Backing Tauranga’s adopted son

Tauranga’s favourite V8 Supercar driver Scott McLaughlin is promising fans there’s more success to come this season.

Scott has a strong Western Bay following including his proud Bayfair grandmother Pete Scott, who has been watching the rising star since he was seven.



Last year Scott created history becoming the youngest driver to win a V8 Supercar race, at age 19.

Currently seventh in the V8 series, Scott has struggled to regain the success he had winning championship races in Perth and Ipswich.

But he’s determined to bounce back in Ipswich on August 1, after returning from rubbing shoulders with racing greats at the NASCAR Sprint Cup – a competition he’s open about wanting to race in.

How safe is safe enough?

Motoring safety standard group ANCAP is questioning Nissan’s decision to drop one of its key safety features in its Qashqai range.

The autonomous emergency braking feature, which is standard in the model in Europe, has been dumped.

Commenting on the issue, after giving the Nissan SUV a 5 star safety rating on Monday, ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh says despite scoring well in all tests the lack of the autonomous emergency brakes is a “notable omission”.

“It is astounding to see yet another mainstream manufacturer de-specify their models for our local market,” says Lauchlan.

“AEB is a proven life-saver and all manufacturers should be doing their utmost to bring this technology to the market.”

“Are lives in Australia and New Zealand worth less than those in Europe?”

Formula for success

An intensive week of training and classes for the country’s top young motorsport talent in Dunedin earlier this month saw Mount Maunganui drift driver Drew Donovan among winners at the 2014 Elite Motorsport Academy.

Drew and fellow team mates in Team Rebound claimed the top team title after being scored on a range of physical and mental challenges, which were squeezed between lessons on other crucial topics such as nutrition, team building and media skills.
Other team mates included Formula Ford competitor Ryan Yardley, Formula First pilot Taylor Cockerton, and New Zealand Formula Ford champion Jamie Conroy.

The top graduate award went to Southland driver Jamie Conroy.

Rugged rallying ahead

The newest event on the national rally calendar – on the Western Bay’s doorstep in the Coromandel – has had its name confirmed as the VINZ Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel.
The Whitianga-based event, which will see cars racing the rugged peninsula roads, will be held on August 23 as one of the final two rounds in the six-round New Zealand Rally Championship series.

Rally New Zealand chairman Peter ‘PJ’ Johnston says the new event is set to be a fresh challenge for the best drivers in the country on 135km of gravel roads. He welcomes support of major name sponsor Vehicle Inspection New Zealand.