There will be a familiar #47 racing at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon.
Multiple New Zealand V8 Champion John McIntyre finally gets the chance to drive his dad’s MK1 Escort during the weekend’s Super Sprint MotorSport New Zealand Championship event.
The Don McIntyre owned car has a short history – as it’s not the famed ex Mike Moore Shell Sport car McIntyre junior first raced at Manfeild aged 14.
“Dad was rebuilding that car and had just sent it to the paint shop. That night it burned down – with the car inside,” he explained.
“Obviously that was devastating but we just have to move on.”
McIntyre then purchased a similar Escort, with a YB Cosworth engine.
“It’s an easy car to run. He takes it to Manfeild for the occasional event, gets a big smile on his face and drives home. It’s just the way you want to go racing.”
“My dad is a good buggar and when the opportunity to race at this event came along I said I’d come up, expecting we could share the driving. Instead he said he wanted me to take over the driving of it – he’s always wanted me to have a run in it.
“Manfeild was where I first raced and where I’ve spent a lot of time – there are a lot of special memories. One is in 2012 in the JMR SuperTourer where I came a close second to Murph (Greg Murphy). It was an amazing race that started in the wet and it dried almost instantly.”
McIntyre last raced at Manfeild in 2018, driving with Simon Gilbertson in a Manthey Porsche 991.1.
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