Hats off to Hamilton For those of you lucky enough to have been in Hamilton during the weekend of 18th — 20 April, then you witnessed a very special event. The V8 Supercars had come to town for some fun, and Hamilton staged an event to be proud of. Amidst all the drama surrounding the disruptions to local businesses and city infrastructure, the event was a resounding success, supported not only by the visitors but also the Hamiltonians who got behind the event to make everyone feel welcome. Three perfect days of racing with all the thrills and spills one would expect at a V8 Supercar round especially that controversial chicane on the back straight, (did I say chicane), but I have to admit, it was good to watch as every second car clipped the centre rubber barrier at around 270 clicks before being hurled into the surrounding kerb. Throughout the practice sessions on Friday, drivers found the circuit way tighter with more undulation than they had anticipated — but no one was complaining. Toll Holden Racing Team champion, and second fastest driver, Garth Tander reckoned the bumps gave the circuit character, but was tough. With plenty of spins and incidents during the day, the biggest came when Will Davison hit the wall hard in his Jim Beam Ford, clipping the inside kerb at turn seven, breaking the steering which sent him grille first into the outside wall. New Zealand’s golden boy, Murphy was seventh fastest in his new Sprint Gas Holden, a huge improvement on his previous car, as teammate Jason Richards could only manage 18th place in his older car. Things got a little tense in the ‘Murph’ camp when it was discovered that Greg’s helmet had been stolen in Australia. A mad scurry back to Oz by a team member and Murphs replacement helmet was in Hamilton ready for the practice sessions. Everyone had high hopes for NZ’s very own Team Kiwi Racing, but as luck would have it Kayn Scott retired with engine failure after only a few laps. In the support classes, New Zealand V8 champion John McIntyre qualified his Falcon fastest, Earl Bamber took pole for the Toyota Racing Series and Australian Porsche champion David Reynolds was quickest in his class OK, we all know things weren’t one hundred percent perfect, but let’s not forget that this was Hamilton’s first shot at the big time and you can bet you’re bottom dollar that things will improve next year. Not that these a great deal to improve on, don’t get me wrong.