NZV8TC Driver McLaughlin First to Shine

Media release - 21/11/2013
NZV8 Touring Cars 2013-14
NZV8 TL Class

NZV8TC Driver McLaughlin First to Shine in TL Class of 2013-14

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Photo Credit: Iain Whitaker

A step up into the NZV8 Touring Cars paid off for Lower Hutt based driver James McLaughlin after claiming two TL class wins from three races at Pukekohe Park Raceway in the opening round of the series taking the overall win over second placed Ian Booth in a Holden and third placed Grant Molloy in a Ford Falcon.

The NZV8 Touring Cars TL class has been created utilising the older but extremely popular and competitive NZV8s Holden and Ford race cars who now run with the New Generation NZV8TC TLX class. This is the start of the second season of this new format.

McLaughlin was born in New Plymouth and has come through karting, drag racing, Holden HQs and Super Six series before driving his Holden Commodore to victory this weekend in what is one of New Zealand's toughest racing series.

"My ambition this season is to chase this championship win and if I get it move up into the TLX class, it's a great development series and I think like me we all have that dream to someday get into Australia or somewhere overseas to drive." said McLaughlin.

It was fellow driver and friend Bronson Porter who suggested the move up into the NZV8 Touring Cars and the TL class. This led McLaughlin to purchase the ex- John Hepburn Holden Commodore built by Sheldon Motorsport Development who have been instrumental with help over the setting up of the car.

"We completely rebuilt and re-shelled the car plus put in a new engine which we purchased from the States. It's fuel injected and parity controlled by Speedtech to make sure we don't have any more power than the other cars using carburettors." said McLaughlin.

"The morale in the series is very good and we can walk into anyone's pits and have a chat. People will help you out like Brock Cooley who lent us a gearbox for the weekend, I want to thank him, all my supporters and the crew." he said.

"The cars and drivers are extremely competitive and much more of a team sport than what I'm used to with the team very much needed to set the car up to be quick enough."

A newly elected management team headed by Chairman and Director Ian Booth work day and night to improve the NZV8TC making it competitive, exciting to watch and keeping it accessible to drivers of all ages including the young up and coming.

"These cars are so affordable these days which makes getting into this top level racing very appealing to many up and coming drivers. Some of the biggest names in NZ Motorsport came through these very TL cars." said Mr Booth.

"This is a great way for your up and coming competitors to get into a V8-powered Motorsport New Zealand approved Championship class. The TL class is the best way forward for an up and coming young driver who can then move on up into a TLX car when they feel they have accomplished what they can in the TL ." he said.

Ian Booth not only fights hard to ensure the series' success but fights hard on the track also taking one race win and a second place to finish second overall in the TL class behind McLaughlin at the weekend.

"There is more to come over the next few rounds, we have Liam McDonald from Invercargill and Ross Cameron from Dunedin joining us for the South Island rounds plus we are hoping to see Kevin Williams back in the series down there also." said Mr Booth.

Drivers already competing in the NZV8 Touring Cars have had success in other series including current NZ GT champion Brock Cooley and Glenn Pelham from the BMW E30 sereis.

Another great talent in the TL class is Brad Lauder who at just 16 placed second in the championship last season behind his brother AJ who has sinced jumped class moving into a Toyota Camry TLX for this season.

Bronson Porter brings with him to the NZV8TC a string of accolades from the Super Sixes and HQ series plus there are rookie drivers such as Nigel Karl who has simply jumped in feet first.

The opening round of the NZV8 Touring Cars at Pukekohe was a huge success with four more rounds, two in the South Island and two in the North, before the field head back to Pukekohe Park Raceway to take it's place in the V8 Supercar event in April 2014.

NZV8 Touring Cars thanks Whitianga Plumbing & Drainage Ltd and Motorsport New Zealand for their support at the opening round at Pukekohe over the weekend of 16-17th November 2013.

NZV8 Touring Cars supports the “KID IN CARS CHARITY TRUST”

NZV8s Touring Cars Calendar

Rd 2       Teretonga Park, Invercargill                                       11-12 January 2014
Rd 3       Timaru International Motor Raceway                      18-19 January 2014
Rd 4       Manfeild, Feilding (NZ Grand Prix)                           08-09 February 2014
Rd 5       Taupo Motorsport Park                                              08-09 March 2014
Rd 6       Pukekohe Park (V8 Supercars)                                  25-27 April 2014 (ANZAC Weekend)

ENDS

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