NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Motorsport

Motorsport: Young gun firing all cylinders

Eric Thompson
By Eric Thompson
NZ Herald·
28 Oct, 2012 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Andre Heimgartner of Team BRM. Photo / Supplied

Andre Heimgartner of Team BRM. Photo / Supplied

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

New Zealand has another rising star in motorsport with Auckland teenager Andre Heimgartner racing in Australia in the Carrera Cup.

The races are an international young driver programme organised by Porsche Motorsport an despite being a rookie, Heimgartner has been at the front of the pack most of the season.

He's been up against the likes of Craig Baird (regarded as one of the best Porsche drivers in the world), Alex Davison and Steven Richards (former V8 Supercars drivers) and fellow Kiwis Jonny Reid and Daniel Gaunt.

With one round to go the young New Zealander sits sixth on the table.

The 17-year-old St Kentigern college student was offered the chance to campaign the Team Kiwi Racing Porsche 997 earlier this year and hasn't looked back. Heimgartner was racing in the support class for the V8 Supercars last weekend on the Gold Coast where his two fifths and a fourth were enough for Porsche Cars Australia to believed he would best represent the Australasian region.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Heimgartner will travel to Italy for this weekend's test programme, joining a number of other young drivers from around the world who also contest an opportunity to win the partly funded Porsche drive in the 2013 Supercup series.

The young drivers will compete under identical racetrack conditions to showcase their abilities to turn in fast laps coupled with an understanding on how a car works, and being able to find and explain a good working setup for the 335kW Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

"I'm really honoured to win the award. I'll do my best to represent Carrera Cup Australia and Team Kiwi Racing," said Heimgartner.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Since the phone call from TKR boss David John earlier this year things have just gotten better and better.

"The chance to race in Australia in the TKR Porsche was a big step - a dream come true.

"It has been a big year of racing for me, competing in two series - Carrera Cup Australia and V8 SuperTourers - but I've manage to adapt to all the tracks that we've come to.

"I've gone from having a collection of die cast TKR models on my desk featuring well-known drivers like Jason Richards, Angus Fogg, John McIntyre, Craig Baird, Paul Radisich and Shane van Gisbergen to actually racing the real thing.

Discover more

Motorsport

Motorsport: V8s proven pay up, says promoter

23 Oct 04:30 PM
Sport|motorsport

Motorsport: High school student on fast track to success

24 Oct 04:21 AM
Motorsport

Motorsport: Stoner to ride past the pain at final home GP

25 Oct 01:28 AM

"And thanks to the team and our results the next die cast model will be of the TKR Porsche - with my name on it."

Looking to gain every advantage for his big adventure in Italy, Heimgartner had a chat to newly crowned 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia champion and well regarded Kiwi racer Baird, who knows a thing or two about racing Porsches.

"I was talking to Craig Baird and he said you've got to give it 100 per cent, but try to be as consistent as you can. He just won the championship, so I guess he knows what he's talking about," said Heimgartner.

Team Kiwi Racing's David John has a habit of spotting young Kiwi racing talent and Heimgartner may just prove to be another he's given a chance to.

"When I offered Andre the opportunity early this season to race the TKR Porsche in Australia it was with the view it would give him the international experience and exposure needed to make a fulltime career of racing, just as we have provided a number of Kiwi drivers with similar opportunities over the years," said John.

"His consistent performance right from the first round proved that as a team we could have a successful season.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The Porsche Cars Australia nomination is the icing on the cake and great recognition that all the hard work put in by the team's supporters, sponsors and TKR staff and crew is worth it."

Heimgartner has been the youngest competitor in the field and continually performed well beyond his years.

During the season he did better at the new tracks than many others with a lot more experience. This next step, though, will be a very big test.

Heimgartner will be going against Carrera Cup representatives from Great Britain, France, Asia, Japan, Scandinavia and Italy all vying for the chance to race the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the 2013 Mobil 1 Supercup series as a support category for Formula One.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Motorsport

Motorsport

'I'm really looking forward': Sharp on racing at familiar Silverstone

05 Jul 05:00 AM
Formula 1

'A good start': Lawson fast in Silverstone practice, logs two top-10 finishes

04 Jul 04:08 PM
Formula 1

‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

03 Jul 09:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Motorsport

'I'm really looking forward': Sharp on racing at familiar Silverstone

'I'm really looking forward': Sharp on racing at familiar Silverstone

05 Jul 05:00 AM

Louis Sharp sits 20th in the F3 table with 11 points in his rookie year.

'A good start': Lawson fast in Silverstone practice, logs two top-10 finishes

'A good start': Lawson fast in Silverstone practice, logs two top-10 finishes

04 Jul 04:08 PM
‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

‘It’s a new weekend’: The factor in Lawson's favour for British Grand Prix

03 Jul 09:00 PM
'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

'There are always rumours': Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future

03 Jul 08:09 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP