The future ‘look and specification’ of cars eligible for the official New Zealand V8 Saloon Championship – currently called ‘The BNTNZV8s’ – was revealed at the CRC Speedshow in Auckland this weekend (July 23-24).
The first car, built for the Haydn Mackenzie Motorsport Team by Mitchell Race Xtreme in Hamilton, ensures the ‘future proofing’ of the official NZV8 Saloon Championship, producing a modern version of the traditional Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore cars that will provide a basis for future development, while still retaining the basic DNA of the two models.
“This new generation of the NZV8 will be eligible to compete in the 2012-13 BNTNZV8 Championship, alongside the current cars that have been raced in previous seasons,” says Andrew Mackenzie, Chairman of the Board of the NZV8s. “We will ensure that the new cars will be on equal footing with the older cars which will run out of eligibility at the end of the 2012-13 Championship season. We are also going to ensure that as far as possible there will be parity between the new Holden and Ford models. The new generation cars will run the same engine specs as the current cars, with Ford engines in Ford cars and Holden engines in Holden cars. There is the option of some new generation engines becoming available but they are unlikely to be eligible until the 2012-13 championship season, with appropriate parity restrictions.”
Mackenzie says the big advantage of the new NZV8 cars is that the design and construction of the prototype car – a Falcon – has all been done in New Zealand, and future models can also be built here, supporting local industry and teams. “It has taken the Mitchell team 11 weeks from formulating the design to the completed vehicle on display at Speedshow. The concept and construction of these cars has been approved by both the Ford and Holden factories as racing versions of the standard road cars with many of the parts coming directly from the Australian V8Supercars.
“We now have a base from which to develop our NZV8 Championship class of the future. The Board is adamant that all current cars will compete in this coming season and the following season’s championships, but will be joined in the 2012-13 championship by the new generation cars but with parity of performance regulated between the current and new cars and the two makes. This new car gives us a platform for the development of the class in the future, keeping the cars modern in appearance with the ability to enhance their performance in the future,” says Mackenzie.
Photo by Geoff Ridder.
North Shore NZV8 driver, Haydn Mackenzie, had a rude and almost disastrous introduction to the rough and tumble of the fast but unforgiving Hamilton Street race when he competed there for the first time in the NZV8 support event at this year’s ITM400 V8Supercar meeting in his Albany Toyota-sponsored car.
