The 2002 Boost Mobile V8 International was the twelfth round of the 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of 8 to 10 November at Pukekohe Park Raceway in New Zealand.
The event was won by Greg Murphy for the second time in succession after rivals Mark Skaife and Marcos Ambrose incurred problems that dropped them out of contention. Teammate Todd Kelly completed a one-two for Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia for the round whilst Ambrose rounded up the top three in overall points. Despite claiming pole position and winning the first race, series champion Mark Skaife was beset with engine issues over the last two races, eliminating him from round honours.
This was the last Pukekohe V8 Supercar event to be sponsored by Boost Mobile. From 2003 onwards, the vacancy was taken over by hardware company, PlaceMakers.
Background Mark Skaife entered the event having already wrapped up the championship two rounds prior at the Bathurst 1000. Contention for second in the championship was still raging between Ambrose, Murphy and Jason Bright.
Preceding this event, Greg Murphy had remained undefeated at this circuit, in terms of qualifying, races and overall round points. The first instance being in the non-championship 1996 Mobil New Zealand Sprints and the other being in the inaugural championship event in 2001.
Dean Canto would replace Greg Ritter at Briggs Motorsport, taking over the drive for the remainder of the 2002 season.
Race report Qualifying
Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.1446 2 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.3561 3 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.3679 4 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.5348 5 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.5556 6 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.6650 7 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.7146 8 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.7293 9 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.7573 10 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.7860 11 02 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.8044 12 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.8427 13 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.8550 14 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.9156 15 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.9208 16 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.9252 17 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.9561 18 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.0208 19 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.0441 20 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.0625 21 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.0797 22 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.1064 23 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.1131 24 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.2112 25 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.2274 26 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.2312 27 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.2816 28 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.2933 29 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) 0:58.3463 30 600 Dean Canto Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.4228 31 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.4894 32 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.8199 Sources:
Top Ten Shootout
Pos No Name Team Vehicle Time 1 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.1672 2 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.4253 3 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.4705 4 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:57.5351 5 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.7704 6 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.9209 7 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering Holden Commodore (VX) 0:57.9791 8 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.0312 9 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.0875 10 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport Ford Falcon (AU) 0:58.3566 Sources:
Race 1
Drama unfolded almost immediately as the two Dick Johnson Racing cars driven by Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson collided on the approach to turn one. The incident resulted in both cars immediately dropping out of the race and with Radisich's car stranded on the side of the track, the safety car was deployed. Once the race resumed, Skaife led the race from David Besnard, Murphy, Ambrose, Bright, Todd Kelly, Steven Richards and Brad Jones. Skaife began to set a scorching pace, eventually breaking the track record multiple times over the course of the race.
By lap 8, multiple cars down the pack opted to complete their compulsory pit stops. A slow stop for Besnard would prove to be costly, being dropped out of the top ten. Cameron McConville's race was over when his engine expired at the pitlane exit On lap 15, Larry Perkins retired from the race after the power steering pump had failed. Garth Tander's race was over on lap 22 owing to a front-right suspension failure. Rodney Forbes spun off at the hairpin, hitting the tyre barrier in the process. But was able to continue the race.
Up the front, Skaife remained untroubled throughout the entire race. In taking victory, he became the first driver to defeat Murphy at Pukekohe Park Raceway in a V8 Supercar race. Murphy and Ambrose rounded out the podium.
Pos No Name Team Laps Time / Retired Grid 11 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team 36 41min 28.6114sec 1 2 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 36 + 5.132 3 3 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing 36 + 6.409 4 4 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team 36 + 6.860 5 5 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 36 + 11.569 6 6 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering 36 + 12.503 7 702 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions 36 + 13.599 11 800 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport 36 + 21.570 12 921 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing 36 + 24.249 8 108 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 36 + 24.849 17 1165 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport 36 + 27.298 10 12888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing 36 + 27.690 15 139 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing 36 + 31.478 2 1466 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport 36 + 36.309 9 1527 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport 36 + 36.644 27 16021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing 36 + 37.144 23 1731 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing 36 + 49.253 21 1854 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing 36 + 53.254 22 1935 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport 36 + 54.964 29 2046 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing 36 + 55.342 26 2143 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing 36 + 55.379 24 2240 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport 36 + 58.302 32 23 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport 35 + 1 lap 31 24600 Dean Canto Briggs Motorsport 35 + 1 lap 30 2575 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing 35 + 1 lap 25 265 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 35 + 1 lap 28 277 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport 32 + 4 laps 16 Ret34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport 19 Suspension 13 Ret 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 15 Power steering 14 Ret 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team 6 Engine 18 Ret 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing 0 Accident damage 19 Ret 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing 0 Accident 20 Fastest Lap: Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team), 0:57.4545 Sources:
Race 2 Ambrose bogged down off the start and dropped from third to sixth. A concertina effect on the opening lap heading into the hairpin saw Russell Ingall spin Craig Lowndes, sending the 00 Motorsport driver right to the tail end of the pack. Besnard was forced into the pits early on after his Falcon was stuck in gear and subsequently dropped two laps behind the leaders.
On lap 20, Cameron McLean's right-rear wheel parted company with his car whilst Canto veered off into the runoff area at the hairpin. He was joined by Perkins and subsequently resulted in a safety car. During this time, Skaife's car developed a misfire. As the race resumed, Skaife peeled into the pits to retire; handing the lead over to Murphy. Steven Richards struggled with tyres and dropped off the podium as the race tracked on.
Murphy held the lead until the very end. Taking the win ahead of Bright and Ambrose. Pos No Name Team Laps Time / Retired Grid 1 51 Greg Murphy Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 54 57min 56.5579sec 2 2 2 Jason Bright Holden Racing Team 54 + 3.512 4 3 4 Marcos Ambrose Stone Brothers Racing 54 + 11.589 3 4 15 Todd Kelly Tom Walkinshaw Racing Australia 54 + 13.804 5 5 02 Rick Kelly Holden Young Lions 54 + 18.751 7 6 16 Steven Richards Perkins Engineering 54 + 20.583 6 7 27 Neil Crompton 00 Motorsport 54 + 23.937 15 8 17 Steven Johnson Dick Johnson Racing 54 + 24.661 31 9 00 Craig Lowndes 00 Motorsport 54 + 28.823 8 10 66 Tony Longhurst Briggs Motorsport 54 + 29.592 14 11 8 Russell Ingall Perkins Engineering 54 + 30.189 10 12 31 Steven Ellery Steven Ellery Racing 54 + 30.627 17 13 21 Brad Jones Brad Jones Racing 54 + 31.622 9 14 021 Jason Richards Team Kiwi Racing 54 + 35.325 16 15 7 Rodney Forbes 00 Motorsport 54 + 42.069 27 16 65 Max Wilson Briggs Motorsport 54 + 43.940 11 17 10 Mark Larkham Larkham Motor Sport 54 + 51.169 23 18 3 Cameron McConville Lansvale Racing Team 54 + 52.876 30 19 35 Jason Bargwanna Garry Rogers Motorsport 54 + 56.053 19 20 888 John Bowe Brad Jones Racing 53 + 1 lap 12 21 43 Paul Weel Paul Weel Racing 53 + 1 lap 21 22 75 Anthony Tratt Paul Little Racing 53 + 1 lap 25 23 9 David Besnard Stone Brothers Racing 52 + 2 laps 13 24 5 Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing 52 + 2 laps 26 25 600 Dean Canto Briggs Motorsport 51 + 3 laps 24 Ret 34 Garth Tander Garry Rogers Motorsport 41 Fuel pump 28 Ret 46 John Faulkner John Faulkner Racing 26 Retired 20 Ret 1 Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team 24 Engine 1 Ret 11 Larry Perkins Perkins Engineering 20 Spun off 29 Ret 40 Cameron McLean Paragon Motorsport 20 Wheel 22 Ret 54 Craig Baird Rod Nash Racing 0 Retired 18 WD 18 Paul Radisich Dick Johnson Racing Withdrawn Fastest Lap: Mark Skaife (Holden Racing Team), 0.57.9281 Sources:
Race 3 Before the race, question marks lingered over whether the Holden Racing Team could rectify Skaife's engine issues to allow him to line up on the grid. Eventually, he would. Although these issues would resurface as the race went on. Todd Kelly perfected his launch off the line and shuffled into second behind Murphy off the start. Behind them, others were less-than-perfect. Jason Richards t-boned Brad Jones in turn two, sending them both into a spin and tumbling down the order. The safety car was brought out on lap 17 after McConville spun off at the hairpin. Not long after the race resumed, Bright's engine blew up on the back straight, making it a double-DNF for the Holden Racing Team.
By mid-race distance, Glenn Seton spun at turn two, taking out the tyre bundle in the process. This exposed a sharp bracket that was holding the bundle in place and multiple drivers began to experience punctures. One of them was race and round leader, Murphy. On lap 33, Murphy was forced to pit as a result, giving the lead to Ambrose, who also assumed the lead for round points as a result. The damage for Murphy was mitigated thanks to the deployment of another safety car after Besnard hit the wall at Ford Mountain. The safety car came out for the third time just a few laps later when Steven Richards went off the circuit at turn three.