New Zealand Touring Cars
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand V8s is the leading motorsport
category in New Zealand
.
s and Holden Commodore
s duel in this event that journeys to various racetracks around New Zealand. This series somewhat resembles but differs in many ways from the Australian V8 Supercars, primarily in terms of the level of technology. The NZ V8 series focuses on cost containment and control to make sure that the series is not dominated by one make or team. It is technically more basic than the Supercars, but also tends to be a bit more spectacular with a lot more close-action racing due to limited grip and braking capabilities. Unlike the Supercars, the NZV8 races are all sprint races so there is no requirement for elaborate pit crew setups. (In previous years a 500 km endurance race was run, but this has been dropped). The vehicles themselves are visually almost indistinguishable from Supercars, and grids are typically 25 to 30+ vehicles in size. A number of Australian Supercar drivers now race in the NZV8's such as David Besnard
, Luke Youlden
and Cameron McLean for example, as the series has come to be recognised as an outstanding class in its own right, rather than a poor cousin of the Australian V8 Supercars. Supercar teams have previously been involved; Team Kiwi Racing
has run two-car teams in the series in the past as a development ground, while Tasman Motorsport
has been running a single car team with Andy Booth
driving (Holden Commodore) since the 06/07 series.
The winner of the 2005/2006 season was Kayne Scott
driving a Holden Commodore, who took the trophy after a controversial season that initially saw Angus Fogg
(Ford Falcon) awarded the trophy, only to lose it in the court room. The 05/06 season saw Fords dominating for the first time, and there were loud cries of lack of parity from the Holden teams. It was clear that the Falcons had a considerable edge over the Holdens in power in the low and mid-range, so significant that MSNZ changed the rules and allowed the use of a carb spacer on the Holdens to shift their torque curve. This saw an improvement in the competitiveness of the Holden teams, with holden driver Kayne Scott dicing for the championship lead. However, Andy Booth
was the only other Holden driver consistently in the top-ten, and the Falcons continued to dominate in general. The series was ultimately won in convincing style by Johnny McIntyre
in a Ford.
The 07/08 series has seen a dramatic shift towards entries from Ford teams, with Fords outnumbering Holdens by nearly two to one, and many existing Holden-based teams switching to Ford, including former champion Kayne Scott. This is a direct result of the perceived lack of parity over the last two seasons, with the Fords being significantly more competitive. However, any disparity between the two camps is questionable after the first round of the 07/08 series at Pukekohe: John McIntyre
(Ford) produced a convincing opening round win, but was dogged all the way by Andy Booth
(Holden) who was clearly equal in performance and handling. That said, former champion Paul Manuell was the only other Holden to finish the round in the top 10.
The 07/08 series also sees a reduction to six rounds in the championship. A seventh round is still run in conjunction with the New Zealand round of the Australian V8 Supercars, but due to a conflict in television broadcasting rights it no longer forms part of the NZ competition series, and is instead treated as a separate trophy round. The 07/08 series also sees former V8 Supercar driver and two-times FIA World Touring Car champion Paul Radisich
, driving a Ford Falcon in the series.
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
category in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
History
Huge grids of distinctive Ford FalconFord Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
s and Holden Commodore
Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
s duel in this event that journeys to various racetracks around New Zealand. This series somewhat resembles but differs in many ways from the Australian V8 Supercars, primarily in terms of the level of technology. The NZ V8 series focuses on cost containment and control to make sure that the series is not dominated by one make or team. It is technically more basic than the Supercars, but also tends to be a bit more spectacular with a lot more close-action racing due to limited grip and braking capabilities. Unlike the Supercars, the NZV8 races are all sprint races so there is no requirement for elaborate pit crew setups. (In previous years a 500 km endurance race was run, but this has been dropped). The vehicles themselves are visually almost indistinguishable from Supercars, and grids are typically 25 to 30+ vehicles in size. A number of Australian Supercar drivers now race in the NZV8's such as David Besnard
David Besnard
David Besnard, , in Sydney, Australia is a professional race car driver. Starting in Karts in 1981, he quickly proceeded into Formula Ford in 1995. After initial success, he had a major accident at Eastern Creek Raceway and broke his leg. In 1996 he made a comeback and won the Australian title...
, Luke Youlden
Luke Youlden
Luke Youlden is an Australian motor racing driver. He is the son of two-time Australian Production Car champion Kent Youlden. Youlden has been a V8 Supercar endurance co-driver for various teams since 2001 but has never raced in the series full-time...
and Cameron McLean for example, as the series has come to be recognised as an outstanding class in its own right, rather than a poor cousin of the Australian V8 Supercars. Supercar teams have previously been involved; Team Kiwi Racing
Team Kiwi Racing
Team Kiwi Racing was a V8 Supercar team that competed in the Australian V8 Supercar series. The team has since returned at much reduced scale, in New Zealand running in domestic one-make series racing...
has run two-car teams in the series in the past as a development ground, while Tasman Motorsport
Tasman Motorsport
Tasman Motorsport was a V8 Supercar racing team. It was formed in 2004 out of what was Lansvale Racing Team V8 Supercar team and is associated with Greg Murphy Racing as a satellite operation....
has been running a single car team with Andy Booth
Andy Booth (motorsport)
Andy Booth is a motor racing driver from New Zealand, currently competing in the New Zealand V8 touring car series. A relatively late starter in motorsport, Booth never raced karts, and only competed in a handful of Formula Ford events in New Zealand before heading to the UK where he spent several...
driving (Holden Commodore) since the 06/07 series.
The winner of the 2005/2006 season was Kayne Scott
Kayne Scott
Kayne Scott started his motorsport career by competing in motocross at the age of 12. Scott is a five time New Zealand Trans-Am champion and won the 2005/06 New Zealand V8s series...
driving a Holden Commodore, who took the trophy after a controversial season that initially saw Angus Fogg
Angus Fogg
Angus Fogg is a New Zealand racecar driver who competes in the NZV8's.-New Zealand V8 Championship:Angus Fogg joined the NZ V8 Championship for the 2003-04 season after taking a year off from motorsport...
(Ford Falcon) awarded the trophy, only to lose it in the court room. The 05/06 season saw Fords dominating for the first time, and there were loud cries of lack of parity from the Holden teams. It was clear that the Falcons had a considerable edge over the Holdens in power in the low and mid-range, so significant that MSNZ changed the rules and allowed the use of a carb spacer on the Holdens to shift their torque curve. This saw an improvement in the competitiveness of the Holden teams, with holden driver Kayne Scott dicing for the championship lead. However, Andy Booth
Andy Booth (motorsport)
Andy Booth is a motor racing driver from New Zealand, currently competing in the New Zealand V8 touring car series. A relatively late starter in motorsport, Booth never raced karts, and only competed in a handful of Formula Ford events in New Zealand before heading to the UK where he spent several...
was the only other Holden driver consistently in the top-ten, and the Falcons continued to dominate in general. The series was ultimately won in convincing style by Johnny McIntyre
John McIntyre (driver)
John McIntyre is a New Zealand racecar driver who competes in the NZV8's and is a co-driver for Stone Brothers Racing at Phillip Island and Bathurst.-NZV8's:...
in a Ford.
The 07/08 series has seen a dramatic shift towards entries from Ford teams, with Fords outnumbering Holdens by nearly two to one, and many existing Holden-based teams switching to Ford, including former champion Kayne Scott. This is a direct result of the perceived lack of parity over the last two seasons, with the Fords being significantly more competitive. However, any disparity between the two camps is questionable after the first round of the 07/08 series at Pukekohe: John McIntyre
John McIntyre (driver)
John McIntyre is a New Zealand racecar driver who competes in the NZV8's and is a co-driver for Stone Brothers Racing at Phillip Island and Bathurst.-NZV8's:...
(Ford) produced a convincing opening round win, but was dogged all the way by Andy Booth
Andy Booth (motorsport)
Andy Booth is a motor racing driver from New Zealand, currently competing in the New Zealand V8 touring car series. A relatively late starter in motorsport, Booth never raced karts, and only competed in a handful of Formula Ford events in New Zealand before heading to the UK where he spent several...
(Holden) who was clearly equal in performance and handling. That said, former champion Paul Manuell was the only other Holden to finish the round in the top 10.
The 07/08 series also sees a reduction to six rounds in the championship. A seventh round is still run in conjunction with the New Zealand round of the Australian V8 Supercars, but due to a conflict in television broadcasting rights it no longer forms part of the NZ competition series, and is instead treated as a separate trophy round. The 07/08 series also sees former V8 Supercar driver and two-times FIA World Touring Car champion Paul Radisich
Paul Radisich
Paul Radisich is a New Zealand racing driver of Croat origin. He has competed in saloon cars for many years - both European-style tourers and the V8 Supercars of Australia and New Zealand.-Early years:...
, driving a Ford Falcon in the series.
Scoring system
| Current points scoring system for each race | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th |
| 75 | 67 | 60 | 54 | 49 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
The car
- Power: The engine is a controlled 5.0l V8 (R302ci for the Ford and 304ci for the Holden). Most parts of the engine are controlled and unlike the Australian Touring Cars (V8 Supercar Championship) which uses fuel injection, the series uses a controlled carburettor. The other control parts for the engine are manifolds, exhausts, cam-shafts, rockers, air-filter/cold air box and ignition. The engines are rev-limited to 6400rpm. Top speed is 240 km/h.
- Gearbox: The gearing of a NZ V8 is also controlled. All teams use a controlled 4 speed gearbox produced by Richmond. The gear set, clutch, flywheel and gearbox are also controlled and made by Richmond.
- Tyres: A controlled Dunlop D14 non tread "slick" and R92 W08 treaded wet weather tyre. The contact patch is very small and therefore there is very little grip. Only six new tyres are given out to teams per round to spice up racing.
- Brakes: Brakes are controlled Wilwood six piston front and four piston rear brakes with controlled calipers, rotors and pedal box.
- Aero: A standard aerodynamic package (which is very similar to an Australian V8 SupercarV8 SupercarV8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
in terms of look) of a rear wing and end plates/mounting pedestals, a front splitter and side skirts are supplied to the teams of each make. - Suspension: Control Koni shock absorbers. Bars and springs are not controlled.
- Bodyshell: Each car is loosely based on either the Holden VY Commodore or Ford BA FalconFord BA FalconThe Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan...
production bodyshells, with an elaborate roll cage constructed into the shell from aircraft grade materials. Other modifications include wider wheel arches and pick up points for the front splitter and rear wing. - Weight: Minimum weight is 1420 kg with the driver included.
- Cost: Has been said that costs can have been over NZ$100,000 to build a NZ V8 and up to NZ$400,000 to build a car from scratch and running costs.
Circuits
- Pukekohe Park RacewayPukekohe Park RacewayAlthough Pukekohe Park Raceway is better known internationally as a motor racing circuit, it is primarily a horse racing circuit in New Zealand. It is located south of Auckland City in the North Island. The track is now owned by Pukekohe Park Limited...
- Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna ParkPowerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna ParkPowerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park is a permanent motor racing circuit owned by . It is located at 107 Hasketts Road in Templeton, northwest of Christchurch, New Zealand....
- Taupo Motorsport ParkTaupo Motorsport ParkTaupo Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd....
- Manfeild AutocourseManfeild AutocourseThe Manfeild Autocourse was built by the in 1973 as a purpose built course. In 1990 extra land was acquired and the circuit extension built, bringing Manfeild up to international standards...
- Timaru International Motor RacewayTimaru International Motor RacewayTimaru International Motor Raceway is a motor racing circuit situated about 10 minutes or outside of Timaru, New Zealand. The circuit is accessible from either the Main South Highway or Timaru-Pleasant Point Highway. It is often called Levels because of its previous name Levels Raceway...
- Teretonga ParkTeretonga ParkTeretonga is a motor racing circuit situated south-west of Invercargill, New Zealand. It is home of the Southland Sports Car Club. The circuit was established in 1957 and said to be the southern most race track in the world...
- Hamilton Street CircuitHamilton Street CircuitHamilton Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Hamilton, New Zealand as part of the V8 Supercars championship. The 2008 event from 18 to 20 April was known as the Hamilton 400....
Champions
Motorsport NZ granted championship status to the V8 class for the 1996–97 season, at which time it was officially known as TraNZam Lights. The class was renamed to NZ V8 Touring Cars for 1998/99, to NZV8s for 2005/06 and to its current name of V8s at the commencement of the 2007/08 season.| Season | Champion | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 |  Greg Taylor |
|
| 1997–98 | Wayne Huxford |
|
| 1998–99 | Paul Pedersen |
|
| 1999–00 | Mark Pedersen |
|
| 2000–01 | Paul Manuell |
|
| 2001–02 | Ashley Stichbury |
Ford AU Falcon Ford AU Falcon The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia... |
| 2002–03 | Mark Pedersen |
Ford AU Falcon Ford AU Falcon The Ford AU Falcon and Fairmont are the first of the sixth generation series of the Ford Falcon, a full-size car produced by Ford Australia... |
| 2003–04 | Andy Booth |
|
| 2004–05 | Andy Booth |
Holden Commodore Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model... |
| 2005–06 | Kayne Scott Kayne Scott Kayne Scott started his motorsport career by competing in motocross at the age of 12. Scott is a five time New Zealand Trans-Am champion and won the 2005/06 New Zealand V8s series... |
|
| 2006–07 | John McIntyre |
Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
| 2007–08 | John McIntyre |
Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
| 2008–09 | Kayne Scott Kayne Scott Kayne Scott started his motorsport career by competing in motocross at the age of 12. Scott is a five time New Zealand Trans-Am champion and won the 2005/06 New Zealand V8s series... |
Ford BF Falcon Ford BF Falcon The Ford BF Falcon was a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in Victoria, Australia. The BF Falcon started production in October 2005 and a MkII update was released in October 2006... |
| 2009–10 2009–10 New Zealand V8 season The 2009–10 New Zealand V8 season was the eleventh season of the series, under the NZV8 guise. The season began at Pukekohe on 8 November 2009 and finished at the Hamilton Street Circuit on 18 April 2010 after six championship meetings, and a season-ending non-championship event.-Teams and... |
Craig Baird Craig Baird Craig George Baird MNZM is a race car driver. Baird is a very successful driver in his homeland, winning three consecutive New Zealand Formula Atlantic championship titles , and then four consecutive New Zealand Touring Car Championship titles .Since then Baird has raced in Australian Super... |
Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
| 2010–11 2010–11 New Zealand V8 season The 2010–11 New Zealand V8 season was the twelfth season of the series, under the NZV8 guise. The season began at Pukekohe on 5 November 2010 and finished at the Hamilton Street Circuit on 17 April 2011 after seven championship meetings... |
John McIntyre John McIntyre John McIntyre may refer to:* John McIntyre , Roman Catholic archbishop of Birmingham* John McIntyre , bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Gippsland in Australia... |
Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |