Week 16, 15-21 April 2006
Super Cars
March’s first round of the Super GT series from Japan, better known in the past as the Japanese Touring Car Championship, saw three different manufacturers’ cars occupy the three top slots, with Lexus taking the honours from Nissan, while the Honda NSX, driven by Brit Ralph Firman, was third. There were overtaking manoeuvres galore, as you’d expect from this spectacular series. The second round of the championship comes from the 3.7Km Okayama circuit this month, where the race covers around 80 laps, totalling 300km. Pre-event testing at Fuji has turned the Suzuka result around, so expect more action as these machines take to the circuit once again.
2006 Super GT, Round 2, Okayama
Saturday 15 April 23.00
The Jet Set
We’ve said, and seen, before that motorsport fans in Australia and New Zealand will race almost anything that has, or can have, an engine in it. Jet Sprinting is one of the more exciting sports from NZ and consists of a tiny boat with two occupants, a driver and co-driver, like in a rally car. Behind them sits a V8 engine pushing out up to 1,000bhp driving a water jet propulsion system. They race around a purpose-built, 1m deep water circuit against the clock, typically with 25-30 direction changes in a minute. With acceleration from 0-100kph in around four seconds (as fast as a four-wheel drive world rally car) and direction changes almost instantly, Jet Sprinting provides an incredible spectacle.
2005 UIM Jet Sprint Championship, Round 1, Gisbourne
Monday 17 April 22.00
Going down To NASCAR
The eighth round of the 35-round NASCAR Busch Series comes from the home of Country music, Nashville, Tennessee. The 1.3 mile oval is covered in concrete, one of only three circuits to feature this surface in the championship. The 2005 Pepsi 300 was won by Reed Sorensen but he’s currently languishing in 19th place overall and has only been in the top ten twice so far this year. So expect to see a different name standing on the podium in front of the southern NASAR fans.
2006 NASCAR Busch Series, Round 8, Nashville
Monday 17 April 23.00
Inside Looking Out
The next edition of Inside Grand Prix travels to the Imola circuit to preview the San Marino Grand Prix, the fourth round of the 2006 Formula One world Championship. San Marino usually marks the first of the European rounds and is also a pilgrimage for motor racing fans, who come to honour the great Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994. Inside Grand Prix takes a behind the scenes look at the issues revolving around the Grand Prix, as well as taking a chauffeured lap of the San Marino circuit, which many drivers regard as one of the highlights of the season.
Inside Grand Prix, Round four, San Marino
Tuesday 18 April 19.30
Fully Cross’d Up
For off-road motorbike racing fans, there’s a double-bill of dirt-based, gravity-defying action on Motors TV. First up is a look back to the first round of the 2005 New Zealand Motocross Championship from Taupo, featuring all three classes; 125, 250 and 500cc. This is followed by the first round of the 2006 Australian Supercross Masters series, from the Adelaide Showground. A series of qualifiers leads the competitors to four indoor arenas for the main event.
New Zealand MotoCross, Round 1, Taupo
Thursday 20 April 21.00
Australian SuperCross Master, Round 1, Adelaide
Thursday 20 April 22.00
