January shaping as mega motorsport month
Tradition has it that January is always a big motorsport month and this weekend is no exception. The 2018 Toyota Racing Series gets under way in Christchurch with a number of national championships in supporting classes also featuring.
The NZ Superbikes compete in their second round in Timaru, Hampton Downs hosts the NZ Festival of Speed and the new NZ Xtreme Motorsport Series makes its debut at the Upper Hutt speedway in Wellington. Five Kiwi drivers will take part in this year’s Toyota Racing Series with the confirmation this week of Pukekohe driver Taylor Cockerton’s entry.
While Christchurch’s Marcus Armstrong is odds-on-favourite for the drivers’ title, Cockerton will also prove very competitive, having won the 2017 Formula Masters Series in China.
Kiwi drivers make up approximately a third of the overall entries, as this season we will see one of the smallest grids for a number of years.
Despite that, competition for the top five will be brisk with Russian Robert Shwartzman, the ‘‘Flying Dutchman’’ Richard Vershoor, and experienced Kiwi campaigner Brendon Leitch from Southland very much in the mix. Also featuring at this weekend’s meeting in Christchurch are the BNT V8s, Toyota 86 Championship, Pirelli Porsche Championship, Pro 7 Mazda Series, NZ SuperTrucks, New Zealand Formula and the crowd favourite OSCA racers. All things Bathurst Hampton Downs hosts the NZ Festival of Motor Racing this weekend, celebrating all things Bathurst.
A field of historic Bathurst pedigree cars and legendary drivers will make their appearance alongside supporting classes including the Central Muscle Cars.
Jim Richards, Steve Richards, Allan Moffat, John Bowe and Paul Radisich have confirmed their attendance.
Two-time Bathurst winner John Bowe will be reunited with the very quick #44 Volvo 240 GT car that he raced around Mt Panorama in 1986, while Richards will be behind the wheel of the beautiful Group C BMW 635 CSi with the classic John Player Special black and gold livery.
Radisich will race a replica of Dick Johnson’s famous Tru Blu Ford Falcon XE.
Xtreme Series debuts
The New Zealand Xtreme Motorsport Series (NZXMS) is set to host four racing disciplines debuting together at the Max Motors Family Speedway in Upper Hutt, Wellington.
The first of two rounds brings together drifting, rally cross, UTV racing and supermoto at the same venue, a new experience for fans. The intention is to build custom circuits unlike anything seen before here, incorporating both track and dirt arenas.
Timaru will also host a round with all four disciplines being featured at the Levels raceway.
McLaughlin to race at Bathurst
Kiwi Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin has confirmed his entry in the Pro-Am class at next month’s Bathurst 12-hour race in Australia.
McLaughlin will team up with Australian GT driver Fraser Ross, factory McLaren GT driver Andrew Watson, and experienced Swedish racer Alexander West in a McLaren 650S GT3 run by McElrea Racing.
This is just his second appearance in the 12-hour race, having won Class B in 2016 with Earl Bamber and Stephen Grove at the wheel of a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car.
❚ Benjamin Carrell is the online editor of nzmotorracing.co.nz