Team NZ Ready for Title Showdown in Sepang 1 Sep 2016
Related articles
- Niki Roderick Extends Depth To New Zealand Record Sport
- NZ More Interested in All Whites than All Blacks Sport
- All Whites claim historic point Sport
- Prime Minister to travel to South Africa News
- Snow on The Remarkables Living
- Team Selected for Ultimate Ride Jet-ski Sport
- Trubridge Triumphs With Unassisted Freedive Record Sport
- New Zealand 2011 Business Club launched Business
- 300 feet down: two bare feet and one breath of air Living
- Wyatt claims title Sport
Team NZ Ready for Title Showdown in
Sepang With just one weekend and two races now
remaining before the season concludes there is all to play
for and we will be doing our absolute best to win the
title.
Team NZ Motorsport will be
at Sepang International Circuit this weekend to contest the
final round of the inaugural Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup with
the destiny of the championship title poised on a
knife-edge.
The Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup is a bold new initiative from the ACO and comprises of three rounds, each featuring two 'sprint' races of 1-hour duration. All are taking place at Sepang International Circuit and are exclusively reserved for ‘bronze’ and ‘silver’ level drivers in LMP3, CN or GT Cup cars.
Running our #77 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in the GT class we have enjoyed a superb campaign winning 3 of the 4 races held so far. However in the other race, the first of the season, a late race DNF proved very costly and that's meant we have been fighting back into title contention ever since. With three straight wins coming into this weekend we have however narrowed the gap to the top of the classification down to just 6 points and with potentially a maximum of 52 points on offer from the final two races the title fight is open again.
Our drivers, Graeme Dowsett and John Curran, have really raised their game to lead the fight back, significantly improving their PB times at Sepang over the first two rounds of the Sprint Cup when compared to our previous race here, the Sepang 12 Hours last December, which netted us a superb podium finish. In fact our two entries in ASEAN's most prestigious endurance race so far, in 2014 and 2015, have earned us a victory and the runners up spot respectively.
We regard Sepang as our 'home' track and the primary objective in joining the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup was for John and Graeme, as well as the whole team, to continue the learning curve and make all round improvements – so we've certainly achieved that. But while we've already ticked all the boxes we wanted to tick we still really want to win the inaugural GT class title and we will be pushing very hard this weekend and giving it 110% to achieve that objective.
We will have a slight tweak to the supporting lineup this weekend as our usual Team Manager, Will Bamber, will be absent due to a racing commitment in China. However we’re very pleased that Andrew Tang, currently a strong championship contender in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2016 (he’s just 6 points off the top to the classification), will capably step into his shoes. Will is the irreplaceable backbone of our engineering but Andrew, who already has two wins so far this year in PCCA, is a superb substitute as we make a big final push towards the title.
Also, as the inaugural Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup season draws to a close, we must congratulate the ACO on putting together a superbly organised series and we certainly have thoroughly enjoyed participating.
Team NZ Motorsport is being supported in the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup 2016 by Nakd Water, Completion Products, Asia Pacific Spiral, Motosure and Pioneer Consultants.
John Curran: “The hunt for the top spot is on. Graeme and I along with the entire team will have to bring our A game for the final and deciding round. Unfortunately, I will be arriving from overseas at the last minute so hoping the jetlag holds off until the racing is done. Our resident race engineer Will Bamber is unavailable as he is racing in China and we wish him every success there. We have mobilised the back-up plan with Andrew Tang standing in. Andrew will certainly bring a lot of experience to the team on race weekend. Truly looking forward to the weekend and yet sad as it is the last race weekend of Asia Le Mans Sprint Cup, a truly professional run event.”
Graeme Dowsett: "I am really looking forward to the weekend and doing my best for the team, supporters and sponsors. It will be a tough job to clinch the championship however momentum is in our favour and we will be giving it everything this weekend."
The schedule for the final round of the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup 2016 will see Qualifying take place late on Friday afternoon (2 Aug); Q1 is scheduled for 1815-1830 with Q2 following it almost immediately at 1835-1850. Race 1 of the weekend (Race 5 of the season) will be on Saturday morning (3 Aug) at 1035 and is scheduled for 1 hour duration while Race 2 (Race 6 of the season) starts at 1215 on Sunday (4 Aug) and is also 1 hour long. The weekend programme will also include the Sepang 1000 km race.
About Team NZ Motorsport
Team NZ Motorsport was formed in 2013 to support young developing drivers in karting and junior categories before it quickly evolved and acquired a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. In 2014 Graeme Dowsett and John Curran began racing the Porsche throughout Asia.
Team NZ Motorsport is a family orientated concern that is growing steadily with robust resources, knowledge and connections. The team has contested two endurance races so far, both successfully, winning GTC at the Sepang 12 Hours in 2014 and following that up finishing runner up in 2015. In 2014 Team NZ Motorsport completed a part season in Malaysian Super Series (MSS) and in 2015 a part season in Thailand Super Series (TSS). In 2016 the team took part in the Bathurst 12 Hour in February where it kept up its podium record in major endurance races and is currently contesting the three round Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup.
Team NZ Motorsport’s strategic ambition is to continue to develop, support promising young drivers and to enjoy the sport.
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more