Great package for ASKO SI Endurance Series

Great package for ASKO SI Endurance Series

With just under two months to go until the ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series kicks off, the Series has a fantastic package and great range of entries for its 2011 Series.

With the help of its loyal sponsors the 2011 series will see the richest prize money pool in NZ motorsport given away, with $30,000 to be distributed as prize money to competitors in the series. As well as this, there is a magnificent Norm Sinclair original painting worth $10,000 to be given away as a spot prize as well as many other trophies & prizes up for grabs. There is a new trophy kindly donated by Southern RV for the under 2 litre challenge and of course the trophy everyone wants being the South Canterbury Toyota Cup, awarded to the overall series winner. “We are still working on some things, but already have an awesome deal locked away” said series secretary Chris Dunn. “We will have some serious prize money to give away and also another original painting to give away as a spot prize, plus more prizes, trophies and great functions including a welcome function at the private Bill Richardson truck museum, so it will be a great series!”

The majority of the top teams from the 2010 3hr Series are looking to return, although the series will be without the two pacesetters from the last couple of seasons with the Porsche GT3 RSR of Scott O’Donnell not doing the full series and the Carter brothers V8 Supercar currently competing in Malaysia. However 2010 Series winners Allan Dippie/Grant Aitken are set to return and will be joined by some exciting new cars not seen before in the South Island. These cars range from the fabulous Ford GT of North Island Endurance specialists Rick & Deon Cooper, the 2011 North Island Series runners-up Richard Billington & Mark Hourigan, a huge 358ci V8 Falcon from Dean ‘Wildman’ Perkins and a Honda S2000 for Steve Parker & Matt Jackson who will be aiming for a good showing in the under 2 litre challenge, which is showing a real resurgence. There are also more new cars to join the series for 2011 including the wonderful factory BMW GTR of Allan McCormick, ex NZV8 cars and drivers, some new Porsche entries and the magnificent Ferrari F430 that debuted in 2010.

As well as its traditional 3hr races, the Club will again be hosting a separate 1hr Club race at each of its three rounds, with a separate overall & capacity based class championships on offer. The 1hr Series also has a good range of entrants ranging from 77 year old John Cottier who is NZ’s oldest competing licence holder through to schoolboy racer Brodie Findlay, and there is already about 10 under 2 litre cars registered for the series, made up of Starlets, Civics, Mirages and E30 class BMW’s.

Both the one hour & three hour series’ will run over three rounds, one at each of the South Island race circuits with Round One at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park on September 24th, round Two at Christchurch’s Powerbuilt Ruapuna on October 1st and the final round Three at Timaru’s Levels Raceway on October 15th 2011.

With the races separated, both series’ will still have 5 separate racing classes with cars divided into four capacity based classes being, Class 4: 0-1600cc, Class 3: 1601-2000cc, Class 2: 2001-3500cc and class 1: 3501cc and over, plus a ‘GT’ class for the Porsche GT3’s & V8 Supercars and other exotic cars such as Ferrari etc in the field.

The 2011 ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series is proudly supported by ASKO Appliances, Allied Lubricants, Southern Demolition, and Hagley Aluminium.

Competitors can register their interest by contacting SIERDC President Angus McFarlane via e-mail at angus@mcfarlanegroup.com phone 0274-812-888. Any potential competitors, crews or supporters are welcome to be added to the clubs e-mailing list by simply sending an e-mail to sierdc@xtra.co.nz or they can follow the series on facebook at www.facebook.com/southislandenduranceseries

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