Didier Debae, CEO of V8 SuperTourers, today announced that the UDC-sponsored V8 UTE SERIES would run at all six rounds of its Championship Series from 2013 – as part of a three year category agreement that would see V8 Ute drivers also get the opportunity to compete for the annual V8ST scholarship, as well as having their own, dedicated TV segment on a delayed broadcast basis.

Debae explained; “V8 Utes are going from strength to strength in Australia, and with the right promotion we are very confident they will continue to grow here in New Zealand. We are excited to have the UDC V8 Utes at all six of our race meetings next year, and we look forward to working with their strong category management team to leverage this new partnership. Together, we will look for a suitable date next year when we can put together another round of the highly successful Trans-Tasman V8 Ute Challenge Series: Kiwis versus Aussies in V8 Utes – this is the classic battle and it’s a promoter’s dream”.

Ash Cairns, Chairman of the UDC V8 Ute Series said: “The category needs to seize the opportunity to raise its profile and we think that this partnership with V8 SuperTourers best fits our objectives to take V8 Ute Racing to the next level. The primary commercial partner to our series, UDC Finance, are very supportive of this decision to partner with V8 SuperTourers, and we look forward to the start of our 2013 season at Hampton Downs on the 16/17 February.”