The GT New Zealand Championship will visit Teretonga for the first time in their history this weekend for the third round of their 2024/25 season.
The round is the first of a two-weekend double-header, with the series also featuring at the 69th Running of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Highlands next weekend.
Rick Armstrong enters the round in the lead of the Open Class in a Porsche 992, while Marco Giltrap leads the all-new Junior Pro class, also in a Porsche. In GT4, William Exton tops the standings in a McLaren Artura.
Teretonga’s 800 metre main straight has the potential to favour the two Mercedes-AMG GT2s in the field of Paul Pedersen and Joel Giddy, and with the rest of the circuit largely fast and flowy, there are really only two passing opportunities at the hairpin and the last corner.
The speed of the AMG machines in a straight line may be enough to hold off the contingent of Porsche 992 Cup Cars.
In the GT4 class, having clinched its first win at Hampton Downs, the Toyota Supra GT4 EVO machines of Ayrton Hodson returns alongside the sister car of Allan Sargeant and Kaleb Ngatoa.
Also in the GT4 class is championship leader William Exton in his McLaren Artura and the Mercedes AMG GT4 of James Sax.
In Open Class, International Motorsport field a fleet of Porsche 992 Cup Cars in the hands of Armstrong, followed by Sam Fillmore, Luke Manson, and Sam Cotterill.
Other Porsche’s fielded will be in the hands of Paul Kelly (Porsche 992), Giltrap (Porsche 992) and the 991.2 Porsche Cup Cars of Shaun Varney
Christchurch racer Steve Brooks makes the trip south also to field his Porsche 992.
Having made his debut at Hampton Downs, James Parker will field the sole IRC GT machine.
The racing at Teretonga will see two 30-minute races and a single 1-hour feature race held over the weekend.
With wet weather forecast for Sunday, Teretonga could once again put on another ‘anything can happen’ weekend.
