V8SuperTourer

V8SuperTourer
CategoryTouring car racing
Silhouette racing car
CountryNew Zealand
Inaugural season2012
Folded2015
ConstructorsHolden
Ford
Engine suppliersChevrolet 7.0 V8
Tyre suppliersHankook
Last Drivers' championSimon Evans

The V8SuperTourers Championship was a motor racing series in New Zealand which started in 2012 and folded in 2015. The cars were then absorbed into the NZ Touring Cars championship.

The car was based on a "Car-of-the-Future" prototype built by Paul Ceprnich of Pace Innovations Australia similar to that of the Australian V8 Supercar series. It was designed to be customised to many different manufacturers vehicles including a Holden VE Commodore, Ford FG Falcon, Toyota Camry or BMW 5 Series. Testing started in April 2010.[1]

The V8SuperTourer Championship was run by V8SuperTourers Limited, a company formed by current NZV8 team owners Mark Petch, Wayne Anderson and Garry Pedersen.

The aim of the company was to build a new V8 touring car, similar to a current Australian V8 Supercar but at less than half the cost. The V8SuperTourer was designed to have performance similar to that of a current Australian V8 Supercar and was designed for both sprint and long distance racing, including a 120-litre capacity fuel cell.

The V8SuperTourer car

#1 Greg Murphy

Designed and built by Paul Ceprnich of Pace Innovations Australia, the V8SuperTourer prototype uses a Holden VE Commodore body mounted on a purpose-built chassis. The chassis, like the Australian V8 Supercar car of the future (or COTF) project, is built to not only accommodate both the current VE Commodore and Ford FG Falcon bodies, but any other similar sized four-dour production vehicle such a Toyota Camry or BMW 5 Series. Interested vehicle manufacturers of four-door saloon cars of a similar size to the Holden Commodore VE and Ford FG Falcon models can apply to race in the series.

The V8SuperTourer uses a strictly-controlled, one make, all-alloy, fuel injected and dry sumped 7-litre V8 ST engine. The power-plant is derived from the Le Mans Corvette C6.R programme and is hand-built in the United States. It delivers 550 horsepower at 6,800 revs per minute and is expected to have a racing life of 10,000 kilometres before requiring maintenance. This engine is identical to that of the Mosler Automotives current and very successful GT3 sports-car.

#47 John McIntyre

The Link Engine Management, G4 Xtreme manages the fuel, ignition and e-throttle, gear shift cuts, performance limiting when parameters go "out of range" as well as supplying data to the Race Technology dash.

The drive-train consists of a triple-plate clutch, which delivers engine torque through a Quaife 6-speed sequential transmission via a one-piece pro-shaft feeding a classic 9 Ford differential, which is fitted with a locked differential, crown wheel carrier assembly in order to provide excellent traction in most conditions.

The rear suspension adopts the proven, yet simple in design and maintenance, three-link live rear axle fitted with camber and toe, CV style, floating rear hubs.

The front suspension is a sophisticated clean sheet, double wishbone layout that is also cleverly symmetrical from left to right, thus reducing spares inventories, etc. Both the front and rear suspension oscillations are dampened by adjustable bump and rebound shock absorbers fitted with adjustable spring platforms.

Drivers with CEO Paul Radisich

The rack and pinion power steering assembly is mounted ahead of the engine in order to better optimise the front suspension geometry and the high loads generated under long distance racing events.

The V8SuperTourer uses 10x18 forged alloy wheels carrying 280 x 680 x 18 racing slicks or wet weather radial tyres.

The Brembo brake package, use ventilated 380mm diameter 35mm thick rotors in the front, and 355x32 mm ventilated rotors in the rear. Both the front and rear rotors are fitted with Brembo's super-stiff "forged" billet alloy 6 piston brake callipers, in the front and 4 piston callipers in the rear. This state of the art brake package combines to stop the comparatively light car, which has an all up weight, including driver, of less than 1,300 kg, faster than a current supercar.

Champions

Season Overall Champion Team Champion Sprint Series Champion Endurance Series Champion
2012 New Zealand Scott McLaughlin MPC Motorsport New Zealand John McIntyre New Zealand Scott McLaughlin
Australia Jonathon Webb
2013 New Zealand Greg Murphy M3 Racing New Zealand Greg Murphy New Zealand Ant Pedersen
Australia Chaz Mostert
2014 New Zealand Greg Murphy M3 Racing New Zealand Greg Murphy Endurance Series not held[2]
2014-15 New Zealand Simon Evans Team 4 New Zealand Simon Evans New Zealand Simon Evans
New Zealand Shane Van Gisbergen

Records

Greg Murphy who holds the record for most Race and Round Wins.

Race wins by driver

Wins Drivers Manufacturers
22 Greg Murphy Holden
7 Scott McLaughlin Holden
6 Ant Pedersen Ford
5 Jack Perkins Holden
4 Shane Van Gisbergen Ford
3 Jonathon Webb Holden
Daniel Gaunt Ford
2 Jonny Reid Ford
Fabian Coulthard Holden
Tim Edgell Holden
Lee Holdsworth Holden
Chaz Mostert Ford
Richard Moore Holden
1 John McIntyre Ford
Nick Cassidy Holden
Andrew Waite Ford
Andy Booth Holden
Alex Davison Ford
Tim Slade Holden
James Moffat Holden

Accurate to and including, 2014

Round wins by driver

Wins Drivers Manufacturers
7 Greg Murphy Holden
4 Scott McLaughlin Holden
3 Shane Van Gisbergen Ford
2 Jonathon Webb Holden
1 Jonny Reid Ford
Fabian Coulthard Holden
Jack Perkins Holden
Daniel Gaunt Ford
Alex Davison Ford
James Moffat Holden
Ant Pedersen Ford
Chaz Mostert Ford

Accurate to and including, 2014

Podium finishes by driver

Podiums Drivers Manufacturers
36 Greg Murphy Holden
17 Scott McLaughlin Holden
Ant Pedersen Ford
16 Richard Moore Holden
11 Jack Perkins Holden
10 John McIntyre Ford
9 Simon Evans Holden
8 Shane Van Gisbergen Ford
Jonathon Webb Holden
7 Andy Booth Holden
6 Jonny Reid Ford
Daniel Gaunt Ford
Chaz Mostert Ford
Tim Slade Holden
Andre Heimgartner Holden
3 Fabian Coulthard Holden
Kayne Scott Holden
Craig Baird Ford
Tim Edgell Holden
2 Jono Lester Ford
Nick Cassidy Holden
Andrew Waite Ford
Alex Davison Ford
Lee Holdsworth Holden
James Moffat Holden
1 Andy Knight Ford
Chris Pither Ford
Owen Kelly Holden
George Miedecke Ford
Tony D'Alberto Holden
Geoff Emery Holden
Steve Owen Holden
Chris van der Drift Holden
Ashley Walsh Holden
Mark Gibson Ford
Morgan Haber Holden
Angus Fogg Holden
Steve Owen Holden

Accurate to and including, 2014

Pole positions by driver

Poles Drivers Manufacturers
8 Scott McLaughlin Holden
6 Ant Pedersen Ford
4 Greg Murphy Holden
1 Jonny Reid Ford
Fabian Coulthard Holden
Kayne Scott Holden
Chris van der Drift Holden
Shane Van Gisbergen Ford
Richard Moore Holden
Tim Edgell Holden

Accurate to and including, 2014

Television coverage

Broadcasting rights for the inaugural V8SuperTourer season in 2012 are held by TV3. TV3 will bring free-to-air, same-day, coverage of all seven rounds in 2012 with the third race from each of the sprint rounds and the main race from each of the endurance rounds screening live.[3]

References

  1. ^ "First V8SuperTourers to test tomorrow". Speedcafe. 2011-04-19. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  2. ^ "Murphy seals second straight BNT V8 SuperTourers championship". v8st.co.nz. 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  3. ^ "V8SuperTourers secure TV3 broadcast deal". V8SuperTourers LTD. 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2011-10-23.