The second half of the 2011/12 IRC Race Series will kick off in style this coming weekend with the fifth round of the championship held in conjunction with the Toyota Racing Series.
Heading into the fourth round of what has been touted as the most competitive championship ever, the 19-strong 2012 Toyota Racing Series grid features 15 international drivers from 12 countries.
They are taking on a handful of local hotshots intent on keeping the silverware on home soil, and heading into Hampton Downs New Zealand drivers Nick Cassidy and Damon Leitch are 1-2 in the championship chase.
Auckand-based Jono Lester also leads the Rookie standings from Russia’s Dimitri Suranovich and Brazil’s Bruno Bonifacio. The trio will be joined by two time reigning TRS champion Mitch Evans for both the NZ Motor Cup and the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild the following weekend.
The New Zealand Motor Cup was first contested in 1921 at Muruwai under the title of the ‘Australasian Beach Championship’.
After being won in 1928 by R.B. Wilson, the Cup was donated to the NZIGP in 1953 on the condition that it was competed for annually in the Auckland Grand Prix race under the name of the New Zealand Motor Cup.
Since, the Cup has been raised by golden hands of local and world motorsport including Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, John Surtees, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Chris Amon and Keke Rosberg.
In more recent times, local start have dominated the winners list with David Oxton, Ken Smith, Paul Radisich, Craig Baird, Greg Murphy, Shane van Gisbergen and two-time reigning TRS champ Mitch Evans all etching their names on one of New Zealand’s most prized pieces of silverware.
The opportunity for the IRC Race Series to race alongside the Toyota Racing Series adds lustre to the reputation of the second tier motor racing championship, where many of the TRS stars of tomorrow hone their craft in the Formula First category.
After a lengthy break over Christmas and the New Year, drivers are eager to return to the race seat to continue their respective charges with just two rounds following Hampton Downs to decide the victors.
In action at Hampton Downs are the mighty Central Muscle Cars, GT1, GT2 and NZGT classes, the nimble Formula Firsts and NZ Sports Cars; and races within races in the Mazda Pro 7s, SS2000, NZ Six, Pre 65, Mini Challenge and Bridgestone Porsches.
The Hampton Downs round is the fifth of a seven round calendar for the 2011/12 IRC Series, which travels from Manfeild to Taupo, and up to Pukekohe and Hampton Downs.
The action kicks off at 09:00am each day; each class with a qualifying session and one race on Saturday, and two races on Sunday. Tickets are $10 and children under 14 are free.
