The Carters Tyres South Island Endurance Series blasts into life this weekend with its annual trip to the world’s southernmost race circuit at Teretonga Park, Invercargill for Round One of its Three Round Series. The 2016 Series will be even more exhilarating then previous years with so much new, top class machinery set to battle things out. In fact for the 3hr race, over half the cars are new to the Series this year.
With the fastest endurance cars in New Zealand heading south for the Series opener and it will be a sight to behold as they line up on the high-speed Teretonga circuit. And although it is likely to be a frantic battle at the front of the pack, it will be finishing races, performing well & accumulating championship points that will be the key to endurance success. However, with the Series also being as a qualifying series for the New Zealand Endurance Championship, there is more than just South Island Endurance silverware on the line.
The series is excited to have recently inked a new 6 figure multiyear partnership with Carters Tyre Service, who will be the Series naming rights sponsor until 2018. Carters Tyre Service, along with associate sponsor Allied 24/7/fuel have again managed to secure a significant prize money pool to pay out to series competitors. “For 2016 we have $30,000 that we will pay out across the Series” said SIERDC Secretary Chris Dunn. “Plus we have a magnificent $10,000 Norman Sinclair original painting, a set of Michelin race tyres and products from ENDLESS brakes that will all be given away as spot prizes” he said, “so with prizemoney spread across every single class and many spot prizes there is an extensive spread of prizes right across the board.”
The quality of this season’s field is nothing short of astounding with so many new and electrifying cars joining the Series, and when someone as experienced as John McIntyre says “I can’t wait, this is going to be something special”, then you know it is going to be something special! The battle for outright honors is likely to come from the glitzy GT class, and although it has been predicted for a couple of years now, 2016 could finally be the year where the Porsche domination ends, after the German brand has taken overall Series honors for 8 of the past 10 seasons.
The star studded GT class is headed by defending South Island Series champions Angus & George McFarlane who will debut their hot new Porsche 997 Cup R, however it certainly won’t be an easy road as they are up against some ferocious machinery including current NZ Endurance Champion John McIntyre who will team up with Simon Gilbertson to drive the amazing Tulloch Motorsport SaReNi Camaro GT3, a car that is now really starting to show its muscles. The series will also see the current North Island Series championship winning Trass Family Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT3 that will be piloted by Sam Fillmore and past Australian GT champion Richard Muscat.
This is the first time that the current South Island, current North Island and current New Zealand champions have all lined up head to head. The GT class is also the home of the former V8 SuperTourer cars and V8ST regulars Simon McLennan & Richard Moore will line up in the V8ST Commodore. This team showed serious pace last year and in fact led all three of the 2015 Series races, so with some gremlins ironed out they should also be one to watch. Another great team who return to the Series for 2016 is multiple Series champion Paul Kelly who will be partnered by young gun Daniel Gaunt in a Porsche 997 GT3.
Also in the mix in similar Porsche 997 GT3’s are Tim Mackersey & Barry Moore, Lindsay O’Donnell & Phil Mauger and Nigel de Geest & Kynan Yu. The last of the Stuttgart machines that will take the starters flag is the brand spanking new, latest spec, Porsche 991 GT3 of series stalwarts Allan Dippie & Scott O’Donnell., who will be hoping to emulate their 2015 Teretonga victory. However one of the most anticipated cars to compete in 2016 will be the stunning Mercedes AMG SLS GT3 of series sponsors Carters Tyre Service with brothers Matt & Dwayne Carter at the wheel. Although they have had limited laps in this sleek new beast, there are no doubts it will certainly be a frontrunner.
With the factory built and space framed cars in the exotic GT class, Class 1 (3501cc +) is dominated by the more traditional ‘home-built’ Kiwi Hybrids. 2015 SI Series Class 1 champions Darryl Barrett & Hamish Frew will be back to defend their SI title in the Mazda RX7 V8 but will face fierce competition from current NZ Class 1 Endurance champions Craig & Scotty McDermid, in the amazing twin turbo Supra powered Toyota 86. Other to watch out for in Class 1 will be the Carters Tyre Service BA Falcon of Australian visitor Perry Scarfe & past NZ TraNZam champion Grant Silvester and a similar V8 machine for father & daughter pairing of Ian & Alyssa Clapperton
The battle for Class 2 (2001cc -3500cc) 2 honors will be as hotly contested as any class, with 2015 SI class champions Jim Wallace & Stephen Grellet returning in their turbocharged Seat Leon Supercopa and series regulars Mike Driver & Phil Hood also lining up in one of the turbocharged machines. A very similar car but under the VW brand will see the combo of Ron Mackersey & Warren Good reunite again, many years after starting endurance driving together. Also look out for the recently completed class spec Mazda RX8 for multiple NZ RX7 champion Jarrod Parmenter & Andrew Brunton, however the unknown factor in class 2 could well be the Ssangyong Dealer Team ‘super ute’ driven by Dean Cooper & Alexandra Whitley. This Ute has undergone serious modifications since it ran in the recent NI Series and could be the one to beat in Class 2 if it has reliability on its side.
The final class is class 3 (0-2000cc) will see a genuine tortoise and hare battle with the return of the ex-World Touring Car BMW E46 of Arron & Stu Black who will easily the class favorites. However as we all know it’s about finishing races & collecting points and this is how the mighty Peugeot 106 of Ken Sinclair & Dennis Ham claimed class 3 victory in 2015. Class 3 also sees the 3hr debut of Rodney & Michael Parks who step up from the 1hr Series with their new Honda S2000 and the distinctive 2K Cup spec Mercedes 190E to be driven by 2K Cup pilots Victor Cattermole & Grant Moore, who will keep everyone in this class honest through reliability if not speed.
So this season is possibly the best chance yet for another non-Porsche series champion with four full FIA GT3 spec cars, and with qualification for the NZ Endurance championships on the line as well as big prizemoney and more importantly, Carters Tyres Series bragging rights, fans are in for an electrifying season.
After this weekends round at Teretonga, the Carters Tyres SI Endurance Series moves to Mike Pero Ruapuna, Christchurch on Saturday 1st October before the Series grand finale at Levels Raceway, Timaru on 15th October, where the overall 3 Hour Series champion will be awarded the prestigious South Canterbury Toyota Cup as the winner of the 2015 Carters Tyres SI Endurance Series.
Qualifying and the race at Teretonga are on Saturday 10th September, with the 3hr race expected to start around 1:30pm. There are still some entry spots still available and for more information on the South Island Endurance Series, entries, or to be added to the South Island Endurance Racing Drivers Club’s e-mailing list, please contact Chris Dunn via e-mail at sierdc@xtra.co.nz ph 021-107-9293. Club information can also be found on facebook at www.facebook.com/sierdcnz
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