Heritage Touring Cars New Zealand (HTCNZ) is set for another action-packed season, with strong driver interest, new additions to the grid, and a clear vision to celebrate the golden era of touring car racing.
Despite a challenging economic climate that has seen some classic events cancelled, including the long-standing Icebreaker event, HTCNZ has secured commitments from around 20 drivers and cars for 2025.
To ensure a sustainable calendar, the season will feature three major events, held in partnership with the Historic & Vintage Racing Association (HVRA).
Fans can look forward to a mix of familiar faces and exciting new entries. Among the fresh additions are:
- Grant Lees in his IMSA 280ZX
- Mark Mallard with a meticulously restored NZV8 Falcon
- Alec Bell debuting his rare RX2 JTCC
They’ll be joined by returning HTCNZ stalwarts Zac Lawrance and Marty Ivine, both back in their BMWs.
The diversity of machinery highlights the class’s mission to showcase touring cars spanning the 1970s through to the early 2000s, from Group 2 and Group A classics to BTCC, Super Touring, NZ Touring Cars, and beyond.
The 2025 season will feature three confirmed headline meetings:
- MG Classic, Manfeild – 14–16 November
- Taupō Historic GP – 16–18 January
- Legends of Speed, Hampton Downs – 21–22 March
These events promise to deliver the same spectacular grids and crowd-pleasing racing that HTCNZ has become known for.
HTCNZ also paid tribute to Gerry Hodges, whose vision helped establish Heritage Touring Cars during the New Zealand Festival of Motorsport in the 2010s.
His efforts served as the catalyst for many of today’s competitors to acquire and prepare their cars, and the series continues to benefit from his contributions.
The HTCNZ Facebook page, hosted with Gerry’s support, remains a hub for promoting events and celebrating member cars. Recent posts featuring Grant’s 280ZX and Alec’s RX2 gained viral attention, showing the strong enthusiasm for these machines.
A significant development for the 2025 season is the appointment of Alec Bell as HTCNZ Technical Advisor.
Bell, well known in motorsport circles as a race engineer and the man behind Mad Mike’s high-powered rotary machines, brings decades of international experience. His beautifully detailed RX2, built with rare factory race components, exemplifies his passion for historic touring cars.
As Technical Advisor, Bell will oversee car compliance from both a safety and regulations standpoint. The aim is to ensure cars align with the “spirit and intent” of the class while helping more vehicles get out of garages and onto the racetrack.
HTCNZ remains committed to its founding principle: to recreate the spirit of the great touring car fields once seen at the New Zealand Festival of Motorsport.
The class welcomes genuine period touring cars as well as well-prepared tribute and replica machines that capture the essence of the era. The goal is to deliver competitive but respectful racing, where drivers showcase their cars in a way that entertains fans while preserving these increasingly rare machines.
As the countdown to the new season begins, Heritage Touring Cars NZ looks set to continue its role as one of the most evocative and fan-friendly categories on the motorsport calendar.
Header Image: Chelsea Karl / Chelsea Media Co
