# 2002 New Zealand Grand Prix

The 2002 New Zealand Grand Prix (officially known as the 2002 P&O Nedlloyd New Zealand Grand Prix) was an open wheel racing car race held at Teretonga Park, near Invercargill on 13 January 2002. This event marked the first time the New Zealand Grand Prix was run using Formula Ford machinery. It also served as the fourth round of the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship and was held over two 18-lap segments.
The race was won by Fabian Coulthard in dominant fashion. The podium was completed by the two Team USA Scholarship drivers, Bryan Sellers and A. J. Allmendinger.

## Race report

Coulthard was virtually untouchable in the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship that season, having won every race in the series up to that point. In Teretonga, he continued that form by qualifying fastest in provisional qualifying and then topping the timesheets in the top-ten shootout session; both by some margin. Veteran Ken Smith was the closest competitor followed by Team USA Scholarship driver, Sellers. The Team USA Scholarship drivers of Sellers and Allmendinger were flown in to New Zealand a few days beforehand as part of a program organised by Jeremy Shaw and run by Kiwi John Crawford.
Unlike previous iterations of the event, the cars used for the marquee event were not equipped with fuel tanks large enough to cover the full distance of the race. Thus, the race was split up into two 18-lap segments, with the cars refueled in between. Any other modifications made to the cars in this time were prohibited. The second part of the race was then started under safety car. Coulthard led the opening portion of the race from Sellers, Allmendinger, Nicolas Ross, Simon Gamble, Simon Richards and Smith.
In the second portion of the race, Allmendinger, Ross and Gamble came to blows at turn one which forced Ross to climb back up the order and threw Gamble out of the race. Brady Kennett, winner of the 1995 event, struggled with oil pressure and would eventually have to settle for eleventh place. One of the biggest movers of the field was Nelson Hartley, brother of Formula One driver Brendon, who had climbed from 29th on the grid to finish sixth. Of all the cars however, it was Coulthard who reigned supreme. Taking the chequered flag to win the Grand Prix nearly four seconds ahead of Sellers, completing the race in just under an hour. Allmendinger recovered from his conflict with Ross and Gamble to take a consolatory third.

## Classification
### Qualifying

| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Grid |
| 1 | 66 | Fabian Coulthard | Stealth Van Diemen RF94 | 1:02.553 | 1:02.891 | 1 |
| 2 | 11 | Ken Smith | Van Diemen Stealth | 1:03.071 | 1:03.394 | 2 |
| 3 | 40 | Bryan Sellers | Van Diemen RF93 | 1:03.062 | 1:03.641 | 3 |
| 4 | 10 | Nelson Hartley | Van Diemen RF94 | 1:03.090 | 1:03.675 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | Simon Richards | Van Diemen RF01 | 1:03.326 | 1:03.706 | 5 |
| 6 | 39 | A. J. Allmendinger | Van Diemen RF93 | 1:03.248 | 1:03.916 | 6 |
| 7 | 22 | Chris Pither | Spectrum 08 | 1:03.114 | 1:03.950 | 7 |
| 8 | 14 | Nick Ross | Van Diemen RF91 | 1:03.134 | 1:04.009 | 8 |
| 9 | 7 | Simon Gamble | Van Diemen RF90 | 1:03.245 | 1:04.186 | 9 |
| 10 | 6 | Brady Kennett | Van Diemen RF94 | 1:03.071 | 1:04.413 | 10 |
| 11 | 21 | Todd Stewart | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:03.878 | | 11 |
| 12 | 12 | Daniel Gaunt | Van Diemen Stealth | 1:04.295 | | 12 |
| 13 | 57 | Scott McKelvie | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:04.363 | | 13 |
| 14 | 47 | David Payne | Van Diemen Stealth | 1:04.509 | | 14 |
| 15 | 96 | Karl Wilson | Van Diemen RF94 | 1:04.707 | | 15 |
| 16 | 76 | Carl Wall | Swift FB4 | 1:04.901 | | 16 |
| 17 | 34 | Steve Donaldson | Van Diemen RF90 | 1:05.147 | | 17 |
| 18 | 4 | Andrew Higgins | Van Diemen RF94 | 1:05.195 | | 18 |
| 19 | 25 | Stan Redmond | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:05.506 | | 19 |
| 20 | 70 | Jayant Singh | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:05.569 | | 20 |
| 21 | 18 | Ian Bisman | Van Diemen RF96 | 1:05.684 | | 21 |
| 22 | 15 | Royce Bayer | Swift SC92 | 1:06.065 | | 22 |
| 23 | 72 | Mashlino Buang | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:06.139 | | 23 |
| 24 | 33 | Iskander Syed | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:06.164 | | 24 |
| 25 | 53 | Robert Toshach | Swift FB89 | 1:06.179 | | 25 |
| 26 | 30 | Ian Clements | Lola 644G | 1:06.315 | | 26 |
| 27 | 86 | John Clegg | Reynard 84FF | 1:06.394 | | 27 |
| 28 | 85 | Carmen Doran | Ray 86F | 1:06.478 | | 28 |
| 29 | 77 | Steve Edwards | Swift FB88 | 1:07.017 | | 29 |
| 30 | 88 | Mathew Radisich | Spectrum 08 | 1:07.213 | | 30 |
| 31 | 43 | Barry Leitch | Van Diemen | 1:07.305 | | 31 |
| 32 | 27 | Wayne Colville | Van Diemen RF81 | 1:09.792 | | 32 |
| 33 | 44 | Noel Atley | Crossle 55F | 1:10.548 | | 33 |
| 34 | 71 | Robin Judkins | Van Diemen RF89 | 1:10.565 | | 34 |
| 35 | 36 | Fred Hawthorne | Van Diemen RF86 | 1:11.054 | | 35 |
| 36 | 83 | Fariqe Hairuman | Van Diemen RF92 | 1:12.781 | | 36 |
| - | 99 | Matthew Hamilton | Van Diemen RF91 | no time | | |
| Source(s): |||||||

### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time | Grid |
| 1 | 66 | Fabian Coulthard | Stealth Van Diemen RF94 | 36 | 59min 07.569sec | 1 |
| 2 | 40 | Bryan Sellers | Van Diemen RF93 | 36 | + 3.714 s | 3 |
| 3 | 39 | A. J. Allmendinger | Van Diemen RF93 | 36 | + 8.834 s | 6 |
| 4 | 11 | Ken Smith | Stealth Van Diemen | 36 | + 11.252 s | 2 |
| 5 | 5 | Simon Richards | Van Diemen RF01 | 36 | + 16.634 s | 5 |
| 6 | 10 | Nelson Hartley | Van Diemen RF94 | 36 | + 17.328 s | 4 |
| 7 | 14 | Nick Ross | Van Diemen RF91 | 36 | + 19.462 s | 8 |
| 8 | 21 | Todd Stewart | Stealth Van Diemen | 36 | + 21.338 s | 11 |
| 9 | 12 | Daniel Gaunt | Stealth Van Diemen | 36 | + 22.119 s | 12 |
| 10 | 22 | Chris Pither | Spectrum 08 | 36 | + 22.231 s | 7 |
| 11 | 6 | Brady Kennett | Van Diemen RF94 | 36 | + 22.879 s | 10 |
| 12 | 96 | Karl Wilson | Van Diemen RF94 | 36 | + 22.903 s | 15 |
| 13 | 47 | David Payne | Stealth Van Diemen | 36 | + 42.852 s | 14 |
| 14 | 57 | Scott McKelvie | Van Diemen RF92 | 36 | + 42.921 s | 13 |
| 15 | 34 | Steven Donaldson | Van Diemen RF90 | 36 | + 53.748 s | 17 |
| 16 | 76 | Carl Wall | Swift FB87 | 36 | + 53.934 s | 16 |
| 17 | 15 | Royce Bayer | Swift SC92F | 35 | + 1 lap | 22 |
| 18 | 53 | Robert Toshach | Swift FB89 | 35 | + 1 lap | 25 |
| 19 | 44 | Noel Atley | Crossle 55F | 35 | + 1 lap | 33 |
| 20 | 25 | Stan Redmond | Van Diemen RF92 | 35 | + 1 lap | 19 |
| 21 | 18 | Ian Bisman | Van Diemen RF96 | 35 | + 1 lap | 21 |
| 22 | 99 | Matthew Hamilton | Van Diemen RF91 | 35 | + 1 lap | PL |
| 23 | 85 | Carmen Doran | Van Diemen RF96 | 34 | + 2 laps | 28 |
| 24 | 77 | Steve Edwards | Swift FB88 | 34 | + 2 laps | 29 |
| 25 | 86 | John Clegg | Reynard 84FF | 34 | + 2 laps | 27 |
| 26 | 36 | Fred Hawthorne | Van Diemen RF86 | 33 | + 3 laps | 35 |
| 27 | 30 | Ian Clements | Lola 644G | 30 | + 6 laps | 26 |
| Ret | 72 | Mashlino Buang | Van Diemen RF92 | 30 | Retired | 23 |
| Ret | 88 | Mathew Radisich | Spectrum 010 | 26 | Retired | 30 |
| Ret | 7 | Simon Gamble | Van Diemen RF90 | 24 | Accident | 9 |
| Ret | 71 | Robin Judkins | Van Diemen RF89 | 19 | Retired | 34 |
| Ret | 4 | Andrew Higgins | Van Diemen RF94 | 17 | Retired | 18 |
| Ret | 43 | Barry Leitch | Van Diemen | 12 | Retired | 31 |
| Ret | 33 | Iskander Syed | Van Diemen RF92 | 5 | Retired | 24 |
| Ret | 70 | Jayant Singh | Van Diemen RF92 | 3 | Retired | 20 |
| Ret | 83 | Fariqe Hairuman | Van Diemen RF92 | 2 | Retired | 36 |
| DNS | 9 | Jonny Reid | Van Diemen RF94 | | Did Not Start | |
| DNS | 17 | Gordon McIntyre | Swift FB91 | | Did Not Start | |
| Source(s): |||||||