Mackenzie the saviour at Timaru

Albany Toyota’s NZV8 driver, Haydn Mackenzie, proved to be the saviour – and the victim – of the Timaru round of the BNT NZV8’s championship round – run in diabolical wet/changing conditions – while at the same time turning in one of his best performances in the V8 Championship.

Apart from his own on-track performance, Haydn was happy to lend Johnny MacIntyre his spare ‘drive car’ after Johnny’s car was virtually wrecked after the start of the first race.
“My spare car was there, and I didn’t have to use it, so I was happy to help out Johnny after his disaster. His crew took over the car and changed many things from their ‘parts bin’. I am just sorry it didn’t achieve some results for Johnny,” says Haydn.

Then Matt Halliday had the steering wheel stolen from his Porsche, so Haydn lent him the wheel from his ‘drive car’. No problem – Haydn was happy to help, but the reward for his generosity was to find that when he returned to his pit area, after the last race, someone had stolen his special expensive jacket and other personal items.

“Very disappointing – after trying to help my fellow competitors, to have that happen to me. Fellow drivers, don’t leave your pit-space unattended at any time,” says Haydn.

Haydn ‘loves’ driving in wet conditions as it partially equalises the difference between the top highly-funded teams and those who can drive in wet conditions. He qualified just one tenth off the top ten shootout so was happy with that.

Then came the first race and the first lap incident that eliminated several drivers, including John McIntyre.

Haydn is very critical of the decision to start the race, when jus t prior to the start, the rain came down.

“It was madness to send out that field on dry tyres and not do anything when the weather conditions changed so dramatically. Anyone with any sense could have seen what was going to happen,” says Haydn who avoided the crash carnage, went to the start/finish line and stopped as a result of the red flag, as required by motorsport rules. He was then told to go back to his pits by officials, entered the pits in 19th after doing another lap, and was told to re-start the race in 19th, after originally qualifying for the first race in 11th. “Why not a complete re-start as the first lap wasn’t completed? “ asks Haydn. Everyone was changing to wet tyres under the red flag and Haydn’s team believe the race was never called as a ‘wet’ race – total confusion.

“So, at the restart of the first race, I was in 19th position which pretty much set up my racing for the weekend – trying to get through the field from that position was very difficult in those conditions, but I managed to finish the first race in tenth place,” says Haydn.

As a result, Haydn then started the second race in tenth place, but had to take avoiding action from incidents in front of him and finished 12th – but had the seventh fastest lap time.
In the reverse grid third race, Haydn started 12th and finished eighth after a great dice with Andy Knight and then with Kayne Scott and Eddie Bell.

“I seemed to have the better of all of them whilst I was in sixth place, but in the scrapping I ran into the back of Knight and this allowed Scott and Bell to pass me on the last lap – so I finished eighth. To finish ninth overall for the weekend – in those conditions – I am very happy as to the improvements we have made with the car and we have also improved our championship placing from 14th to 12th” says Haydn.

“I have to say special thanks to Albany Toyota, Albany Village Firestone Tyres, Castrol Oils, and Bartercard for their support – it couldn’t happen without them,” says Haydn Mackenzie.

Haydn in the wet conditions at Timaru - SportProMedia