Cars & Motorcycles
NZV8
No 185 October 2020NZV8 Magazine was conceived when the passionate muscle car scene was in need of an authority. Thanks to a large population of baby boomers, muscle car and V8 culture is booming in New Zealand. NZV8 is not only riding that wave, but leading the way by providing a world class magazine that features the cars, events, like the annual Beach Hop and people that make the scene so exciting. NZV8 covers an extensive range of high-performance V8-engined vehicles. Wherever the local ground shakes to the beat of a tuned eight-cylinder machine, from a drag race meeting to a car show, NZV8 is there and bringing you all the action.
in this issue
over and out — almost
They say all good things must come to an end and, as I hinted in the previous issue, this is one of those times — well almost. I first started working on NZV8 before the first issue went to print, penning the very first cover car article. That evolved into taking over as editor just before the magazine celebrated its second birthday. For those of you who are trying to do the maths: that’s 160 issues ago, or 13 years of having had the privilege of putting this magazine together. Over that time, there have been many more highs than lows, and so many amazing people and experiences. Although the job title has stayed the same, to say the job itself has wouldn’t be a fair statement, as there have been…
kiwi makes nascar debut
Kiwi racer Earl Bamber has now added the Nascar Xfinity Series to his résumé following his debut for the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team at Daytona’s road course. It was not his dream debut, however, as he crashed out after clipping a ripple strip and became airborne. He had been running inside the top five most of the race and later tweeted about his experience. “Man, that was a wild day. Got up the front early on in the first two stages but struggled on the long runs with traction and heat. Learned that wheel hop and traction is the enemy. Unfortunately took the [kerb] too much in the chicane late in the race and got launched out.” Bamber is a very accomplished driver — two wins at Le Mans,…
repco signs on to bathurst
Following a long hiatus from the mountain and motorsport in general, Repco made the return to Bathurst in 2018, partnering with Team DJR as a parts supplier, before stepping up to become the official automotive retailer for Virgin Australia Supercars in 2019. In an announcement made earlier this month, Repco is again stepping up its commitment to the sport, penning a five-year deal to become the Bathurst 1000 naming-rights sponsor, and the new king of the mountain. Wayne Bryant, executive general manager of Repco Australia, commented, “It’s two iconic brands in one amazing partnership. Repco has a long history in motorsport, so aligning with Australia’s most famous race was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.” Repco’s motorsport heritage goes as far back as the 1960s, with two Formula 1 world…
cheaper supercars coming
This is without a doubt the most trying year the Supercars series has faced in its history, first, with Holden shutting its doors and only supporting racing until the end of 2021 and, later, with Covid-19 playing havoc with the race calendar, including the New Zealand events being skipped altogether. It was even revealed that Jamie Whincup has been putting in up to 20 voluntary hours a week to help the championship survive. “We are just trying to keep the sport alive during a time when it is massively interrupted and affected,” he said. “It has been the toughest time in sporting history. We will see a lot of sports not survive during this Covid period and I feel the work we have done as a group will ensure we not…
motorsport under level 2
Just when we all thought we’d be heading back into some sort of normality, Covid-19 has resurfaced and put the country into differing levels of government-mandated lockdown. It’s a developing situation, but at the time of printing we are seeing Auckland at Level 3 with the rest of New Zealand at Level 2. Under Level 3, no motorsport can take place, but under Level 2, and with Motorsport New Zealand’s Back in Motion plan, it’s possible to get out and compete — although without a crowd to cheer you on. The plan outlines how person-to-person contact is minimized, with racers undertaking self-scrutiny of vehicle safety, whereby they must, “complete the safety checklist and submit it with their event entry alongside photos of the vehicle’s last three logbook entries”. Further protocols are…
ford nz backs cre
With all the negativity surrounding Covid-19, it’s good to hear something positive come out of the chaos it leaves in its wake. Kiwi race team Corliss Race Engineering (CRE) are usually based in Asia campaigning their TransAsia V8s in the TA2 Asia championship, but, with all racing put on hold for the foreseeable future, they decided to ship some cars back to New Zealand, setting up shop at Hampton Downs. Making the most of the situation, they have just penned a deal with Ford New Zealand to run a pair of Mustangs in the Golden Homes North Island Endurance Championship that (fingers crossed) will kick off next month at Manfeild. Well versed in endurance racing, and with the reliability they have shown in Asia, the 800-ish horsepower Mustangs are likely to…
