Behind the wheel with a Kiwi

Hi all,

It’s been a little while since I last blogged, and I’ve been busy continuing preparations for the new season, which is now less than a month away.

Speedshow went down without a hitch. Blackwoods Paykels really pulled out all the stops, with a mammoth 15-metre long exhibitors stand showcasing the best of JBS tools. The accompanying giveaways, competitions, merchandising and of course the 997 in its new livery, made it a real asset to the show as a whole.

I spent the majority of both Saturday and Sunday at the show, scooting between the Blackwoods Paykels exhibit and a number of appearances elsewhere within the complex, the first of which was a 4-car showdown at the Hyper Stimulator stand, smack bang in the middle of the Speedshow “simulator zone”.

Here, Paul Radisich (former WTCC champion), John McIntyre (two-time NZV8 champion), Daniel Gaunt (2006 NZGP winner) and myself each teamed up with a radio DJ and a radio listener in a three-driver, ten lap V8 Supercar race around Bathurst – driver changes and all. It was great fun, and my team, which happened to include a jovial Darcy Waldegrave, came away with the spoils, with Dan’s team a very close second. For his trouble, the lucky radio listener took home a $2,000 wheel and tyre package, so congratulations to him for that.

Other activities included facing off in gymkhanas along with the Mini 7 Club of New Zealand – John McIntyre and Angus Fogg included – and I was able to sneak off for a look around the show as well. There was some impressive machinery and innovative technology on display, and I look forward to being a part of it again next year.

Soon after the Speedshow weekend wrapped up it was into our two-day test at Taupo, where Daniel Gaunt, Matt Halliday, Darryn Henderson and myself looked to shake off the dust and get back into race mode for the upcoming season. For dad and I it gave us a great opportunity to experiment quite drastically with setup. Some things worked, some didn’t, and as each day concluded, Gaunt, Halliday and myself were separated by a hair’s breath. Throw the XXX squad and the remainder of International Motorsport into the mix, and it’s going to be a very competitive fight for victory come Pukekohe.

The package for the new season
I must extend a big thanks to Greg, Michelle and the team at Chicane Clothing, for whipping out my stunning new white suit in only 24-hours, meaning it was not only on display at Speedshow, but ready for the photo shoot in Taupo for the Blackwoods Paykels season poster, and other promotional material.

Last weekend was a lazy one for all I feel, and with good reason – Bathurst. It was great to see Murph, Jason and the Tasman Motorsport team tasting some of the success they deserve after a tough year, and those final few laps, post-safety car, were the definition of? “edge of your seat” sport.

Also, a couple of notable links for you to check out. Firstly, I have a YouTube channel which you can access at http://www.youtube.com/user/JonoLester51 , which has a whole lot of race footage from over the past couple of seasons, other television appearances and the like. I hope to have some Aussie stuff in there soon, however at this stage I’m yet to get my hands on much footage from across the ditch. Also, alongside my blogging at Driver Database I am uploading press releases and thoughts on WordPress at http://jonolester51.wordpress.com, for those of you who are aware of the sites. Enjoy!

Jono