The answer is Yes! The question is, would you like to see a Brabham BT60 or a Renault RS01 competing on a New Zealand track? Well this could be the reality this coming spring, but you may have to come to the South Island to see them.
The South Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club (SIERDC) have made changes over the off-season regarding car eligibility, announcing that now, all FIA GT3 homologated cars are automatically accepted to compete in their Carter’s Tyres South Island Endurance Series. Arguably, it is one of the most successful domestic motorsport series that takes place over three or four rounds, all in the South Island.
The North Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club (NIERDC), is separate but similar, running their Golden Homes North Island Endurance Series, usually over four rounds under their rules and regulations.
Both clubs are sanctioned by Motorsport New Zealand, each taking turn-about to host the winner-takes-all New Zealand Endurance Championship for both One and Three Hour titles.
The changes made by the SIERDC lifts the previous exclusion of both the Mosler GT3 and Renault RS01 race cars. Space-framed racecars had previously been banned from competing by Club members which has slowly been relaxed in the past few years.
The SIERDC have also announced that they have accepted both the MARC I and MARC II cars as well as a proposal to run a Brabham BT62. Both MARC I and II will be eligible for the One-Hour and will fit into Class D and the Brabham in Class E for the Three-Hour.
It appears that both the Brabham and the Renault could, in theory, run in the North Island series, even though the NEIRDC will ban anything that their members feel that would disadvantage the current competing GT3s’.
They have gone about this by reserving the right to handicap the performance of an entrant’s car that exceeds the performance of their current competing GT3 competitors.
They have also banned the use of carbon fibre brake rotors, that can provide a significant advantage in a vehicles unsprung weight, and the reduction they offer in reducing braking differences.
There are concerns about costs and performance but the SIERDC see this slightly differently. They welcome the entry of a Brabham BT62 (why wouldn’t you want to see a car like this in NZ) with the provision that no ‘pro’ drivers are allowed, meaning only amateur drivers to compete. Take the example of Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell. There are plenty of examples of pro drivers being five-seconds a lap faster than their amateur team mates, hence two amateur drivers only, would be enough handicap in itself.
One of the restrictions that hasn’t been stated is that the SIERDC already have a 120-litre fuel tank maximum capacity for cars competing in their Three-Hour series. This naturally provides an equalizing consequence. The more horsepower you have, the more fuel that is used, the more pit-stops that are required. In the Three-Hour races, victory can be gained or lost in the pits with plenty of examples of quicker cars requiring one more stop than others.
This 2021 endurance season is likely to be a beauty with nine rounds available for competitors (Four South, four North Island and the NZ Endurance Championship to be run by the NIERDC).
We may well see either or both the Brabham BT62 and a Renault RS01, plus some more exotic machinery on our tracks this season. You may have to head south to see them in action.
2021 Carter’s Tyres South Island Endurance Series rounds
1/ 4 September – Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch
2/ 18 September – Teretonga Park, Invercargill
3/ 2 October – J=Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell
4/ 16 October – Timaru International Raceway, Timaru
2021 Golden Homes North Island Endurance Series rounds
1/ 17 April – Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo
2/ 9 May – Pukekohe Park, Auckland
3/ 29 May – Hampton Downs, North Waikato
4/ 19 June – Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon
Look back in history Sunday: The Brabham BT62 | Talk Motorsport
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