Mazda Racing Series to expand into South Island

The Mazda Racing Series will be expanding into the South Island from the 2020/21 season, with Russell Burgess of Dunedin and Christchurch-based Lindsay Dodd having collectively been granted the right to use the regulations and rules from the North Island series.

The new South Island Championship will be a four-round series racing under the Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series banner.

The expansion will be the first in the series’ history, building off the success of last season which saw record grid numbers of RX8’s, RX7’s and MX5’s across all three of its class’.

The success is underpinned by clear rules and regulations determining how cars are allowed to be set up. These rules aim to provide a platform which encourages competitive and cost-effective racing.

Until recently, most of the cars running in the South Island Pro 7 Series have been modified and fall outside the current parameters of the Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series.

Burgess and Dodd have wanted to have a controlled class that emulates and complies with the North Island technical regulations, along with several other South Island-based drivers who believe the time is right to establish a South Island series.

“You only have to look at what has happened in the North Island, we really believe that we can mirror the success here in the South,” said Burgess.

“Support at the early stages is encouraging with some drivers indicating already that they’ll build compliant cars”.

The calendar for the forthcoming season is still to be finalised but early indications are that the North Island and South Island will have the opportunity to race together for a New Zealand Championship.