With the ‘Calendar Call’ for the first half of the year officially ‘locked and loaded’ 2024 looks set to be another pivotal year in the life and times of New Zealand long distance endurance motorsport events entrepreneur Dr. Jacob Simonsen.
From humble beginnings back in 2016 when he put together New Zealand’s first ‘novelty-style’ 24 Hours of LeMons event at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Auckland-based Dr Simonsen, has built a successfull enterprise – the NaZCAR organisation – out of giving ordinary, everyday motorsport fans the opportunity to ‘go racing, without,’ he says, ‘breaking the bank.’
He has done so by creating a cheap ‘n cheerful platform based unashamedly on otherwise largely unwanted ‘near-end-of life cars’ which has found ready acceptance across New Zealand’s North Island.
“It’s all about the ‘Spirit’ of the event” says Dr. Simonsen. “Ideally, competitors’ cars should be as crappy and unique as possible, and they mustn’t be able to lap whichever circuit we are running an event at quicker than an ‘ideal lap time’ that we set per class before each event.
“Obviously, each car must be equipped with a comprehensive roll cage, and full safety gear and each driver must wear an approved fire-proof race suit, helmet and special head-restraining FHR device.
“But we don’t actually characterise our ‘Lemons’ and ‘Limes’ events as races as such.
“We prefer to see them as motorsport ‘events’ where the accent is more on fun, than the traditional ‘win at all costs’ mentality which has held sway in motorsport circles for so long.”
Eight years on, and via his many and varied – standalone now NaZCAR-badged, Lemons & Limes multi-day, up to 24-hour Endurance events throughout the year, and NaZCAR Pro National Endurance Championship 3- & 6-Hour series races through the winter Dr. Simonsen has built a strong and still growing following for his ‘vision of what successful, and more to the point achievable and sustainable motor racing events should look – and feel – like in this country.
To this end the longer distance, multi-day 8, 12 & 24-hour events like the “12-hours of Badthurst” at Taupo this weekend, and the new “Next Level” at Timaru’s Levels Raceway in two-and-a-half week’s time, almost always have some sort of catch; and with it a fistful of questionable ‘Judges of Fact’ who can levy any number of crazy penalties to slow a car or team down…
The 2024 program of events kicks off with a BadThurst 12 Hr Lemons-and Limes-only endurance race meeting over two days at the now Tony Quinn-owned Taupo International Motorsport Park complex this coming weekend, (Sat/Sun Feb 24/25).
In fact, the February ‘BadThurst’ 12-hour Lemons and now Limes events are now an annual feature at the iconic Taupo circuit. For good reason suggests Dr Simonsen.
“It’s a fantastic start to every season – to the point where we now have a standing order for the February weekend with the track management people at the Taupo circuit going several years into the future which is good in terms of our growing number of regular entrants knowing where they need to be (Taupo) for the next 3,4, 5, even 6 years, if they want to contest another BadThurst 12 Hour event!
Meanwhile, after this weekend’s 2024 ‘BadThurst’ event at the Taupo International Motorsport Park in the middle of the North Island the 2024 calendar then cranks it up a notch with the running of the first NaZCAR novelty endurance event in New Zealand’s South Island: an 8-hour affair at the Timaru International Motor Raceway on Saturday March 09.
To attract as many ‘interested parties’ from across the South Island as possible to his inaugural event on the Mainland, Dr Simonsen has opened up the entry requirements by waiving the strict entry regulations for Lemons and Limes cars and instead welcomed anyone and everyone with a ‘suitable’ car and bunch of like-minded mates who don’t mind coming up with a team theme and joining 30 plus similar groups as they do battle with themselves, the distinctive nature of the unique Levels circuit, and the vagiaries of the (North Island) judges come raceday.
Once the first ever NaZCAR Endurance event to be held on New Zealand’s South Island has been run, the focus of group founder and current CEO, GM, PM (for Professional Moron) and CIG (for Chief Idea Generator) Dr Jacob Simonsen and his quirky group of event staff, returns to the North Island, specifically to the 2.733km ‘National circuit’ at Hampton Downs in the northern Waikato.
There, you see, Dr Simonsen has confirmed dates for the annual Lemons-only 24-hour enduro, run across 3 days (Fri May 10-Sun May 12).
Held every year in May, this year’s iteration has been dubbed ‘the Hampton Hooptie-fest’ – set to replicate the format of the successful original ‘24 hours of LeMons’ event at the same circuit back in 2017.
The other four venue/format/meeting dates Dr Simonsen was able to confirm ahead of the first of his two main Calendar Call press releases last week were for his new, expanded, Pro Series.
Now set to be fought out over four rounds (rather than the three of previous years’) this year’s Pro Series again boasts full AASA NZ Championship status, with the Taupo International Motorsport Park hosting the opening round on Saturday July 13, then Feiilding’s Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild the second (round) a fortnight later on Saturday July 29.
As a fully-sanctioned NZ-championship title qualifying series, the Pro Series has come on in leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, so it is only appropriate that the third and (final) fourth rounds of this years bigger ‘n better series will be fought out where it all began, on Hampton Downs’ National circuit, on Saturday, August 10 (Rnd 3) then again on Saturday August 31 for the all-singing/all-dancing gala series final and prize giving ceremony.
With the grid ‘pretty much at capacity’ for his first major event of the year, the Badthurst 12 Hour at Taupo this weekend and strong indicators from all over the country that more and more ordinary, everyday enthusiasts are pooling their resources and building or buying cars with the express intention of joining the serious fun of endurance racing NaZCAR-style, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Dr Simonsen’s job is done.
“Hell no,” he says with obvious feeling… “In so many ways, in fact, we are only just beginning. One thing I will say though, is that we have become the undisputed Kings of endurance motorsport in this country, and what I personally am most proud about, is that we have done it our way and on our own terms.”
More information on upcoming NaZCAR events can be found on the 24 hours of NaZCAR page on Facebook at facebook.com/Nazcar24.
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