In a time period of just five years the Nankang Tyres NZ Mazda Pro7 & Pro8 South Island series has evolved from a small three-car field to become a key feature of any race meeting they’re at.
They’ll be back in action this weekend, hitting Teretonga in Invercargill for Round 2 of their 2022/23 season, some 20 cars now in the field in what’s expected to be a weekend of tight racing between rookies and veterans alike.
It was Will Kitching who laid the gauntlet at Levels in Round 1, two wins to his name putting him atop the standings over Shane Roughan with Kris Mackie close behind.
Rain is on the radar this weekend, club secretary Ash McConchie, who also races, saying he’s preparing for the conditions as the club returns to the region in December, which has become tradition.
“The club has always gone for the December race meeting at Teretonga,” he said speaking to Velocity News. “It’s quite a homage down south for the club, a lot of the guys travel down together.
“We’ve always got to be prepared for a bit of rain there. Me personally, I’ve already applied the Rainex to the windscreen ready for it.”
McConchie has seen the series grow since it changed from the Pro7 series roughly five years ago. They raced Series One RX7s before then, which became scarcer as well as costly to purchase and maintain. This prompted the change, newer models the order of business to encourage higher rates of participation.
That change proved their saving grace, the entire field now running RX8s. They’re open to RX7s, however, McConchie says, yet the RX8 has become the car of choice due to being a much smoother drive.
“There was a later model Rotary RX8 with a much better steering geometry as a baseline for a racecar, says McConchie. “In identifying that, the club started it’s first season five years ago with three cars.
“Over the following four seasons we’ve grown and now opened this season with a 20-car field at Timaru last month which is a really big milestone. Last season we had a field of 14.”
Racing attracts people from a range of backgrounds, from racers who were involved in the original Pro7 series right through to young drivers looking to gain track experience.
‘We have a really good field from both ends of the spectrum,” says McConchie. “Quite a few of our fellers are in their early 30s who own their own businesses and love the thought of racing, right through to some of the young guns. We have three 16-year-olds who have barely got their drivers license and are trying to make a name for themselves in motorsport.
“It’s a diverse field of experience, young guns with almost no fear, right through a couple of guys in their late 50s.”
It’s not just on-track where the series has established a reputation, their lighthearted and family-orientated approach to racing winning the support of fans and drivers alike. A barbecue lunch is put on by a different sponsor at each event for drivers and their families, followed by post-race drinks where racers all gather and debrief.
“We’re kind of the opposite of what everyone in motorsport calls the go kart dads,” says McConchie, “where everyones got their secret book and secret sauce they’re all hiding it from each other. We’re walking around joking about tyre pressures all morning, and how to lighten our cars after eating hotdogs for lunch,” he laughs.
“One of our guys is a firefighter with no time to run in his new motor so I’ve unloaded my car and am actually taking his car down to run it in. He’s bringing my car down for practice on Friday. It’s like running in your competitors car for him so he can beat you.
“You should see the hustle when someone blows a gearbox. It’s almost become a challenge now where a gearbox change is down to 45 minutes with about eight people on it.”
The rapid growth of the Pro7 and Pro8 competition became apparent when the South Island Endurance Series (SIERDC) came knocking with the offer of running a sub-category in their One-Hour events earlier this year.
Eleven drivers took up that offer, Kris Mackie claiming the inaugural Pro8 Enduro Cup with fifth overall in the Class 4 One-Hour.
As for next year, McConchie says he expects the series to continue to grow, 25 to 30 cars the aim. They’ll also rejoin the SIERDC battle in the off-season.
For now, however, there’s still four more rounds to complete this season, including this weekend’s meet at Teretonga.
Qualifying will determine the Race 1 grid for Saturday morning, while Sunday morning’s Race 2 will feature a reverse top 10 from the previous day’s run.
A spanner is thrown into the works that after, a complete reverse grid from the morning’s contest.
Race 3 shakes it up even more, a complete reverse grid from Race 2 results. The concluding Race 4 will determine who wins the round, the starting layout determined by points accumulated over the weekend.
Header Image: Series leader Will Kitching in action last round at Levels.
Image Credit: Mad Angles Photography (Clint Thambi)
