NZV8 No 205 June 2022

I know it’s a bit of a cheeky thing to brag about, but, man, having the ability to obtain a media pass for drag racing is hands down the best perk this job has to offer. It’s the only motorsport where you can get close enough to the cars to have your hat blown off; for all other sports, the media vantage points may as well see you sitting in the stands with the crowd. Thanks to the dedicated team behind me — who are far more talented with a camera than I — shooting drag racing isn’t something I do very often. But each and every time I do, it leaves me buzzing for days afterwards — especially when it’s shooting stuff like nitro cars, FEDs, and gassers. Apart from…

If you’ve been wondering what your Sunday arvos have been missing recently, the answer is your fix of Repco Muscle Garage. But never fear, on 29 May the show is making a return to its home on Three’s CRC Motorsport for its 10th season. As always, the show will also stream via YouTube, and will showcase the best cars, sheds, and events our great country has to offer, alongside some of the characters who are driving forces behind the scenes. Season 10 will air for 10 episodes, and is made possible with the support of Repco New Zealand, Meguiar’s, and Mount Shop Ltd. The season kicks off with a Repco Kumeu Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival special and a look at New Zealand’s newest nitro-burning nostalgia machine, Nitrohoon, so tune…

Heading into the final round of the Ryco 24·7 V8 Utes, there were three drives with one championship trophy in reach — and one driver, Peter Ward, who had a 44-point lead, ready to snatch it if he could keep Shane Dias and Brad Kroef at bay. The wet track at Hampton Downs ensured the battles would be fierce, and neither Dias nor Kroef was going to make Ward’s job easy. Dias would take two of the three race wins, while Kroef would also grab a podium spot in one race. But in the end it wasn’t enough to overtake who would nab two thirds and a second over the weekend to claim the championship 32 points clear of Diaz.…

The deadset Aussie legend that was Chic Henry has finally succumbed to the cancer he had battled for the past six years, passing aged 75. Founder of the iconic Street Machine Summernats, Chic was a well-respected and much-loved figure on the Australian car scene, growing Summernats from an idea to a festival attracting more than 100,000 people and turning over in excess of AU$17m. Chic ran the event right up until 2009, when he sold it and started his political career — somewhat aptly in the now defunct Australian Motorist Party. The funeral of this larger than life character will take place as we go to print, with everyone (and their cars) welcome. Chic requested everyone hang round afterwards and turn it into a party — a fitting tribute to…

The world’s number one selling toy has announced that, after nearly a decade of on again-off again, its live-action adaption is back on — again. Mattel’s movie arm, Mattel Films, has partnered with Warner Bros Pictures and JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions to produce the live action film that is said to be a high-throttle actioner that will showcase some of the world’s hottest cars and trucks — as you’d expect. Robbie Brenner, executive producer, Mattel Films, stated in the press release: “Fans of all ages are now in for the ride of their lives with the incredible talent of JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot joining us alongside Warner Bros Pictures to transform Hot Wheels’ legendary IP into a thrilling story for the big screen.” Just when it will be released is…

Yip, although the C8 Vette is currently struggling to even make it off the production line, as reported last issue, GM has begun teasing the next iteration of the car in a short and sweet video that shows an AWD C8 ripping up the snow. It is titled Corvette: Electrified. Although the video lets the visuals drop all the hints, GM’s president, Mark Reuss, confirmed the new hybrid C8 would utilise GM’s ultium battery technology as well as its new energy recovery system, which uses heat that the batteries produce to boost the vehicle’s range by about 10 per cent, heat the cabin, and increase acceleration. This first step towards an electric Corvette is expected to drop as early as next year, and a fully electric variant will arrive soon…