V8 Supercars.

[Pete.]

The V8 Supercars hit Hamilton in New Zealand for the first time this weekend. Below is the press release from the supercar website.




It was back in June 2005 that the first seedlings of a Hamilton street race were born. But now only two days away, set-up for the inaugural Hamilton 400 street race in New Zealand is complete and the North Island city is rearing to host round three of the V8 Supercar Championship Series this weekend.
As the newest circuit on the V8 Supercar calendar, the Hamilton event is likely to boost the local economy by an estimated $20 million as more than 150,000 people are expected to descend on the Frankston business district by the time racing action starts on Friday morning.
Having already attracted positive feedback, V8 Supercars are expected to clock speeds of more than 240km/h mark around the 3.4km eight-turn circuit which in itself is a marvel in construction. Boasting 9,000 tonnes of concrete and steel in the concrete barriers and over nine kilometres of debris fencing installed, over 70,000 hours has gone into its construction including the grandstand, overpasses and amenities.
Sprint Gas Racing's Greg Murphy - who will debut a brand new VE commodore in front of a home crowd - gave it the thumbs up during a recent drive of the newly constructed circuit.
“I can't wait really,” Murphy told the media. “I've been involved since the early stages of planning and it is exciting to see it take shape. I am so impressed with everything that has been put in place. As a New Zealander you have to be proud of what's been achieved here.”
A four-time winner of the previously held Pukekohe round, Murphy will be one of six native New Zealanders in the 29-car field including teammate Jason Richards, Fabian Coulthard, Steven Richards, Shane Van Gisbergen and Kayne Scott in which both will make their first V8 Supercar start in NZ having never competed at Pukekohe.
Meanwhile, the retail district will be fully operational during the weekend for race fans to access and entry tickets will also provide access to the free concerts running on both Saturday and Sunday night in Seddon Park.
But come Sunday afternoon, the Hamilton 400 will take on a solemn note when the winner of the event - and each Hamilton 400 event to come - will not only take home round honours but the perpetual Mark Porter Memorial Trophy named in memory of the former Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series driver from the local Waikato region that was tragically killed in a racing accident at Bathurst in 2006.

[Freewheel]

The Dude (Paul Morris, for those not familiar with the local vernacular) likes to take the "shine" off brand new cars driven by opponents, so Nurph (Greg Murphy) had better not get too close.

The Dude was voted "the dirtiest driver in V8's". He replied by selling T-shirts at his merchandising tent "Dirty, Dangerous Dude". At that same meeting while racing in a smaller class "Aussie Racing Cars", the course announcer mentioned that the leader of the race "must be nervous with a mirror full of Dude".


Of course, The Dude does occasionally had the cherry popping duties to the likes of Matt Neal from time to time.....

Some years ago a brand new Morris chassis had been built for Sandown & Bathurst. It was taken to the Oran Park event as a shakedown/mileage for Neal, who proceeded to put 2 complete laps on it and then wrote it off right in front of me without it ever seeing a grid.

[Pete.]

I was at a party once when a starkers Dude leaped of the roof into the pool. Not a pretty sight seeing the Dude's bare arse with goolies flapping in the breeze flying overhead. Paul who definitely does not suffer from anorexia almost emptied the pool.

Here is an article about the "Dangerous Dude"


MOST V8 Supercar drivers would hate having the title of dirtiest in the field. Not Paul Morris.
If they were also named as most dangerous, they would be horrified.
Not Paul Morris.
The hard man of the pitlane is happy his rivals also rate him as the driver they would least like to fight.
"I've got better things to worry about than what those blokes think," Morris said yesterday. "Most only worry about their next cappuccino.
"I reckon it's a bit of a joke.
"Most of them can't work me out. I don't give a rat's. It's only a sport, it's not like you're losing an arm or a leg.
"If someone cuts me up, I remember and square it up."
So the driver nicknamed "The Dude" turned the results of a pitlane poll into a joke by producing T-shirts with the words "Dirty Dangerous Dude" on them and pulled them on yesterday with his wife, Alana, and four-year-old son, Nash.
"I reckon the best reaction is from the fans. They're telling me, 'Give it to the bunch of pussies'," Morris said.

Morris is a successful businessman who runs the Holden Performance Driving Centre in Queensland and develops property on the Gold Coast and in Darwin.

He also flies a $2.8 million Squirrel helicopter and, apart from racing his Sirromet Commodore in the V8 Supercar category, is happy to compete in the down-and-dirty Aussie Racing Car class for midget cars powered by motorcycle engines.
"I even had a win on Saturday. So while those V8 blokes were all heading to their therapists for a debrief I was out there having fun."
He is expected to take on a fresh challenge by signing Russell Ingall, the former V8 Supercar champion now in a Ford Falcon, to race a Commodore with him.
Morris said such a teaming would be "fantastic".

[Freewheel]

The dude himself. Remind me to stay away from the pool next time I go to a party on the Gold Coast.....

Tends to portray a public image of putting the yob into yobbo, probably thinks he's showing the world he doesn't take himself too seriously, but does appear to be a rather shrewd businessman.

He made a TV appearance recently showing off his workshop. Very professional looking outfit doing all sorts of work for all sorts of people.

Somebody must have a collection of the carnage The Dude has wreaked over the years, mostly to his own cars....


Happy days!