Fabulous News for NZGP and V8 Supercars Events

13th December 2013

Fabulous News for NZGP and V8 Supercars Events

Motorsport New Zealand's most significant events on the 2014 calendar the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild Park in February and the V8 Supercars Championship at Pukekohe Park Raceway in April will now see both the NZV8 Touring Cars and the V8 Super Tourers on the same race sheet to form an incredibly exciting line up of high kilowatt entertainment for those weekends.

"The NZV8TC invited the owner of Super Tourers to a round table meeting recently and discussed ways in getting both V8 classes racing at some of the same race meetings sometime in the future." said NZV8 Touring Cars chairman Ian Booth.

"The first meeting being the NZGP race meeting in February and then at the V8 Supercars race meeting over ANZAC weekend in April both (NZV8TC and V8ST) as support categories to the V8 Supercars." he said.

The winners are of course the fans who will be able to see both of their national V8 powered touring cars in action at the same weekend at the same venue and see what both these similar yet quite different classes have to offer the avid spectator.

The NZV8 Touring Cars historically have been New Zealand's answer to the Australian Supercars providing a platform for the nation's best drivers to compete and has also included many drivers from Australia's toughest competitions and past World Touring Car Champion Paul Radisich.

Now with the creation of the New Generation NZV8 TLX class the series is forging ahead and was the first series of its type in Australasia to expand outside of the Holden versus Ford template when Toyota joined the competition in January this year.

With V8 Supercar driver Jason Bargwanna piloting the Toyota Camry this season to defend his title against Holden and Ford he may well make history if he can do so in the new to the series brand.

The action will further expand with Nissan set to join the series next season and the team behind the new entry aim to have their brand new Altima V8 on display for the public at the V8 Supercars meeting this April.

Rumoured to also be on the grid next season is a European branded car expanding the NZV8TC into a fully multi-brand V8 powered touring car championship.

The NZV8TC TLX cars share the same chassis and sequential gearbox but must be powered by the relevant brand's own version of a parity controlled V8 powerplant.

Also included in the NZV8 Touring Cars is the very competitive TL class utilising the Holden and Ford race cars built to the specifications of the original NZV8s to provide an excellent, professional and exciting platform for drivers of all ages.

Particularly catered for by the class are those up and coming drivers with an eye on pursuing a career in the top levels of touring car competition.

The logical next step for those drivers is a move up into the NZV8TC is the TLX class which is set to expand quickly over future seasons.

"With a new Nissan Altima and rumour of a possible European brand coming onboard the future of the NZV8 Touring Cars looks very exciting." said Mr Booth.

On the other side of the coin is the V8 Supertourers where many drivers from the original NZV8s left to compete in when the creation of the new series was brought about due to a difference in opinion and passions over the future path for V8 touring car racing here in New Zealand.

This series uses identical chassis and sequential gearbox across the lineup of cars which are paneled as Holden commodores and Ford Falcons all of which are driven by a high powered Chevrolet V8 powerplant and described by the drivers to be of similar feel to the Australian V8 Supercars.

The V8 Supertourers have become popular attracting top drivers from New Zealand and several Australian V8 Supercars drivers including Kiwis Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and the legendary Greg Murphy plus Australians such as Jack Perkins and Jonathan Webb.

The V8 Supertourers season has just come to a close this month at Pukekohe when Holden's Greg Murphy claimed the title ahead of Ant Pederson after completing the enduro leg of their season.

They get underway again over the weekend of January 25 to 26th at Highlands Park in Cromwell.

More on the NZV8 Touring Cars

The NZV8 Touring Cars' season has just begun after a very exciting first round held at the Thunder in the Park event at Pukekohe Park Raceway last month.

Jason Bargwanna drove his Toyota Camry to claim two race victories and the TLX class win ahead of Holden Commodore driver Nick Ross with one race win followed by Shaun Varney in third with his Ford Falcon.

Holden Commodore driver James McLaughlin took out the TL class win ahead of another Holden driver Ian Booth followed by Grant Molloy in a Ford Falcon.

The NZV8 Touring Cars season continues early in 2014 at Invercargill's Teretonga Park over the weekend of 11 to 12th January.

Back to back rounds sees the field head to Timaru International Motor Raceway the following weekend of the 18 to 19th January.

The NZV8 Touring Cars and V8 Supertourers will share their first ever weekend on the race sheet as invitation classes when the New Zealand Grand prix is held at Manfeild Park over the weekend of 8th and 9th of February.

Then both the NZV8 Touring Cars and the V8 Supertourers will be included as support classes for the Australian V8 Supercars event at Pukekohe Park Raceway on the 25 to 27th of April 2014.

NZV8 Touring Cars Calendar
Rd 1: Pukekohe Park Raceway - 16-17 November 2013 (completed)
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)

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

www.nzv8touringcars.co.nz

ENDS

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