Double-checking the 2023 results for the five-round TradeZone GTRNZ has confirmed the five title winners – filled by four drivers.
Heading into the final round at Hampton Downs 5-7 May nothing was decided and the GT4-GT2 groups had multiple drivers in reach of the lead. Even the lead by Waiuku’s Kerry Jones (Corvette TraNZam) in GT1 and overall was catchable.
It took the full three races and a lot of reconciling to confirm the eventual winners – one for each GT1-GT4 with the overall falling into the hands of Jones.
In GT4 it was 68 points that separated first from second with Auckland’s Ben Goebel (Subaru Legacy) taking two race wins to secure the title. Unable to secure points over Goebel, Taupo’s Brian Hamilton (Ford Capri) finished 68 points behind in second while Hamilton’s Shaun Gregory (Toyota Starlet) claimed third.
Feilding’s Sean Browne (Honda Civic) had his slender lead up ended in GT3 after failing to finish the first race. Title rival Brian Gray from Tauranga (Mazda RX7) didn’t quite claw back the gap – finishing 30 points behind.
Taupo’s Anton Bryant (Mazda MX5) secured third with two top-tens and a fourth for the final weekend.
In GT2 it was local dominance by Waiuku’s Nick Jones (Nissan 180SX) with two wins and a third that put the title beyond the reach of Cambridge’s Shane Parsons (Honda Integra) – by 90 points. Bombay’s Shane Whitley (Ford Falcon) got to fifth place – to secure third.
For the GT1 title it was a case of finishing for Waiuku’s Kerry Jones. Double entered into the Super V8 racing as well, his Corvette TraNZam was well dialled in. Only a mechanical DNF was going to give Auckland’s Wayne Condor in a similar TraNZam any hope of anything more than second. In the end Jones sat out the final race as Condor had earlier DNF’ed – to take the title by 218 points.
Unable to make it to Hampton Downs didn’t make any difference to third position – Mt Manganui’s Todd Murphy (Hyundai SuperTourer) 367 points in the clear. A total of 11 scored points toward the award.
Overall Kerry Jones held on to take the season title by a comfortable 167 points. Son Nick moved ahead of Condor for second.
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