 15 February 2009, and again when the show returned in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Walker (racing driver)</span> Australian racing driver (1941–2024)

David Walker was an Australian racing driver who drove for Lotus in the 1971 and 1972 Formula One World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Jones (racing driver)</span> Australian racing driver (born 1960)

Bradley Jones is an Australian former racing driver. Jones now acts as team co-principal with his brother Kim in the V8 Supercar racing team, Brad Jones Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandown Raceway</span> Motorsport track in Victoria, Australia

Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in the suburb of Springvale in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately 25 km (16 mi) south east of the city centre. Sandown is considered a power circuit with its "drag strip" front and back straights being 899 and 910 m long respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euromarque Motorsport Park</span>

Euromarque Motorsport Park is a permanent motor racing circuit owned and operated by the Canterbury Car Club Inc on land leased from the Christchurch City Council. It is located at 107 Hasketts Road in Templeton, 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) west of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was opened as Ruapana Park in 1963, and between 2004 and 2013 was known as Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park. Mike Pero joined the circuit as title sponsor from 2013–2023, as Mike Pero Motorsport Park. In the early parts of February 2023, the sponsorship deal was over, and Euromarque became the new title sponsor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Bartlett (racing driver)</span> Australian motor racing driver

Kevin Reginald Bartlett, often known by his nickname "KB", is an Australian former open wheel and touring car racing driver who won the Australian Drivers' Championship in 1968 and 1969, as well as the prestigious Bathurst 1000 in 1974. Bartlett was named in Wheels magazine's annual yearbook in 2004 as one of Australia's 50 greatest race drivers. He placed #15 on the list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon</span> Motorsport race track in New Zealand

Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon is a motor sport circuit located in Feilding, New Zealand. It was built by the Manawatu Car Club in 1973 as a purpose-built course. In 1990 extra land was acquired and the circuit extension built, bringing Manfeild up to international standards. The circuit was renamed the Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon, in honour of former New Zealand Formula One driver Chris Amon, on 25 November 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teretonga Park</span>

Teretonga is a 2.570 km (1.597 mi) motor racing circuit situated 8 km (5.0 mi) south-west of Invercargill, New Zealand. It is home of the Southland Sports Car Club. The circuit was established in 1957 and is the southernmost FIA-recognised race track in the world. It is also the country's oldest purpose-built venue.

Frank GardnerOAM was a racing driver from Australia. Born in Sydney, he was best known for touring car racing, winning the British Saloon Car Championship three times, and sports car racing driver but he was also a top flight open wheeler driver. He was European Formula 5000 champion, and participated in nine World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 11 July 1964. He scored no championship points. Gardner also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races and his results included a third placing at the 1965 Mediterranean Grand Prix at the Autodromo di Pergusa in Sicily, fourth in the 1965 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch and third in the 1971 International Gold Cup at Oulton Park. He participated each year in the open wheeler Tasman Series held in New Zealand and Australia during the European winter, and shared the grids with the likes of Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt and won the New Zealand Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Grand Prix</span> Annual motor racing event in New Zealand

The New Zealand Grand Prix, sometimes known as the New Zealand International Grand Prix, is an annual motor racing event held in New Zealand. First held in 1950, it is best known for hosting rounds of the Tasman Series in the 1960s and 1970s. It is currently run as the signature race of the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

The 1972 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for cars complying with the Tasman Formula, which admitted both Formula 5000 and 2-litre racing cars. It was held at Sandown International Raceway, Victoria, Australia on 20 February 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Geoghegan</span> Australian racing driver

Leo Francis Geoghegan was an Australian racing driver. He was the elder of two sons of former New South Wales car dealer Tom Geoghegan, both of whom become dominant names in Australian motor racing in the 1960s. While his younger brother Ian "Pete" Geoghegan had much of his success in touring car racing, winning five Australian Touring Car Championships, Leo spent most of his racing career in open wheel racing cars.

The 1994 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing competition open to drivers of racing cars complying with CAMS Formula Brabham regulations. The championship winner was awarded the 1994 CAMS Gold Star as the Australian Champion Driver. It was the 38th running of the Australian Drivers' Championship and the sixth to feature the Formula Holden / Formula Brabham category which had been developed during 1988. The championship began on 17 April 1994 at Eastern Creek Raceway and ended on 28 August at Oran Park Raceway after six rounds.

The 2000 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Formula Holden regulations. The title was contested over an 8-round, 16 race series with the winner awarded the 2000 CAMS Gold Star. The championship, which was promoted as the 2000 Holden Australian Drivers' Championship, was the 44th Australian Drivers' Championship and the 12th to be contested with Formula Holden or Formula Brabham cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 New Zealand Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 2000 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Pukekohe Park Raceway near Auckland on 2 December 2000. It was the forty-sixth New Zealand Grand Prix and was open to Formula Holden cars. This was the first time the marque event had been held at the Pukekohe circuit since 1991, and following the demolition of the circuit in 2023, it would also prove to be the last time the event would be held here.

References

  1. "Tasman Express New Zealand GP Preview" . Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  2. "Simon Wills Wins New Zealand Grand Prix". Speedsport Ltd. December 1998. pp. 12–17, 60.
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix
1998
Succeeded by