Protecta Racing to sponsor Mark Joblin's Ford Falcon V8 Ute

ENZED V8 Utes Press Release

HAMILTON DRIVER TICKS HIS TO-DO LIST

Hamilton driver Mark Joblin will tick one item off his “to do” list when he lines up in the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge on the streets of his hometown next weekend.

Joblin has held a racing licence since 1967 and has driven a variety of machinery over the years. Last season he became the New Zealand Champion in his class of the Production Racing Series. However one thing that he has wanted to do since the advent of the Hamilton Street Race was to compete on the streets of his hometown, something that has eluded him as the Production Series has never been a part of the Hamilton event. However the Nissan with which he won the Production title was sold recently and with a new sponsor on board Joblin was on the lookout for a slot in a Tier 1 motor racing class. V8 Utes were chosen and with that class a feature of the Hamilton 400 programme Joblin will finally get to race at home next weekend.

Joblin will test his new Protecta Insurance Falcon Ute for the first time at Taupo on Wednesday before leaping in at the deep end on the concrete lined Hamilton circuit on Friday. “My friends think I’m barking mad!”, laughs Joblin. His Falcon Ute is the one raced earlier in the season by experienced Aussie Rob Jarvis although Joblin says he has no preference between Ford or Holden. “I race an historic Formula Ford and I have a Chev powered historic midget car. I am the President of The Stragglers Hot Rod Club and I have both Chev’s and Fords.”

The V8 Ute will be an entirely new proposition for Joblin. I am happy to be driving a rear-wheel-drive – I enjoy a bit of swing from the rear end. The Nissan I drove in the Production Series was the only rear-wheel-drive, two-wheel-drive car in the championship.

Asked about his approach to driving a totally different machine on such a demanding circuit Joblin is cautious. “I’ll be watching my mirrors carefully out there this weekend. I am aware that the championship is closely fought and going down to the wire. I just want to keep out of the way. I have seen some of the carnage here in previous years.”

For a man who has won a New Zealand title Joblin is overly modest. “Some of the cars I have raced have gone onto greater things than me,” he jokes.

Joblin joins the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge as the final round is fought out on the 3.4 kilometre circuit. Caine Lobb of Whangarei, ‘The Ginja Ninja’ in his Mark Cromie Holden brings a 71 point lead to the finale with Australian based Chris Pither ‘The Gypsy’ (Gallagher Falcon XR8) and Simon ‘Jnr Burner’ Beirne of Christchurch in the Team McDonald’s Falcon still in title contention.

Joblin and the other competitors in the ENZED V8 Ute Challenge will receive a 20 minute test session on Friday morning before qualifying at 1.25pm that afternoon. The first race over 8 laps takes place at 10.50am on Saturday morning. Two more races, both over 8 laps, are scheduled for Sunday. The first of those is timed to start at 8.45am with the final race of the series commencing at 11.45am on Sunday.

Support for the category comes from ENZED, UDC Finance, Radio Hauraki, Yokohama, Castrol, Citizen Watches, Exedy, Armorall, SCT and EFILive.

Click through to the NZ V8 Ute Series website.

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