New Zealand motor racing is in pole position for its best season in years after agreement was reached to unite the country’s racing series under one Premier Racing Calendar.
MotorSport New Zealand together with a newly-formed Series Organising Group consisting of the major North Island racing categories and the Historic Racing Club agreed a calendar that will include a combined V8 grid for NZV8, TLX and V8 SuperTourer schedule cars to be known as New Zealand Touring Cars, the spectacular Toyota Race Series and the New Zealand Grand Prix. The Ssangyong Summer Series will also run within the Premier Racing Calendar.
An historic meeting held in Auckland last week was chaired by Rally New Zealand Chairman Peter Johnston and included representation from MotorSport New Zealand, the Historic Racing Club and series coordinators from the Toyota Racing Series, the NZV8 and former V8SuperTourer groups, UDC V8 Utes, the Ssangyong Summer Series, Tradezone GTRNZ (including GT1 and GT2), ENZED Central Muscle Cars and the Toyota Finance 86 Championship.
A new group made up of the class coordinators was formed – the S.O.G. (Series Organising Group) – to work with MSNZ and deliver stability and top level motorsport to rekindle both public and corporate interest.
Nine top level circuit racing events will be on offer to Kiwi race fans, made up of eight race meetings in the Premier Racing Calendar and the Australian V8 Supercar round at Pukekohe.
Premier Racing Calendar
Event 1 Taupo Motorsport Park October 17 and 18
Event 2* Pukekohe Park Raceway (Supercar event) November 6 and 7
Event 3 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park November 28 and 29
Event 4 Mike Pero Motorsport Park Ruapuna January 16 and 17
Event 5 Teretonga Park Raceway January 23 and 24
Event 6 Hampton Downs Motorsport Park January 29 and 31
Event 7 Taupo Motorsport Park February 6 and 7
Event 8** Manfeild Autocourse (New Zealand GP) February 12 to 14
Event 9 Pukekohe Park Raceway April 16 and 17
*Event not organised or promoted as part of the Premier Racing Calendar
**Event promoted by Manfeild
The Historic Racing Club will organise and promote all events, with the aim of giving each event the same ‘iconic’ status currently enjoyed by events like the NZ Grand Prix, the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing and the V8 Festival. The HRC will continue to run its other events, with an expanded Club Motorsport calendar in addition to the Premier Calendar and its regular Historic Motorsport programme.
Welcoming the outcomes of the meeting, Johnston explained: “This was an historic day for the sport with everyone together in a room working to build a better future for circuit motor racing in New Zealand. There was a great deal of goodwill and a lot of hard work had already been put in to bring the calendar together even before the meeting. We have some great categories racing at some great circuits and the job now is to turn them into the best events we can. There is some fine tuning to do and plenty more work, but we can now all move ahead together in the best interests of the sport. Exciting times definitely lie ahead.”
MotorSport New Zealand President Shayne Harris said: “MSNZ is encouraged by the co-operation displayed by the major race categories in an attempt to rejuvenate the top end of the Sport. MSNZ supports the formation of the Series Organisers Group and looks forward to working with that group and being part of what signals the start of a bright future for premier motorsport in New Zealand.”
Announcements of categories confirmed for each event will be made soon, but the Premier Race Calendar will include the following categories; the Toyota Racing Series, New Zealand Touring Cars, UDC V8 Utes, the Ssangyong Race Series, Tradezone GTRNZ (GT1/GT2/NZGT), ENZED Central Muscle Cars and the Toyota Finance 86 Championship, with Formula Ford, Formula First, Pre-65, Motul Honda Cup, NZ Sportscars, Superkarts, Pro 7 and OSCA all making likely appearances on the card.
Further announcements will be made very quickly about the make-up of each of the Premier Racing Calendar events, with details of the categories running.
Fantastic to hear NZ far to small for all thr fractioned classes we have seen in years gone by
S O G need to listen to the FANs big time.V8s are a big part of NZ motorsport,Lets get it right and keep it right. TRS,V8s,CMC,UTEs,GTs,T86s, WOW we have a SHOW.”” Tickets Please “” then filter all the other classes in from meeting to meeting. Ssangyong ?????mmmmmm Lets put them back in cars all that young talent should be in cars learning there craft.
What a great idea Dave, why didn’t I think of that, just goes to show that you are never to old to learn new tricks, ehhh.
So levels misses out again, and the south island gets 6 of the 8 rounds, come on motorsport nz, what exactly is the issue with the levels track, is it just the trs that wont go there due to safety concerns, wtf,
Sorry, ii meant the north island gets 6 rounds
You got it one Victor, TRS refused to go to Level’s and that the end of the story, game set and match.