A custom TA2 trophy will be created in honour of New Zealand motorsport legend Bruce McLaren with plans earmarked for a future Trans-Tasman competition and a TA2 ‘world series’ event.
The NZV8TA2 championship, which the current iteration of BNT V8s is set to adopt, will mark the return of the McLaren name to NZ touring car racing.
An agreement between McLaren Engineering, PBR Distributions, Performance Automotive Scandinavian and race car manufacturer Howe Racing Enterprises will see the NZ series run a GM, LS-based spec engine produced by McLaren.
The same engine will also be raced in the Australian TA2 championship and the V8 Thunder Cars in Scandinavia, where the original TA2 formula was born in 2012.
“McLaren Engineering has the advanced capabilities to provided OEMs full-service to develop advanced powertrain solutions jointly. Our continued commitment to motorsports is consistent with the high-level engineering for which we are known. Working with Howe will provide additional outlets for engineering and offer a variety of marketing opportunities,” said Lee Carducci Director of Engine Engineering at McLaren.
Howe Racing Enterprises President Chas Howe added:
“We started building race cars nearly fifty years ago, and there are not many companies in the racing industry more well known and respected than McLaren. PBR Distributions will be the exclusive distributor for Howe in Australia and New Zealand.”
One of the more exciting developments is that along with McLaren participating as a contingency sponsor in the New Zealand TA2 category, the sponsorship will culminate with a custom trophy provided by McLaren in honour of Bruce McLaren.
PBR President Peter Robinson said:
“The McLaren built engines exactly match the specs and output of the existing engines that we have used successfully in Australia since 2016. The switch to McLaren will allow PBR to maintain the cost and consistency of the engines further into the future. The McLaren name is a natural fit as the category expands into New Zealand, and it is a tremendous honour to pay tribute to a racing legend as part of the package.”
Further details including a provisional calendar and entries will be announced at a later date.
