The summer of motorsport in New Zealand will be easier than ever to follow following today’s announcement of a live television deal which will see all rounds of the Super Sprint Motorsport New Zealand Championship televised on Sky Sport.
In addition to this landmark deal, Three’s CRC Motorsport will show a simulcast of Sunday’s afternoon racing live.
The Super Sprint MotorSport New Zealand Championship is the new name for the Motorsport New Zealand Premier Race Championship. It features the FT60 cars of the Toyota Racing Series as well as the Toyota 86 Championship, the new GT New Zealand Championship and the Valvoline D1NZ Drifting Championship.
Super Sprint will focus on a quick-fire style of racing, the aim being to entice fans back to the track after a pandemic-affected past few years.
Various other categories will also benefit from the televised coverage as they run in support of select “Super Sprint” events. This include NZ Formula Ford, NZ Formula First, NZ Porsche Championships’ and Central Muscle Cars.
GTRNZ, NZV8 Utes, Mazda Racing Series, BMW Race Driver Series and the V8 Racing NZ/TA2 series will also run at various rounds.
The new TV deal comes following MotorSport New Zealand’s appointment of a new promoter for the Premier Race Series, NZ Motorsport Group (NZMG).
“It’s an exciting prospect to help develop and grow domestic racing into a fan-orientated format that will bring well-known names and exciting new drivers into the homes of Kiwis and abroad with the commitment to going live,” said Brendon White, NZMG’s Managing Director in a release sharing the announcement.
“We have so many talented Kiwis competing overseas and now we want to grow and develop the racing in New Zealand to be a globally watched product.
“We have the talent, the tracks, and the classes and we can’t wait to start the journey.”
In addition to the Sky Sport coverage, the simulcast shown the free-to-air channel Three will further expand the summer of events into the living rooms of many more New Zealanders. CRC Motorsport, the longest-running motorsport show in the country, will host live coverage on Sunday afternoons.
“Kiwi motorsport has always been at the heart of CRC Motorsport, and we cannot wait to welcome the 2023 Super Sprint Championship to the show,” says Shaun Summerfield, CRC Motorsport Host and Associate Producer, in the release.
“It continues a 30-year tradition of showcasing the best local motorsport on Three; from the Wellington Street race to A1GP to DN1Z and of course the NZGP, great kiwi motorsport has always had a home on Three.”
The official launch of the Super Sprint era will be held online at 8.30pm on Tuesday October 25.
he 2023 Super Sprint Motorsport New Zealand Championship commences at Highlands Motorsport Park on 13-15 January 2023.
