The New Zealand Racing Drivers League – which kicks off its four event programme for 2013-2014 at Hampton Downs on September 28 and 29 with the BNT V8 SuperTourers – has so far created more than 100 new motorsport license holders, helping to buck a trend for falling grid numbers in categories and series in New Zealand in recent seasons.

The new 2K Cup category has been the primary contributor to that, with the Historic Racing Club – the organisation behind the series – holding special ‘meet and greet’ and licensing evenings to cater for demand. The League’s new rotary class, the RRE, has also created new license holders and the Honda Cup has also seen its ranks swell with around ten new racers. A full 46 car 2K Cup grid is guaranteed at Hampton Downs, with the Honda Cup expecting to field 25 cars and the RRE around 16.

In addition to the new license holders, the League estimates that around 15 new race cars are being or have been created for classes outside of 2K Cup that will run predominantly in the League.

“When we added up the new entrants to motorsport that have come on stream to run in one of the categories we are developing, the figures were pretty amazing,” explained NZRDL co-organiser Chris Watson.

“Work goes on behind the scenes in motorsport all of the time and is largely forgotten about, but these figures represent a real achievement for those doing that work. We want all of the new guys and girls to have a great time on the lower rungs of the motorsport and then move on to other categories and other series. Promoting motorsport and making it fashionable again is part of what the League is all about.”

The HRC already organises more race meetings than any other organisation in New Zealand and created the League to cater for contemporary classes looking for a core series of dates, a wider range of circuits outside of Auckland and the ability to negotiate other meetings for themselves.

Its doors are open to any racing class in New Zealand and already the new Toyota TR86 class, NZ Sports Cars, Formula Ford, Formula Libre and Superkarts, as well as the 2K Cup, the Honda Cup and the RRE rotary class will all run at one or more of the League’s four 2013-2014 events.