There is a difference between the new Super GT and Super Production

Both Super Production and Super GT are new categories added to the New Zealand summer series of racing and will feature totally different race cars on the grid. So what is the difference for both the competitor and spectator?

“Super Production and Super GT do have two quite different competitor demographics,” commented MotorSport New Zealand CEO Elton Goonan. “Super Production’s new eligibility criteria positions the class for up to 2-litre production race cars such as Renault Clio Cup, Golf Cup, Seat Cup and Mini Challenge along with similar NZ-built cars. The revised Super Production cars will complement the TCR NZ Championship and provide a good feeder for drivers to start cutting their teeth in.”

The Super Production category has a NZ championship title to go with it and will run on the same grid as the TCR championship. Its first championship title was decided in April this year which saw Shane Hodgson in the Carter Tyres Porsche 997 take victory at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, in April. (Note: the Porsche 997 type will no longer be eligible for Super Production but will be able to compete in Super GT.)

Both TCR and Super Production cars will be on the same grid with two South Island rounds confirmed – Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, 14-16 January 2022 and the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch, 21-23 January 2022 and one North Island round at Pukekohe Park Raceway, Auckland, 4-6 March. All three rounds will be at Speed Works promoted events.

“Super GT is focused on a different type of car,” continued Goonan. “They are strictly GT4, Porsche 911 Cup and Ferrari Challenge spec cars of which there are already plenty in New Zealand. Most of these cars normally make an appearance during the one-hour endurance races during the winter.”

With the 30 registered Super GT entries already taken, the series organisers have confirmed there will be six McLaren GT4’s, three Porsche GT4’s, two Aston Martin GT4’s and a single Mercedes-Benz AMG GT4 – all to line up in the GT4 class of the series. In the Porsche class there are no fewer than eight Porsche 991s and six Porsche 997s. Two Ferrari 458 Challenge cars are entered in the Ferrari Class.

The 2022 Super GT Series will consist of a four-round series over three months commencing January 15, 2022, at Highlands in Cromwell. This will be followed by the second round at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Rupauna in Christchurch on January 22, before heading to Hampton Downs on February 12. The final round will be in Taupo on March 26, 2022.

“I think it’s important to note that neither Super GT nor Super Production is introducing a new type of race car to New Zealand, rather creating a home for popular vehicles already in the country to compete in, some of which may be parked up in a shed somewhere at the moment. We’ve seen already that Super GT has reached capacity and there is very strong interest in Super Production as well.”