This weekend’s final round of the TradeZone GTRNZ is a scramble for the champions trophy – and nothing is decided. Each of the GT1, GT2, GT3 and GT4 classes has the potential for change.
Following four rounds for the 2023 season the Hampton Downs fifth and final at the Super Sprint MotorSport New Zealand championship weekend will settle the question mark.
A race win is worth 75 points, awarded all the way down to 30th, for one point. That means each race finisher will be in the points, with four point scoring opportunities for the weekend – three races and qualifying.
In GT3 Feilding’s Sean Browne holds a 12 point lead over neighbouring Palmerston North driver Jamie Potts (Toyota Trueno). Tauranga’s Brian Gray (Mazda RX7) is a further 16 points behind in third. A mere three points behind is Taupo’s Anton Bryant. The top-six positions are spread by 49 points.
In GT4 it’s a top-two show. Auckland’s Ben Goebel (Subaru Legacy) sits ahead of Taupo’s Brian Hamilton (Ford Capri) by nine points. Auckland’s Nigel Karl is a further 93 points back in third.
The GT1 category is all but sewn up with Waiuku’s Kerry Jones the man to beat in his Corvett TraNZam. Holding a 120-point advantage over Auckland’s Wayne Conder (Corvett TraNZam ). Add to that Jones is double entered and competing in the Super V8 category its only one DNF from being all on. A distant third after missing the previous round is Mt Manganui’s Todd Murphy (Hyundai SuperTourer).
GT2 is another with a title race battle. Six points separate leader Shane Parsons of Cambridge (Honda Integra) from Nick Jones of Waiuku (Nissan 180SX). It’s a further 72 points back to third placed Shane Whitley of Bombay (Ford Falcon).
For the overall title Jones leads from Condor (120 points) with Parsons third, a further 93 points behind.