• Latest
  • Trending

Super GT NZ thrilled with early success

February 10, 2022

Ryan Wood tops Practice 1 as Brown crashes late in Townsville

July 11, 2025

Bewley to make street circuit debut in Townsville Porsche Sprint Challenge Round

July 11, 2025

Rally Debut: Liam Lawson gets a taste of WRC in 2025 Ford Puma Rally1 car at Goodwood

July 11, 2025

Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas this weekend

July 11, 2025

LIVE: Goodwood Festival of Speed – Watch Liam Lawson, Greg Murphy, Mad Mike & more

July 10, 2025

Top US team HMD Motorsports confirmed for Toyota FR Oceania Trophy

July 10, 2025

Jacob Douglas scores podium, Sebastian Manson battles back in USF Pro Championship at Mid-Ohio

July 10, 2025

“We Were Informed in Advance”: What Verstappen’s manager had to say on Horner’s dismissal

July 10, 2025

Martin Brundle breaks silence after speaking with Horner: “No Reason Was Given”

July 10, 2025
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 26: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, and Jos Verstappen talk in the garage during day one of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on February 26, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202502260251 // Usage for editorial use only //

Red Bull in Turmoil: Horner fired, senior staff axed, Verstappen rift deepens after arguement at British GP

July 10, 2025

Christian Horner fired from Red Bull Racing after two decades at the helm

July 9, 2025
Friday, July 11, 2025
VelocityNews
Subscribe
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Super GT NZ thrilled with early success

by Zane Shackleton
February 10, 2022
in GT New Zealand Championship, New Zealand, News
0

New Zealand’s newest race category is quickly asserting itself as one of the country’s most popular, leaving organisers of the Super GT championship feeling over the moon.

Super GT’s formula: pit GT4s, Porsche 991s and Ferrari challenge cars against each other in a sprint race format with compulsory pit stops. 

A balance of performance system gives faster cars and drivers longer pit stop times, meaning everyone has an equal chance of winning on the given day.

It’s a simple idea, really. But it works.

“I think [Super GT] has been amazingly successful,” Super GT’s category manager Grant Smith said.

“We’ve seen an amazing variety of cars. You know, we’ve had McLarens, Porsche, Ginettas. This weekend at Hamptons, we will have a Ferrari and a Mercedes for the first time.

“It is something New Zealand has never really seen before.”

The quantity of cars on grids has been a common issue for domestic racing series’. But Super GT has found itself with a healthy blend of the quantity on offer, as well as the quality of machinery.

The series’ first-ever round had 27 cars take to Highlands Motorsport Park. The expected price tag of all cars combined is estimated to have exceeded $15 million.

“There’s not just a great quantity but also quality of cars as well,” Smith said.

“As a spectator, you get to watch Aston Martins and McLarens racing each other. There is lots of overtaking, and it’s super enjoyable.

“That one-hour race at Ruapuna was just amazing. Having an Aston leading all the way until the last lap, all while three Porsche 911s are hunting him down, that is what [Super GT] is meant to be.”

Super GT had planned launches for their series at Giltrap in Auckland and Archibalds in the South Island. But these were canned due to last year’s lockdown and replaced with a virtual zoom meeting.

Still, interest was huge with drivers. Within 24 hours, all 30 racing entitlement licences had been sold.  

And while most drivers are what you would describe as gentleman racers, Smith says everyone is still striving to win.

“Everyone is driving their best and trying to win. No one is mucking around.

“We have had a number of new drivers join the series. I think there were about five in the first round. But the concept of Super GT was to allow these track members the chance to move up into a race series and improve their racing.”

Smith is also confident Super GT is here to stay. That is, it can cement itself as one of the country’s top motor racing championships.

“People are already talking about season two. After each round, we have a zoom call with all the drivers and get their feedback. They are involved a lot, and we keep making little enhancements each time.

“So, if we can continue involving all the teams and drivers, and keep making tweaks, then I am confident in the longevity of the series.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.