GULL TO CEASE E85 FUEL

Massive news from the automotive industry that heavily affects not only street cars but also motorsports. New Zealand petroleum giant, Gull NZ, has announced that it will be permanently withdrawing Force Pro (E85) from its retail sites and sales to third-party suppliers. The news comes after disruption to the blending of Gull Force Pro due to the ethanol supply constraints that saw a shortage of the product. Primary ethanol supplier Fonterra notified Gull early in the year that the local drought was limiting production, and importing ethanol has proven to be “a drawn-out process and not a viable longterm option”, according to a Gull statement. “With limited local supply and imports we can only obtain enough ethanol to support one fuel grade and we will continue to blend Gull Force 10 (E10), which remains available at most North Island Gull sites for the foreseeable future.”

“We thank all of our Gull Force Pro fans, weekend warriors and semi-pros alike, as well as our very own Gull athletes and partners, for your loyalty and support over the past years. We have loved seeing you run your beasts on the good stuff and have thoroughly enjoyed witnessing communities of motorsport out on the track and gravel, so devoted to their hobbies and passion projects.

“We would also like to make a shout-out to our good friends at the Autostore, proud suppliers of Gull Force Pro drums, who will endeavour to blend their own E85 moving forward, pending ethanol supplies.”

As we see progress back to normality, and event organizers issue revised schedules, local governing body MSNZ has unveiled its ‘back in motion’ plan, which outlines how motor racing– related events can take place under Covid-19 restrictions.

The document looks at issues such as hygiene requirements, social distancing protocols, and the number of people allowed at events. It stipulates that up to 100 people — excluding officials and volunteers — are allowed in outdoor spaces, with up to 10 people per group indoors. The plan also suggests that spectators should be discouraged from visiting events under Level 2 restrictions in order to allow organizers to focus on the competitors, officials, and volunteers. Those who do enter the venue must register for contact tracing.

With a limited number of marshals and officials present, to comply with social distancing, drivers’ briefings will take place electronically and selfscrutiny of vehicles will also be implemented, meaning that competitors will be charged with completing pre-event safety checks, to be submitted alongside photos of their vehicle’s last three logbook entries.

As of 21 May, MSNZ has begun issuing permits for event organizers who submit permit applications that meet the requirements outlined in the ‘back in motion’ plan.

“We are excited to be back in motion,” said Elton Goonan, general manager of motorsport. “These guidelines allow the sport to return, albeit in a limited capacity, and as the government starts to lift restrictions, we will follow.”

the already impressive arrangement to get even more tweaks, the goal being to crack 805hp at the wheels. To help with that, and work around the new suspension and diff layout, a new exhaust system is being built that will exit either side of a custom-built drop tank. This will require modifications to the rear bumper to ensure that it is symmetrical, which in turn will necessitate paint touch-ups. Luckily, Craig won a prize at the Kumeu car show that saw him win some airbrush work from Raglan’s Dr. Airbrush, so the underside of the bonnet is already sorted. The artwork speaks for itself, and understandably left Craig speechless on completion.

The rebuild is a big undertaking, especially on a car that was already impressive, so we can’t wait to see it all finished!

small block Chev can’t be dropped in. The Chev is backed with a Powerglide trans and tough Hilux diff. With the Mini being front-wheel drive to begin with, obviously a serious amount of fab work has gone into getting the car set up in rearwheel-drive format, including the creation of a four-link to mount the diff. The whole package is being set up to roll on 17-inch wheels, and has been built totally at home with the help and guidance of Craig’s father-in-law Steve Gardiner of Moorhouse Muscle Cars fame. Look out for the small machine making a big impact on a pad near you soon.

Craig Watson’s initial idea was to track down a classic 1963 Chev Nova coupe and build a track car out of it. This job was entrusted to long-time Kiwi car finder Steve Davies in California, who found and delivered a dry desert Arizona car.

After many months of Craig staring at his Nova coupe in the shed and deciding CMC/HMC was not the right choice, Steve suggested “How about having a crack at Bonneville?” It helped that Steve is one of the head scrutineers at Bonneville with loads of knowledge. The seed was planted in Craig’s mind, and it would lead to one of his most intensive research assignments. First question: what class would I run? The answer, CBGC — Classic Blown Gas Coupe. Says it all really! Then came the fun part: design, engine, trans, diff, cage, etc. Craig started to assemble the huge shopping list required to take on such a challenge. In today’s world of quality aftermarket and OEM parts, sourcing is easy; however payment can still be painful.

Building a quality race car was the only option, and finding the right people to partner with was crucial. Sound advice from former Bonneville racer Richard Hollywood was critical at this point.

The time finally came to start. Who would build what Craig called ‘the roll cage’? What he really meant to say was, “Who is going to build the chassis/race car”? After looking at a few options, he decided only one person could be entrusted with the job. That person was Grant Downing at Paralax Race Cars, a world-renowned Top Fuel drag racer and, more importantly, a world-class chassis builder. Grant had recently moved back to New Zealand from America and set up his workshop just 40km from Craig’s house in Hawke’s Bay.

In Craig’s words, “The car would be nothing without Grant.”