With the start of the 2012-13 Gold Star Race Championship season only six months away, work continues at a great rate for the Tulloch Motorsport team as they build the first new generation NZV8 Holden VE II.

The Christchurch-based team took delivery of their NZV8 chassis in late April and with assistance from Australia’s Holden Motorsport department and Walkinshaw Racing the Holden is taking shape.

The 480hp LS3 Chevrolet engine is currently being fitted out with the AVIAID three stage dry sump system plus new coolant vent lines and the latest billet fuel rail system to ensure reliable engine performance.

Arriving from the USA this week is the controlled Tilton triple plate clutch and flywheel package which will be fitted up to the NZ-made six speed sequential gearbox. The Hollinger shift cut unit from Australia will complete the driveline for the new car.

In an exciting development for the premier V8 category, the driveline has been developed to enable the new generation NZV8s to adopt standing starts, a step up from the current rolling start format.

As part of an intense testing programme, team owner and NZV8s chairman Ian “Inky” Tulloch plans to run the Holden in the South Island Endurance Series this spring.

Inky has been campaigning a Mitsubishi Evo 10 in the Australian Production Endurance Series with great success over the past few months so will be looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Holden.

“The team has been working hard to get the Holden built; we can’t wait to get it out on the track to see what it can do and what better way to put it through its paces than enduros.” Inky said.

“Fellow NZV8s competitor Nick Ross is currently building a Holden and the Tulloch team are keen to see others join the Holden marque. Likewise with the championship now opened up to any manufacturer to join, we welcome all makes and can’t wait to see the first NZV8s grid at Taupo in December. It’s going to be fantastic for the category and NZ motorsport as a whole.”

The Tulloch Motorsport team expect to make a driver announcement in the next few weeks. Also still available for lease and/or sale are both 2011-12 season Ford BA NZV8s of Jason Bargwanna and Simon Evans; both cars of course still eligible for the Gold Star NZV8s Championship.

The new generation NZV8s Holden will have its first public showing on the NZV8s stand at the upcoming CRC Speedshow, 21-22 July at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland.