The best endurance racing drivers and cars from both the North Island and the South Island will come together to battle
it out in one of the biggest long distance motorsport races the country has ever seen when the New Zealand Endurance
Championship final is played out on November 16th at the fantastic Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, international circuit,
in the North Waikato.
The race weekend will also offer domestic New Zealand drivers and teams a very rare opportunity to compete on the full
3.8km international circuit, the most significant part of the circuit's redevelopment when current owner and racer Tony
Quinn purchased the circuit in 2015. The additional straight and the challenging new corners before the international
layout re-joins the old national layout will test competitors and bring out the best in the cars' performance according
to organiser Kel McBeath.
"Using the international layout certainly adds another dimension to the whole weekend for the New Zealand racers who
will compete in the national final, no question," he said. 'I mean, who doesn't want to see Nick Chester's Holden
tearing out of Turn 1 and down the straight? The GT cars that will compete will be completely at home on the
international layout and it will be great to see the smaller teams and less exotic machinery from both the one and three
hour fields adapt and get used to the circuit layout. It's such a rare opportunity and we are optimistic of an
impressive field in both endurance races."
Great drivers and great cars are a feature of the endurance scene in New Zealand and the big race weekend could include
GT machinery from Audi, Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Aston Martin and Chevrolet as well as drivers like former A1GP racer
Jonny Reid, New Zealand touring car and V8 Supercar icon Paul Radisich and Asian GT driver Jono Lester.
To qualify for entry in the national final, drivers must have competed in either the North Island or South Island
Endurance Series.
The North Island vs South Island Cup is also up for grabs and although it has been in the hands of the South Island for
the past two seasons, an optimistic but tongue-in-cheek McBeath reckons its heading back to the North Island this time
around.
"The top eight competitors overall in each discipline accrue points for the Cup and it's simply down to the Island with
the most points that wins the cup, which was introduced to foster a spirit of competition between and continuing good
North-South relations within the endurance racing community," he explained.
"The South Island community is right in the thick of its championship now and I reckon we'll just be stronger in terms
of fast competitors and cars given the South Island series finishes only a couple of weekends before this overall
decider. To be fair we know there are some great drivers and cars heading north, but I'd be willing to make a small
wager with anyone from the South Island series that we'll get our cup back! "
With several classes catering for home-built and home-engineered racing machinery as well as the GTs, race day at
Hampton Downs will be supercharged with action from start to finish. There's practice, qualifying and the racing to look
forward to on the day, with an on-line ticket price from Eventfinda of $20 and kids 14 and under going free when
accompanied by an adult.
Track action on Saturday 16th begins just after 9am.
ENDS