Media Information

For Immediate Release

*  Alastair Wootten

    2006/07 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship

    Rnd 7 (Final)

    Pukekohe Park Raceway

    Pukekohe

    Fri-Sun

    April 20-22

    2007

26-04-07

WOOTTEN ON A HIGH AFTER FORMULA FORD DEBUT AT PUKEKOHE

SpeedSport magazine's latest motor racing scholarship winner Alastair Wootten is still on a high after his MTA New Zealand Formula Ford championship debut at the Placemakers V8 Supercar meeting at Pukekohe over the weekend.

The ambitious 16-year-old from the Whangaporoa Peninsula north of Auckland finished an impressive fourth overall behind the wheel of his newly acquired Premium Country Life in association with SpeedSport magazine Van Diemen and says that - bar a minor mechanical problem which saw him complete only a handful of laps in the single qualifying session - everything went to plan.

"I've only got positives to take out of the weekend," said Wootten this morning. "The aim of the exercise was to move forward and we did."

Despite only completing four full laps before a carburetor linkage worked loose and left him stranded, Wootten's best lap time in qualifying was a 1.04.018, less than a second off that of championship points leader and eventual title winner Sam MacNeill (1.03.330) and Teretonga round winner John Whelan (1.03.239).

Then with the problem fixed the former Quarter Midget and Kart racer was straight into the 1.02.000 second  laps in the first race, setting the eighth quickest lap with a 1.02.896, just 0.00.505 of a second slower than the driver who claimed the fastest race lap, two-time 2006/07 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford championship round winner Michael Burdett.

On his way Wootten also successfully completed his first standing start in a Formula Ford car (something he hadn't been able to do in the rush to get a car and get to the meeting) and crossed the finish line in ninth place just behind Kurt Peterson and Russell Hartley.

That was to improve to fifth in the second race, though that was after several drivers - champion-elect Sam MacNeill one of them - were involved in an accident heading into Pukekohe's high-speed sweeper.

During both races Wootten says he focused on 'learning the ropes,' and trying to absorb as much as possible about the class and car from the drivers around him.

"The main thing for me, "he says," was to concentrate on keeping nice clean lines and try and learn from the guys who were quicker than me."

Having made a special effort to make his Formula Ford debut at the Placemakers V8 meeting 2006/07 SpeedSport scholarship winner Wootten will now return to the Formula First class on May 5 for one last time to try and win the annual One-Hour Enduro at Manfeild.

He will then return to Auckland to prepare his Premium Country Racing Formula Ford for the annual winter series, again at Manfeild, before an all-out assault on of the 2007/08 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford championship which begins at Pukekohe in early November this year.

Alastair Wootten is the latest SpeedSport Scholarship winner to impress at a national level, having just finished fourth overall and claimed the Rookie of The Year

award in his scholarship year in the New Zealand Formula First Championship.

At Pukekohe he was one of three Scholarship winners to enjoy success, with 2005/06 winner Andrew Waite second and top rookie in the 2006/07 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and 2004/05 winner Shane Van Gisbergen second and top rookie in the 2006/07 Toyota Racing Series championship.

Alastair Wootten's 2006/07 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship debut at the V8 Supercar meeting at Pukekohe this weekend has the support of Premium Country Life Real Estate, NZ SpeedSport magazine, Foreno Tapware, EMCO, Breka, Valvoline, L. W. Bonney & Sons Ltd and Legend Graphics.

Ends

2006/07 MTA New Zealand Formula Ford Championship Rnd 7 (Final) Pukekohe Park Raceway Pukekohe Fri-Sun April 20-22 2007

Qualifying

1. Daniel Jilesen 1.02.169

2. Kim Crocker 1.02.261

3. Andrew Waite 1.02.422

4. Michael Burdett 1.02.546

5. Jason Liefting 1.02.640

6. Nick Buxeda 1.02.654

7. Russell Hartley 1.02.885

8. Kurt Peterson 1.02.950

9. Sam MacNeill 1.03.330

10. John Whelan 1.03.239

11. Alastair Wootten (Premium Country Life in association with SpeedSport) 1.04.018

12. Martin Short 1.04.316

13. Kerry Ross 1.04.992

14. Grant Campbell 1.06.879

15. Tony Graham 1.07.632

Race 1

1. Andrew Waite10.36.868

2. Daniel Jilesen +2.494

3. John Whelan +2.531

4. Michael Burdett +2.607

5. Kim Crocker +5.982

6. Sam MacNeill +6.978

7. Kurt Peterson +7.105

8. Russell Hartley +7.203

9. Alastair Wootten (Premium Country Life in association with SpeedSport) +7.558

10. Nick Buxeda +7.790

Race 2 (12 laps)

1. Daniel Jilesen 17.27.535

2. Andrew Waite +0.146

3. Kurt Peterson +0.305

4. Nick Buxeda +0.469

5. Alastair Wootten (Premium Country Life in association with SpeedSport) +1.149

6. Tony Graham +7.243