New Season, New Format and New Cup for NZV8 Touring Cars

The new season of the BNT NZV8 Series kicks off this weekend at Pukekohe, with teams and drivers set to enjoy new-refreshed technical regulations and rules.

With the new technical rules now very relaxed the category has now become very appealing to a number of drivers, with modifications of all sorts now permitted in the naturally aspirated V8 saloon car category – it being a case of bring what you have got and go racing.

It is expected that the new format will prove to be very popular with two short sprint races on Saturday and a one-hour feature race on Sunday with a balance of performance compulsory pit stop to even the field out and give everyone a chance of winning.

“This season competitors will be vying for the prestigious ‘Collins and Sons Cup’ along with prize money at the end of the season, we are very grateful to the Collins Family for putting up such a prestigious cup and for investing into the sport,” says Category Manager Gary Lathrope.

Round One sees a wide variety of V8 cars lining up for the new-look format.

Former champion, Nick Ross of Cambridge will be back in action in his Nissan Altima TLX.

Lance Hughes will run in his now modified Hamilton Asphalts Holden Commodore TLX. With two drivers allowed for the one-hour feature race on Sunday, V8 Supercar driver and two time NZ V8 Champion, Andre Heimgartner will partner Hughes.

Also joining the grid is Rob Wallace aboard his Holden Commodore V8 SuperTourer. Former NZV8 frontrunner Tim Edgell returns to the track in his modified Holden Commodore V8 SuperTourer.

Sean Varney will roll out in his BMW V8, alongside another euro racer in the form of the DFM Racing Audi RS5 – Matt Dovey and Jono Lester partnering together for the longer feature race.

Also, look for the wild Ford Mustang of Sam Collins. Hamilton’s Simon Fleming makes his on-track return in his Ford Falcon TL.

Peter Begovich joins the field in his modified Holden Commodore TL and Kerry Jones will race his Corvette Tranzam.

Also, look for regular Nigel Karl in his modified Ford Falcon TL.

The BNT NZV8s will have two qualifying races on Saturday, one being a marble draw the other being a reverse of marble drawer before the one-hour feature race on Sunday.

2020-2021 NZV8 Season

Technical Rules:

• Eligible chassis and body style – Saloon or Coupe, SuperTourer, TLX, Mitchell Xtreme, TTV8-TA2, BMW Open V8s, Howe GT, any other V8 Touring Cars with body shapes manufactured from 2000 onwards, TL specification Cars
• GT type Sports Cars not eligible
• Engine – naturally aspirated V8 open to any size
• Gearbox – open
• Differential – open
• Suspension – open
• Brakes – open
• Aero – open
• Fuel – open
• Wheels – open
• Tyres, Dunlop, Michelin, Hoosier
• No tyre warmers
• A maximum of 4 New Tyres must be introduced at each Round
• Driver Aids permitted
• No car to pit telemetry
• No fuel gantry/rigs
• In-car Camera and Race Radio compulsory

Race Format:

Friday

• 2 x 20-minute Practice sessions
• 1 x 20-minute Meeting Rides

Saturday

• All Qualifying/Races Rolling Starts
• Qualifying/Race One – 6 laps – marble draw
• Qualifying/Race Two – 6 laps – reverse of marble draw
• (for Teams with 2 Drivers each Driver must compete in one of the 2 Qualifying/Races)
• When the Car has dual Drivers the name of the starting Driver for the Feature Race must be submitted no later than 1 hour prior to the start of the Race

Sunday

• Feature Race – One Hour – Rolling Start
• Grid determination for the Feature Race will be based off the fastest times for the Car in both Qualifying/Races
• The Feature Race will have a Compulsory Pit Stop – the window for the CPS will commence 20 mins after the start and will close 40 mins after the start
• During the CPS there will be a balance of power (BoP) Pit Stop, the time the Car sits in the Pit Box will be based of the Cars lap times from the Qualifying/Races or a nominated lap time if the qualifying/Race lap times are slower than what the car is capable of
• Cars that exceed their qualifying/Race or nominated lap time during the Feature Race for every 0.9 of a second under that time 2 seconds will be added for each lap that the time has been exceeded
• Where a car has 2 Drivers the Driver change can only be performed during the CPS

Points for Qualifying/Races: 1=20, 2=18, 3=16, 4=15, 5=14, 6=13, 7=12, 8=11, 9=10, 10=9, 11=8, 12=7, 13=6, 14=5, 15=4, 16=3, 17=2, 18=1, 19=0, 20=0

Points for Feature Race: 1=100, 2=90, 3=80, 4=70, 5=60, 6=49, 7=45, 8=42, 9=39, 10=36, 11=33, 12=30, 13=28, 14=26, 15=24, 16=22, 17=20, 18=18, 19=16, 20=14, 21=12

Season Calendar

• Round One – 4/6 December Pukekohe
• Round Two – 22/24 January Hampton Downs
• Round Three – 12/14 February Manfield
• Round Four – 26/28 March Taupo
• Round Five – April TBC