The BNT V8s Championship gets underway this weekend at Pukekohe, and there will be some new and some old faces making a play for the top spot by weekends end.
Nick Ross will return in his Total Lubricants Nissan Altima, the 2013/14 season Champion looking to add another championship trophy to the cabinet having come agonizingly close the last couple of seasons.
Returning to the Championship is the 2017/18 Champion Andre Heimgartner, who will link up Hamilton Motorsports this season alongside team owner Lance Hughes. Heimgartner will be in strong form having just completed the Australian Supercars season where he was the top Nissan driver, finishing 16th in the championship.
In her rookie season will be Alexandra Whitley aboard a Richards Team Motorsport Toyota Camry. The Australian driver fresh off two seasons in the NZ V8 Ute series will have her first sample of the Toyota V8 in practice one on Friday morning.
Having made limited appearances in the category, including the non-championship round back in September will be teenager Brayden Phillips. He will be aboard his ex Craig Baird SuperTourer. Having raced at Pukekohe already, he’ll be looking to build further confidence on the tricky and fast circuit.
Brad Lathrope returns for another season in his SuperTourer and will be looking for more regular visits to the podium and that elusive first win in the top class.
Rob Wallace is back another season in the ex Greg Murphy Holden. After a scary crash at Hampton Downs at the end of last season, Wallace has blown the cobwebs off the rebuilt #51 and after great results for the Tauranga racer last season, he’ll be looking to build on that momentum.
For the start of the 2019/20 BNT V8s season the TL Specification NZV8 previously known as class two will compete under a new guise – BNT V8 Lites. The BNT V8 Lites competing over a four round championship.
Lining up at Pukekohe this weekend for the first round are the Ford Falcon’s of Shane Whitley, Tony Rutherford and Nigel Karl. They will be joined by a duo of Holden Commodores piloted by Justin Mcllroy and Murray Brooks.
The BNT V8s Open class will be lead by the ever popular Ford Mustang of Sam Collins, who will be joined by the Holdens of Blair McDonald and Eric Hennephof.
The BNT V8s will have three races this weekend at Pukekohe.
BNT V8s Round 1
Driver Name Class Car
Brayden Phillips BNT V8s V8 SuperTourer
Nick Ross BNT V8s TLX
Alexandra Whitley BNT V8s TLX
Rob Wallace BNT V8s V8 SuperTourer
Lance Hughes BNT V8s TLX
Andre Heimgartner BNT V8s TLX
Brad Lathrope BNT V8s V8 SuperTourer
Nigel Karl BNT V8 Lites Ford Falcon TL
Justin McIlroy BNT V8 Lites Holden Commodore TL
Murray Brooks BNT V8 Lites HoldenCommodre TL
Tony Rutherford BNT V8 Lites Ford Falcon TL
Shane Whitley BNT V8 Lites Ford Falcon TL
Eric Hennephof BNT V8s Open V8 SuperTourer
Blair McDonald BNT V8s Open V8 SuperTourer
Sam Collins BNT V8s Open Ford Mustang