1998 New Zealand Grand Prix
| 1998 New Zealand Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.svg) | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 6 December 1998 | ||
| Official name | XLIV New Zealand Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Ruapana Park, Christchurch, New Zealand | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 2.841 km (1.765 miles) | ||
| Distance | 34 laps, 96.6 km (60 miles) | ||
| Weather | Light rain/overcast | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | SH Racing | ||
| Time | 1:15.782 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Greg Murphy | Greg Murphy Racing | |
| Time | 1:17.031 on lap 32 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Birrana Racing | ||
| Second | SH Racing | ||
| Third | Greg Murphy Racing | ||
The 1998 New Zealand Grand Prix event for open wheel racing cars was held at Ruapana Park near Christchurch on 6 December 1998. This event marked the events return after a two-year hiatus. It was the forty-fourth New Zealand Grand Prix and was the first to be run to Formula Holden regulations.
The event was won by Simon Wills with Scott Dixon and Greg Murphy rounding out the podium.
Classification
[edit]Qualifying
[edit]| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Grid | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 | Scott Dixon
|
SH Racing | 1:15.782 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 8 | Simon Wills
|
Birrana Racing | 1:16.633 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 22 | Greg Murphy
|
Greg Murphy Racing | 1:17.093 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 12 |  Chris Staff
|
Challenge Recruitment Racing | 1:17.475 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 7 | Jason Liefting
|
Ralt Australia | 1:17.609 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 19 |  Wouter van Eeuwijk
|
NRC Racing | 1:17.637 | 6 | ||
| 7 | 74 |  Akihiro Asai
|
Chris Hocking Racing | 1:17.747 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 9 | Brenton Ramsay
|
Birrana Racing | 1:18.570 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 6 | Graham Sims
|
1:20.904 | 9 | |||
| 10 | 15 | Les Crampton
|
Sun Wipes Formula Racing Team | 1:22.161 | 10 | ||
| 11 | 24 | Ian Peters
|
Peters Racing | 1:22.355 | 11 | ||
| 12 | 69 | Damien Digby
|
Damien Digby Racing | 1:22.361 | 12 | ||
| - | 28 | Roger Oakshott
|
Barshott Racing | no time | 13 | ||
| Source(s):[1] | |||||||
Race
[edit]| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time | Grid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Simon Wills
|
Birrana Racing | 34 | 48min 23.870sec | 2 | |
| 2 | 35 | Scott Dixon
|
SH Racing | 34 | + 8.320 | 1 | |
| 3 | 22 | Greg Murphy
|
Greg Murphy Racing | 34 | + 24.491 | 3 | |
| 4 | 7 | Jason Liefting
|
Ralt Australia | 33 | + 1 lap | 5 | |
| 5 | 12 | Chris Staff
|
Challenge Recruitment Racing | 32 | + 2 laps | 4 | |
| 6 | 15 | Les Crampton
|
Sun Wipes Formula Racing Team | 31 | + 3 laps | 10 | |
| 7 | 69 | Damien Digby
|
Damien Digby Racing | 30 | + 4 laps | 12 | |
| 8 | 24 | Ian Peters
|
Peters Racing | 29 | + 5 laps | 11 | |
| Ret | 74 | Akihiro Asai
|
Chris Hocking Racing | 20 | Spun off | 7 | |
| Ret | 28 | Roger Oakshott
|
Barshott Racing | 19 | Retired | 13 | |
| Ret | 9 | Brenton Ramsay
|
Birrana Racing | 10 | Valve spring | 8 | |
| Ret | 6 | Graham Sims
|
4 | Clutch | 9 | ||
| Ret | 19 | Wouter van Eeuwijk
|
NRC Racing | 0 | Spun off | 6 | |
| Wth |  Robert Lechner
|
NRC Racing | Withdrawn | ||||
| Wth | Ross Rutherford
|
Withdrawn | |||||
| Fastest lap: Greg Murphy (Greg Murphy Racing) - 1:17.031 on lap 32 | |||||||
| Source(s): | |||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Simon Wills Wins New Zealand Grand Prix". Speedsport Ltd. December 1998. pp. 12–17, 60.