V8 Supertourer
Moore recently joined the other confirmed drivers at the first major opportunity for the public to view the prototype at the CRC Speedshow at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. The striking black and white prototype V8SuperTourer race car shared the limelight with the drivers, with fans literally running towards the V8SuperTourer display every time the 7-litre, all-alloy, fuel-injected V8 engine was fired up.
The new cars are four-door touring cars built on a control race chassis powered by an all-alloy, 7-litre, fuel-injected engine that produces 550 horsepower. The cars feature a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
The V8SuperTourer series is being billed as the V8 Series Of Champions and features a star-studded grid including V8 Supercar star Greg Murphy, multiple NZV8 champions Kayne Scott, John McIntyre and Andy Booth plus other former NZV8 champions such as Craig Baird and Paul Manuell.
V8SuperTourers secure TV3 broadcast deal
The new V8SuperTourer racing series gathers further momentum with news that full coverage of each of the seven V8SuperTourer rounds will screen exclusively on TV3s Gillette Motorsport show in 2012.
The exclusive broadcast package ensures the inaugural season of V8SuperTourer racing will be free-to-air via the popular motorsport show on TV3 nationwide.
John McIntyre, spokesperson for New Zealands newest V8 racing series, says the exclusive coverage allows fans of the new V8 Series of Champions to see all the race action on the Sunday of each round. Another significant move is that the third race of each of the four sprint rounds and the main race of each of the three endurance rounds will screen live during the shows prime 2pm to 5pm slot.
We have been working on a suitable package since April this year, so its very pleasing to have signed with TV3, which has truly established itself as New Zealands home of motorsport, says McIntyre who is also one of the V8SuperTourer team owners and drivers, and a three-time New Zealand V8 touring car champion.
Its tremendously exciting to now be working with the Gillette Motorsport team to put this broadcast package together. Our teams sponsors and the series sponsors will benefit greatly from the exclusive element of our broadcast with a minimum of three commercial hours being screened from each of the seven rounds of our first season of V8SuperTourer racing.
From each of the four sprint rounds, Gillette Motorsport will provide delayed coverage of race one from Saturday and race two on Sunday, before screening the weekends third and final race live.
From each of the three endurance rounds, which feature one main race on Sunday, the entire race will screen live.
Gillette Motorsport host and TV3s motorsport reporter Shaun Summerfield says hes just as excited as the V8SuperTourer drivers to have the new series feature on the show in 2012.
The V8SuperTourers add another dynamic racing series to our existing local line-up, says Summerfield. To have so many talented drivers in the new series means we know were going to get some brilliant racing to enjoy throughout their first-ever season.
McIntyre adds: Shaun Summerfield and the Gillette Motorsport team will also make sure fans can enjoy lots of behind-the-scenes detail of all 16 drivers, teams and the technical aspects of the cars from our inaugural season.
The confirmed competitors in the seven round 2012 V8SuperTourers series are: Richard Moore (Auckland). Greg Murphy (Melbourne), John McIntyre (Nelson), Andy Booth (North Shore, Auckland), Paul Manuell (Pukekohe), Kayne Scott (Hamilton), Craig Baird, MNZM, (Gold Coast), Andre Heimgartner (Howick, Auckland), Ant Pedersen (Hamilton), Andy Knight (Christchurch), Eddie Bell (Christchurch), Daniel Gaunt (Melbourne), Scott McLaughlin (Gold Coast), Colin Corkery (North Shore)
Joining the Series of Champions line up of race drivers in the newly formed New Zealand V8 SuperTourer series is Richard Moore who is confirmed for a drive in the inaugural 2012 series
Moore, Murphy and Manuell make up the M3 Racing team based in a new "state-of-the-art" race shop in Auckland’s East Tamaki and Moore can’t wait for the season to start:
“Having tasted Supercars in the Porsche GT3 series and still competing at the top level in KZ2 gearbox Kart class February 17 can’t come soon enough for me” Moore added “Not just the new cars but the M3 Team is going to really open some eyes to what is an awesome new class of race car for New Zealand.
The V8 Supertourer utilises four-door touring car shell built on acontrolled race chassis powered by a 7-litre, fuel-injected engine. The aim of the series, which is being marketed as the V8 Series of Champions, is to provide an affordable new generation, future-proofed V8 touring car, similar in concept to a current Australian V8 Supercar but at less than half the cost.
The chassis is built to not only accommodate both the current VE Commodore from Holden and FG Ford Falcon bodies, but any other similar sized four-dour production vehicle such a Toyota Camry, BMW 5 series, etc. The new V8SuperTourer series cars produce 575 horsepower and feature a 6-speed sequential gearbox. M3 racing will be an all Holden team!
No less than sixteen cars will be on the grid when the new series gets underway at Hampton Downs over the weekend of 17 - 19 February. Seven rounds are scheduled, including the series debut at Hampton Downs in February, with a mixture of sprint and endurance races before the series concludes in October 2012.
