RUAPUNA RACEWAY TEST DRIVE
Not being a travel agent or gaining monetary gain from saying that Hotel So and their bar What is truly a hidden gem in Christchurch and gains my absolute approval. To add a touch of decadence to this was having Mark parked outside in the McGregor M7 at 9:30am ready to head out to the local racetrack for a test drive.
Zipping effortlessly through the streets of Christchurch I quickly settled into the wind though the hair, well what is left; driving that is synonymous with sports cars. The torque of the MX5 unit proved well suited as you could keep the law enforcement happy trundling along in 5th gear or check the rear vision, the road ahead, grab another gear and the car snaps into life. Even with a sunny sky I was chilly but the smile on my face kept me warm…however, the side windows would have been nice!
The mandatory gasoline and tire pressure stop opened comments and stares from others at the gas stand….”nice car mate”….”have a nice drive” yes we were gaining attention. The Ruapuna Race Track is a significant part of New Zealand motor racing history, which is sadly at risk for noise violations. Years of watching Ruapuna on television and scouring through magazine articles, I felt very much at home gazing at the track and soaking up the live feeling.

The local race car coaching school was in process so I was lucky to see the track plan, the three cones for cornering and some sensible tips written largely on the white board. Mark proved to be an equally excellent instructor and with a pair of McGregor Overalls and a borrowed lid we strapped ourselves in for a few warm up laps. I was comforted by Marks last comment that was simply if things do go horribly wrong “fold you arms tightly in front of you”…um! The McGregor snaps into life then proceeds to devour corners with a cheekiness that is difficult to ignore so, so addictive. The first laps were a blur…so much for studying breaking points, turn in lines and locating the apex! Now Mark took the car into the pits with a procedure that ensured the brakes cooled to avoid a possible heat-to-heat attachment! This gave a few minutes to take in those first exhilarating laps while Mark re-set the suspension…another very clever McGregor innovative design component. Helmet back on, belts pulled tight we set off on a few more laps where the McGregor attacked corners with savage precision reveling in the minor arm wrestles thrown at the driver. Back to the pits, same slow down break routine and it was now to be my turn!

I did not want to be like Morgan Freeman in “driving aunt daisy” but equally I did not want to be known as the bloke from Japan that dented the McGregor test car…um! Approaching all brake points, I went in slow and attempted to exit fast while remaining smooth and in control. Honestly, it is such a forgiving design I felt things beginning to go all wrong in the hairpin so I simply eased into the throttle and trusted the car more than my ability. Mark commented later he was ready for the car to spin but was pleasantly surprised how it all smoothed out.
I have no allusions of setting lap records but even after a handful of laps the lines became easier and the car allowed me to really feel like I was racing…not fast but racing. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying this and my hand was already reaching for my PC, login to my bank to send a deposit for the car…I was, am totally hooked!
The flight to Auckland was a time to shape the entire build project and upon being picked up by Brother Grant, we of course headed off to the coldest beer in the world for a Mach 7 meeting. Grant was quickly up to speed and we both agreed that some of the pre-assembly, while interesting, is really just time consuming. This was a quick decision to have a rolling chassis come out of the McGregor workshop. The reasons being are;
Why take the motor and transmission out for shipping?
Minimal involved in suspension/brakes/wheels installation
Cost effective for shipping
I have limited time due to living in Japan
This was a certainly a two beer worth while meeting in fact we were enjoying it so much we changed venues and had wine and pizza to seal this first step in our heads.