Ben Byers and his second-generation 2019 Porsche 991 Cup Car are the latest confirmed entrants for this summer’s Rodin Cars Super GT series.
Byers acquired the Porsche earlier this year and gave it a few clubman shakedowns before competing with it in the South Island Endurance Series.
Car and driver proved competitive, with Byers picking up a podium finish in the one-hour race at Teretonga.
He has also raced the likes of an Audi GT3 alongside Christina Orr-West and Jaxon Evans.
But Byers says he is ready for a new challenge and was enticed by Super GT’s potential.
“It’s time to test myself in another series,” he said.
“If you look at the Super GT Series, the drivers largely have similar skill levels and are all in similar machinery and the Porsche is just simply such a great car to race.”
Super GT is New Zealand’s newest race category. If reported entry numbers are accurate, it could have over 30 cars on the grid each meeting.
The class pits Porsche 911s, GT4s and Ferrari Challenge cars against each other in a three-race format.
Two races are 30-minutes long, and the weekend’s finale is 60 minutes.
Each race has a compulsory pitstop with their duration determined by a Balance of Performance system.
“The races are shorter which will add to the race intensity, and I’m looking forward to being able to fight for positions,” Byers said.
“[It] will be tough for all the class leaders due to the enforced BOP timed pit stops – and like any driver, you want to get out there and try and win a race.”
The first-ever Super GT round is at Highlands Motorsport Park on January 15-16.
2022 Super GT calendar:
| Rnd | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highlands | Jan 15-16 |
| 2 | Ruapuna | Jan 22-23 |
| 3 | Hampton Downs | Feb 12-13 |
| 4 | Taupo | Mar 26-27 |