New Zealand is a small country, but its motor racing is on just as high a level as any other nation. Its domestic championships, the NZ V8s and the Toyota Racing Series, are of a high standard, and many drivers from New Zealand have progressed to world championships – and won them. Fans will have heard of such names as Chris van der Drift and Earl Bamber, who have both made their mark on the world stage.
Another racing ingredient that NZ is famous for is its circuits. New Zealand seems to have a number of short, but fun tracks that are immensely enjoyable to race on. One of these amazing tracks, modelled lovingly in rFactor and converted to the RACE series, is the host of the season opener for ATCC S2: Manfeild.
History
The origins of the Manfeild Autocourse can be traced back to 1970, when members of the Manawatu Car Club set out to build a racetrack on a 16-hectare piece of land on the outskirts of the town of Feilding. They obtained the funding for the circuit by interesting means - mortgaging their homes, door-knocking for cash and borrowing $130,000 from the bank. The original three-kilometre circuit was completed in 1973, and after a competition to decide the circuit's name, was christened Manfeild – a combination of Manawatu, the region the circuit is located in, and Feilding, the local town.
Things remained much the same for the next decade-and-a-half, the track entertaining spectators and drawing visitors to the Manawatu region. But in 1990, the Manawatu Car Club undertook a task that was to blaze the trail to what Manfeild is today.
A 1.5km extension was added to the circuit, a loop that protruded from the original track's back straight (it bears an uncanny resemblance to the East section of Zandvoort in the Netherlands...). This redevelopment brought Manfeild up to international standards length-wise, and also allowed it to host a wider range of events, as well as Driver Training courses.
Nowadays, Manfeild enjoys a healthy reputation as one of New Zealand's finest racetracks. It is the longest circuit with a uninterrupted view in the Southern Hemisphere, and hosts an incredible range of events and activities, from Motorcycle racing to driver training – and it's not just a circuit anymore.
The Manfeild Autocourse is now the centre of a large multi-events venue, with a stadium, catering, viewing suites and conference rooms. Aside from motorsport events, the site caters for nearly any activity, from weddings to cycling championship racing. Manfeild has an illustrious past and present, and the future is looking just as bright.
For the Drivers
For ATCC, we will be using the main 3km circuit, which is incidentally the original configuration of Manfeild. This track is very unique, in that every one of its seven turns is banked – incidentally, you will find that you are able to take the corners faster than expected. Smooth entry and exit, gradual application of the throttle and steering, and taking late apexes, is essential to a good lap of this circuit. Manfeild has multiple lines to take through its turns, which means that there are many places to pass, but for your qualifying lap you need to find the fastest line and stick to it.
Setup-wise, you should aim to run your suspension at softer settings than normal to maximise grip in the banked turns. Since this track has three long straights and many fast, sweeping corners, downforce should be low to medium and gearing should be reasonably close to the default settings, maybe a bit shorter – aim to have your engine approach the rev-limiter in top gear just before the braking zone for turn 1.
Above all, your car needs to be responsive and controllable. A mistake can cost you at least half a second on track, if you don't spear off into the gravel traps. Half a second might not seem like much, but when you consider that a fast lap on this track is just over one minute and eight seconds, it makes quite a difference.
All cautionary notices aside, Manfeild is a rapid track, bucking and diving all over the place... which we can all agree is perfect for our beloved Touring Cars. Thanks must go to Khan1670 for bringing this amazing circuit to the RACE series, and to our race directors for choosing it as part of the ATCC S2 calendar. It'll certainly be a wild ride.
See you guys tomorrow night, in the Land of the Long White Cloud – New Zealand!
