Motorsport: NZ summer schedule confirmed

Toyota's international TRS series featuring in the Premier Motorsport calendar. Photo / Supplied

The 2016-2017 Premier motorsport calendar has been revealed featuring eight national events where fans can see the best motor racing classes in New Zealand.

A new look championship calendar includes all of the major championship categories such as the Toyota Racing Series, BNT NZ Touring Cars, Toyota 86, NZ Super Trucks (a hugely popular class in its own right which will also be a regular feature in this year's calendar), NZ V8 Utes, Pirelli Porsche and Formula 1600. Exciting changes to this year's events include twilight racing on the Saturday evening of the first round in Taupo in December, just one of the improvements in the evolving championship calendar with bigger and better events.

At least 12 categories will race in the Premier Motorsport season with single seater categories and tin top content. The best of regional motorsport will be covered by Muscle Cars, Tradezone GT1/2/3/4, Ssangyong Actyon Utes, Formula First, BMW, NZ Six, Pro 7 Mazda and the Honda Cup. The championship categories head to Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo on December 10-11 for the first of the season's major national meetings after Supercars and will be headed by the BNT NZ Touring Cars. With nine race categories in a packed programme, twilight races on Saturday evening and Christmas just two weekends away, promoter Speed Works Events is aiming to attract a large crowd including Christmas functions during the start of the town's busiest period.

Into the new year and the Toyota Racing Series (TRS) then begins its five rounds at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch on January 16-17, heading to Teretonga Park on January 21-22 before moving north to Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park on January 28-29, then back to Taupo on February 4-5. The TRS series concludes at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Manfeild on 11-12 February. The motor racing showcase heads back to Hampton Downs on March 11-12 for the final of the BNT NZ Touring Cars, NZ V8 Utes and Toyota 86 championships before the season concludes with the final NZ Super Truck event at Pukekohe Park Raceway on 1-2 April.

New MotorSport New Zealand President, Wayne Christie commented: "We are very pleased with the progress Speed Works Events has made with finalising the calendar, categories and venues, well in advance of the series start. The 2016/17 Premier Motorsport series is certainly shaping up to be a spectacular show with a twilight meeting at Taupo in December a great way to kick off the series."

Paul Isaac, deputy Chairman of the Series Organisers Group (SOG) also noted: "It is very pleasing to see such strong commitment from a wide range of race categories to the MotorSport NZ premier race series. SOG continues to unify the classes to ensure exciting and successful events."

Premier Motorsport Series

Event 1 - December 10-11 - Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo
Event 2 - January 13-15 - Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Christchurch
Event 3 - January 21-22 - Teretonga Park, Invercargill
Event 4 - January 28-29 - Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, North Waikato
Event 5 - February 4-5 - Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo
Event 6 - February 11-12 - Manfeild, Feilding - New Zealand Grand Prix
Event 7 - March 11-12 - Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, North Waikato
Event 8 - April 1-2 - Pukekohe Park Raceway, Pukekohe