ARG awarded commercial rights to TCR New Zealand

It has been announced today that MotorSport New Zealand has awarded the commercial and promotional rights of the TCR New Zealand Championship to the ANZ Motorsport Group, a new subsidiary company of the Australian Racing Group – the same promotors as the TCR Australia Series.

In a major coup for the global TCR formula in the region, the ANZ Motorsport Group will oversee the introduction of the popular TCR Series to New Zealand, giving the closely knit Australia and New Zealand motor racing communities a strategic touring car alignment.

The deal between the ANZ Motorsport Group and MotorSport New Zealand is a multi-year arrangement, ensuring stability in the formative stages of TCR in the Australasian region.

The TCR category, formulated by WSC president Marcello Lotti in 2014, has grown in popularity across the world and now boasts 16 championships. Last month, TCR Australia burst onto the local scene at Sydney Motorsport Park with 17 competitors driving eight different brands of the under 2 litre racing cars, and ANZ Motorsport Group is aiming got have an equally successful start for the New Zealand Championship

ANZ Motorsport Group’s mandate will be to ensure the TCR New Zealand Series develops in it own right, including racing rounds at stand-alone dates and those aligned with the race calendars of other MotorSport NZ Premier Race Championships which are currently managed by New Zealand motorsports event promotor Speed Works Events Ltd.

By aligning both Series’ with no date clashes to be scheduled between each calendar, all TCR competitors in the region will have the opportunity to compete in both the New Zealand and Australia series

The ANZ Motorsport Group is currently working with Speed Works Events to formulate a racing calendar for the 2020 New Zealand motorsport season and is planning to have New Zealand-based resources to manage the category locally. 

QUOTES

Matt Braid
Director, Australian Racing Group 

“This is a really exciting announcement for the Australian Racing Group and our new subsidiary company ANZ Motorsport Group,” said Matt Braid.

“Being awarded another series is a huge vote of confidence from WSC and speaks to the successful launch of the TCR Series in Australia and we look forward to ensuring both series are successful, competitive and highly regarded within this region.

“We’ll be able to take our learnings from TCR Australia to TCR New Zealand for the benefit of all local race teams, competitors, fans and the media and develop additional opportunities that overseeing both series allows us to.

“By aligning both TCR Series with no date clashes between the calendars, all TCR competitors in the region will have the opportunity to compete in both the New Zealand and Australia series.

“The ANZ Motorsport Group is currently working with MotorSport NZ and Speed Works Events Ltd to formulate a racing calendar for the 2020 New Zealand motorsport season and is planning to have New Zealand-based resources to manage the category locally.”

Wayne Christie
President, MotorSport NZ 

“This experience makes ARG’s ANZ Motorsport Group the logical choice to give the TCR New Zealand Series the best chance of success,” said Wayne Christie. 

“We are finalising all contractual details at present, and expect the ANZ Motorsport Group will quickly get to work to prepare for the debut season of TCR New Zealand in 2020.

“The response from competitors and teams to our announcement that the TCR category was coming to New Zealand was overwhelmingly positive. TCR New Zealand fits nicely into our structure of premier saloon car race categories and offers competitors the chance to race market-relevant cars under an international formula. We expect that this confirmation of the series promoter will provide competitors with confidence to push ahead with plans to compete in the New Zealand TCR series when it commences next year.”

Marcello Lotti
President, WSC Group 

“We are very happy that the Australian Racing Group has been selected to promote the new TCR New Zealand Championship from next year,” said Marcello Lotti. 

“Australia and New Zealand are so close together, so to have same promotor makes sense. From what we’ve seen how the Australian series has been run, then we have no doubt that New Zealand will be a huge success.

“This is a big win for the competitors, having two TCR Series so close together. There will be more opportunity to use their cars in the two championships.”