The running of the 2023 New Zealand Endurance Championship has been slightly problematic and will finally get underway this weekend at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in the north Waikato. It’s the first year of a new format incorporating the two best rounds of both the North and South Island Endurance Series, in both One and Three-Hour formats. In theory, it will be a real test of endurance, in practice it may need some re-jigging and may lack the numbers who are prepared to compete in both Series over a long season spanning from May through to October.
Previously the annual endurance national titles were decided at a winner-takes-all one round competition for those that qualified to partake, with the North and South Island Series alternating the venue and running of the decider. It was a popular format with an easy qualification process and the opportunity to win a national title. And it worked!
Arguably it wasn’t a real test of endurance as you only needed to qualify for one race to decide a national title. More like a sprint, rather than an endurance.
Now it requires competitors to compete in two North Island and two South Island Endurance Series rounds. The Championship Drivers Points will be totalled from a maximum of four rounds with the two highest point scoring rounds from the 2023 North Island 3 Hour Endurance series and the two highest point scoring rounds from the 2023 South Island 3 Hour Endurance series.
It will be a real test of endurance this season which may find out the enduring competitors and not necessarily the fastest. That is what it should be about!
The North Island series was originally three rounds, with their first event taking place at the beginning of March 2023 at Pukekohe Park Raceway. However, due to the late arrival of their series’ articles at Motorsport NZ’s door, there was no time for them to be ratified, hence that round had no points awarded and cannot be part of the NZ Endurance Championship.
Hampton Downs now hosts the first round for potential national title contenders. It may become a war of attrition; it certainly will be a true test of endurance.
NZ Endurance Championship Calendar
1/ 21-22 April 2023, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, North Waikato
2/ 12-13 May 2023, Taupo International Motorsport Park, Taupo
3/ 8-9 September 2023, Euromarque Motorsport Park, Christchurch
4/ 22-23 September 2023, Teretonga Park, Invercargill
5/ 13-14 October 2023, Timaru International Motorsport Park, Timaru
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