The VIP Petfoods team fought against difficult conditions to top a Porsche-full podium in the 9-1/2-hour endurance race at Hampton Downs last weekend.

The race was originally scheduled to be 12-hours in duration but lost almost a fifth of its time after thick early-morning fog covered the 2.8km North Island circuit.

When the event finally got underway at 9.30am, two and a half hours after the scheduled start time, Australians Klark and Tony Quinn and New Zealander Stefan Webling dominated the race from the outset in the VIP Petfoods 997 RSR.

The trans-Tasman trio qualified on pole position and led all but three of the 471 laps. When Tony Quinn crossed the finish line at 7pm, he had a 29-lap lead over the second-placed 997 GT3 of Australians Malcolm and Brett Niall and Clint Harvey.

Completing the trifecta for the German manufacturer were New Zealanders Denis Roderick, David Glasson and Aaron Harris in their 996 TT. (more…)

As part of the upcoming VIP Petfoods 12 hour race, a shorter 3 hour race and a 6 hour endurance race are to be run within the 12 hour race format. Entries are now being taken for the shorter races which will be contested at Hampton Downs on the 13th of August.

These shorter endurance races will cater for competitors who feel that the full 12 hours is too long for them or their machinery. The Dynatron 3 hour and Racetech 6 hour races have a minimum of only two drivers and there will be trophies awarded for these two category winners.

Highlights of the race will be televised on TV1 as well as Sky TV in a one hour time slot.

Key competitors registered so far include Tony Quinn who will head up the Australian contingent in his Porsche 997 RSR (pictured) and is rumoured to have Craig Baird on the team. (more…)

When you subscribe or re-subscribe to NZV8 this month you’ll receive a free double pass to the VIP Petfoods 12 Hour Endurance Race on August 12. You’ll also go into the draw to win a Dynatron NZ Safe-N-Sure Package for your car, worth $1000.

Come experience the intensity of a top tier endurance race featuring some of New Zealand’s best cars and drivers, all at the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park. All you need to do is pick up a new subscription or renew your current subscription and we will send a free double pass straight out to you, on us. A subscription to NZV8 is already a great way to save on the cover price of the magazine, but throw these tickets in the mix and you’ve got one hell of a good deal.

Subscribe to NZV8 from only $49!

• Get every issue delivered direct to your door, before it is available in the shops.
• Never miss an issue.
• Automatic entry into all our subscriber draws.

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The first round of the inaugural VIP Petfoods 12 hour Endurance Series is set to hit the Taupo track on the 16th of July and the grid is filling up fast with an eclectic mix of machines. Tony Quinn’s internationally competitive Porsche 997 Endurance racing machine will be a front runner but there is all sorts of rides expected including a uniquely formulated “showroom class.”

The new endurance series is stretched over two rounds for a total of 24 hours of competition, the first round is at Taupo and the second at Hampton Downs (12 Aug). Race organisers have encouraged entries from those contesting the 2011-12 Race Championship Summer Series and especially for vehicles that may now no longer have a racing series. Expect to see Porsche GT3 Cup cars competing against a highly retuned NZV8 or perhaps even some exotics – Ferrari, Aston or Lambo. All cars will find themselves on equal terms after 5, 7 and then 12 hours – that’s what Endurance racing is all about.

On an international scale, 12 hour and the more prestigious 24 hour events have become the competition benchmark for endurance motorsport. Australia has introduced 12 hour endurance racing with big success, now with the VIP Petfoods 12 hour Series 12 hour racing is about to reach NZ shores. The entire purpose behind this series is to create an environment where anyone with a properly prepared car can now step up and measure their mettle against all comers. The 3, 4 and 6 hour events that have proved attractive in the past have more recently declined in popularity with smaller grids. It’s all about going for longer in 2011. (more…)

Endurance racing has become one of the most popular forms of international motorsport, with top tier events like the Le Man 24 hour but also events run by local clubs across the world.

It’s popularity largely comes from the fact that it’s a great leveller of competition giving every driver the opportunity to pit their machine and team against every other car on the grid, irrespective of engine size, ultimate pace or budget and by doing so providing the best “bang for buck” racing for any motorsport enthusiast.

NZ is no exception and the announcement of our first genuine long distance 12 hour based series provides an unprecedented opportunity to pit local skills and machinery against some of Australasia’s most successful Endurance cars, teams and drivers.

Sponsored by one of the best known names in NZ motorsport, Tony Quinn and his team from VIP Petfoods are proud to be the series sponsors for this event and are bringing up to 5 vehicles over from Australia to compete in the two round series.

The first round is being sponsored by Racetech and will be held at Taupo Motorsport Park on the 16^th and 17^th of July. This round is split over two days to allow for teams to become familiar with the challenges presented by long distance Endurance events. The second round sponsored by Dynatron NZ will be held at Hampton Downs on the 12^th and 13^th of August and run as a full non-stop 12 hour event, the first time such a race has been run on NZ soil as part of a sanctioned series. (more…)