The provisional list of invitees has been released for the 2016/17 New Zealand Endurance Championships that will be held at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park – Ruapuna on 18 March 2017.
In a joint venture between the South Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club (SIERDC), the North Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club (NIERDC) and Motorsport New Zealand, this one off event will see the top cars from both the Carters Tyres South Island Endurance Series and the Mahindra North Island Endurance Series compete in a one off winner takes all New Zealand Championship title. There will be a bumper field of 40 cars take the starting flag in one hour and three hour races, with 20 cars from each island invited for each race.
A joint agreement signed in 2016 see’s the event run in alternate islands annually. The inaugural event was hosted by NIERDC at Hampton Downs in March 2016, with the South Island hosting the Championship event in March 2017. “It’s an exciting time for endurance racing, the North Island guys hosted a really great event in March, so our challenge is to make the South Island event even better” said SIERDC Secretary Chris Dunn. “We are very proud that the New Zealand Championship event will be supported by the team from Carters Tyre Service and we are thrilled to have their support for what will be called the Carters Tyres New Zealand Endurance Championships” he said.
The NZ Endurance Championship has a very unique format being that it is a one off race for the Championship titles. However to obtain a qualifying spot competitors must have finished near the top in either Island Series, so just qualifying for the Championships is an achievement in its own, plus to eliminate any trophy hunters there is also no allowance for any wildcard entries. The format does allow for driver changes or car acquisitions and any three hour team can either swap a driver OR a car but not both. However with the 1hr series being a straight drivers championship cars can be freely swapped. There will again be separate races for the 1 hour & 3 hour fields and NZ titles are awarded for all the classes including; Class 3: 0-2000cc, Class 2: 2001-3500cc and Class 1: 3501cc+, the glitzy GT class as well as the outright 3 hour and 1 hour New Zealand Championship titles..
With some of the fastest cars in the country expected for this event and with absolutely no championship strategy in play, the 2016/17 Carters Tyre Service NZ Endurance Championship will definitely be an exciting battle and is undoubtedly an event to mark on your calendar. In an interesting twist the Championship event will see the introduction of a top ten shootout for the 3 hour cars which will be something unique to a New Zealand Championship and it will be a very popular addition for the crowd. There is also a SIERDC v NIERDC challenge trophy up for grabs to create some friendly rivalry between the two Series’.
The initial invitees are listed below, however as one car withdraws then the next on the respective list is added with the intention of achieving a 40 car maximum field for the 1hr & 3hr races.
For more information on the Carters Tyre Service NZ Endurance Championship or the South Island Endurance Series please contact Secretary Chris Dunn via e-mail at sierdc@xtra.co.nz, ph 021-107-9293 or on facebook at www.facebook.com/sierdcnz
3 Hour qualifyers – South Island
J McIntyre/S Gilbertson Chev Camaro GT3
P Kelly/C Baird/D Gaunt Porsche 997 GT3
A Dippie/S O’Donnell Porsche 991 GT3
C McDermid/S McDermid Toyota 86 TT
D Carter/M Carter/S Hodgson Mercedes AMG SLS GT3
M Driver/P Hood Seat Leon Supercopa
H Frew/D Barrett Mazda RX7 V8
J Wallace/S Grellett Seat Leon Supercopa
A Black/S Black BMW E46 WTC
R Mackersey/W Good BMW E30 M3/VW Golf
M Parkes/R Parkes Honda S2000
S McLennan/R Moore/A Harris Commodore V8ST/Seat
V Cattermole/D Rooney/G Moore Merc 190E
K Sinclair/D Ham Peugeot 106
L O’Donnell/P Mauger Porsche 997 GT3
S McLaughlin/H Gardiner Porsche 997 GT3
T Mackersey/B Moore Porsche GT3/VW Golf
G Rhodes/P Rickerby Falcon V8ST
A Brunton/J Parmenter Mazda RX8
T Stanton/L Tremain Peugeot 106
3 Hour qualifyers – North Island
Neil Foster/J Reid Audi R8 LMS
Sam Fillmore/D Stutterd Ferrari 458 GT3
Callum Quin/J Penny Commodore V8ST
Tim O’Connor/C Innes Ferrari 458
James Urquhart/B Rudd Super tourer
Tim Martin/D Farmer/S Farmer Nissan R35 GTR
Glenn Smith/J DeVeth Camaro GT3
David Dovey/M Dovey Falcon
Simon Evans/G Rollinson Commodore V8ST
Warwick Mortimer/A Mortimer BMW E92
Richard Gee/S Morris Honda Civic
Hayden Johnston/P Johnston Honda S2000
Tim James/M Cole BMW M3
Mike Eady/M Corbett Honda Civic
L Hughes/A Heimgartner/N Ross Commodore TLX
Stefan Calcott/R Young Honda Interga
Trevor Strongn Anederson Honda Civic
Kent Baigent/S Lucas BMW M135
Paul Verryt/S Parsons Honda Interga
Rhys Warren/S Varney Porshe 997 GT3
One Hour qualfyers – South Island
Hugh Gardiner Porsche 997 GT3
A Dippie/S O’Donnell Porsche 997 Cup S
Jarrod Owens Porsche 997 GT3
Danny Whiting Porsche 991
Andrew Wright BMW M3
G Williams/B Buist Falcon V8ST
C Small/J Small Nissan Skyline GTR
Chris Henderson Toyota AE86.2 V8
Jeremy Dawson Toyota Starlet
Lee Rhodes Mazda RX7 T
Mark Meadows Lotus Exige
Russell McKenzie Porsche 991
M O’Donnell/K Grace BMW Mini Challenge
Dan Yeoman Corolla DX
Bradley Dawson Toyota Trueno AE86
Bruce Davidson Chev Corvette C6
Daniel Cropp Honda Civic
Ian Wooster Mazda MX5
Jim Kelly Nissan 280Z
Vaughan Moloney Toyota Trueno 2Kcup
One Hour Qualifyers – North Island
Mat Whittaker Porsche 991 GT3
Elliot Andrew Ferrari 430
Paul Verryt Holden TLX
Tim Oconner/C Innes Ferrari 458
Rick Cooper Mustang
Barry Kirk-Burnnand BMW 135i
Peter Begovich Holden VY
Rhys Warren/S Varney Porsche 997 GT3
Kevin Etches Porsche 997 GT4
Reid Harker Toyota 86
Tom Stokes Toyota 86
Scott McCaskie/R Yardley BMW E30
Chris Fleury Porsche 964
Brett Rudd Holden VE Ute
Oliver Heycoop Civic
Nick Archibald WRX
Warwick Mortimer BMW
Charles Rollo Toyota Levin
Derin Greenslade/A Greenslade Honda CRX
Garry Morrell Honda Integra
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