1999 New Zealand Grand Prix

Last updated
1999 New Zealand Grand Prix
Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Grand Prix Circuit).svg
Race details
Date6 December 1999
Official name XLV New Zealand Grand Prix
Location Ruapana Park, Christchurch, New Zealand
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 2.841 km (1.765 miles)
Distance 40 laps, 113.64 km (70.60 miles)
Weather Fine
Pole position
Driver Birrana Racing
Time 1:16.587
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of New Zealand.svg Simon Wills Birrana Racing
Time 1:16.584
Podium
First Birrana Racing
Second SH Racing
Third Challenge Racing

The 1999 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Ruapana Park near Christchurch on 6 December 1999. It was the forty-fifth New Zealand Grand Prix and was open to Formula Holden cars.

Contents

The event was won by Simon Wills for the second consecutive time. Likewise, Scott Dixon claimed second place, as he did in the previous years event. Matt Halliday rounded out the podium driving for Challenge Racing. [1]

Race report

Heading into the weekend, Wills and Dixon were regarded as the favourites, although the added presence of Craig Lowndes added intrigue to the marquee event. However, the three-time V8 Supercar champion encountered engine problems throughout practice. It wouldn't be until the latter stages of practice where these issues were at least partially rectified. Other drivers encountering engine issues were Andy Booth and Ian Peters.

Dixon qualified on pole position for the preliminary race, with he and Wills being the only drivers to set times in the 1:16 bracket. Pole position for the Grand Prix went to Wills after Dixon encountered a CV joint failure and was forced to start from fourth on the grid. Halliday was forced to abandon a late push lap after running off the road on a slow-down lap, damaging the radiators and forcing him into the pitlane. Wills' teammate, Brenton Ramsay, would take second in the session to make it an all-Birrana Racing front row for the Grand Prix.

Disaster struck early for Kevin Bell as the local driver was forced to withdraw after writing off his Reynard 91D in a self-inflicted crash in the warmup. In the preliminary race, Dixon led away at the start from Wills. On the next tour around, Wills attempted an overtake on his fellow Aucklander down into turn one. The pair collided and Dixon was sent into a spin. Dixon retreated to the pits and would eventually finish the race eleventh and two laps down. From that point on, Wills remained unchallenged to the flag and took the preliminary race win. A safety car was brought out midway through the race as Booth's stranded car was recovered. Down the pack, Lowndes squabbled with Halliday over the podium positions until the former was caught out by a backmarker and sent down the order. Ramsay held station to take second place despite an enormous amount of pressure put on by Halliday and Jason Liefting.

Along with Bell, Dean Cockerton and Mark Ellis withdrew from the event preceding the Grand Prix. Wills led the field away from the line and an incident caused by Christian Murchison at the hairpin allowed the likes of Wills, Halliday and Dixon to breakaway from the field immediately. Murchison received a drive-through penalty for his misdemeanor. Dixon passed Halliday for second place on lap two and set off for Wills in hot pursuit. Immediately however, it was apparent that the Birrana racer was in a class of one that day. The gap never dipping under the three second bracket and the pair left to negotiate a lonely, processional race. Unbeknownst to the watching public, an array of cars were experiencing issues. Dixon's car suffered an intermittent misfire with faulty electrics. Although he conceded that Wills would have been nigh on impossible to catch and overtake regardless. Halliday's front wing had worked its way loose at some point during the race, drastically reducing the downforce on his car. Nevertheless, the youngster was able to bring his Challenge Racing car home in third. Liefting's car meanwhile was experiencing overheating issues and drastically reduced its power down the straights. Crowd favourite Lowndes came home a disappointing eighth while 17-year old prospect Paul Dumbrell finished an admirable sixth.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNo.DriverTeamTimeGrid
18 Flag of New Zealand.svg Simon Wills Birrana Racing 1:16.5871
29 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brenton Ramsay Birrana Racing 1:16.9742
312 Flag of New Zealand.svg Matt Halliday Challenge Racing1:17.1613
435 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon SH Racing1:17.3734
525 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jason LieftingNRC International1:17.4285
675 Flag of New Zealand.svg Andy Booth Hocking Motorsport1:17.6476
711 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes Challenge Racing1:17.9337
87 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Dumbrell Wynns Racing1:17.9858
910 Flag of New Zealand.svg Kevin BellENZED Racing1:18.7939
1074 Flag of Japan.svg Yudai Igarashi Hocking Motorsport1:18.99310
1166 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Hill Greg Murphy Racing 1:19.70511
1269 Flag of New Zealand.svg Daynom Templeman Greg Murphy Racing 1:19.79712
1324 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian PetersPeters Racing1:20.84413
1415 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Crampton1:20.89914
158 Flag of New Zealand.svg Dean Cockerton1:21.66015
1617 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Ellis1:21.68816
1740 Flag of New Zealand.svg Stan Redman1:22.61617
1828 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger Oakeshott1:23.55518
1918 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Turnbull1:28.75819
2025 Flag of Singapore.svg Christian Murchison 1:30.85320
Source(s): [2]

Race

PosNo.DriverTeamLapsTimeGrid
18 Flag of New Zealand.svg Simon Wills Birrana Racing 3443min 47.174sec1
235 Flag of New Zealand.svg Scott Dixon SH Racing34+ 8.5934
312 Flag of New Zealand.svg Matt Halliday Challenge Racing34+ 25.5332
425 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jason LieftingNRC International34+ 36.1765
59 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brenton Ramsay Birrana Racing 34+ 1:11.8522
67 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Dumbrell Wynns Racing33+ 1 lap8
724 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian PetersPeters Racing33+ 1 lap
811 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes Challenge Racing33+ 1 lap
925 Flag of Singapore.svg Christian Murchison 33+ 1 lap
1015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Crampton33+ 1 lap
1169 Flag of New Zealand.svg Daynom Templeman Greg Murphy Racing 32+ 2 laps
1240 Flag of New Zealand.svg Stan Redman31+ 3 laps
1318 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Turnbull30+ 4 laps
1428 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger Oakeshott29+ 5 laps
Ret75 Flag of New Zealand.svg Andy Booth Hocking Motorsport29Retired
Ret74 Flag of Japan.svg Yudai Igarashi Hocking Motorsport8Retired
Ret66 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Hill Greg Murphy Racing 5Retired
DNS10 Flag of New Zealand.svg Kevin BellENZED Racing0Warmup crash9
DNS8 Flag of New Zealand.svg Dean Cockerton0Did Not Start15
DNS17 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Ellis0Did Not Start16
Fastest lap: Simon Wills (Brianna Racing) - 1:16.584
Source(s):

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References

  1. "Two in a Row for Wills". Speedsport Ltd. December 1999. pp. 31–38.
  2. "Wills and Dixon fight on at Ruapana" . Retrieved 8 June 2022.
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix
1999
Succeeded by