Super Black Racing ready to take on V8 Supercars

21 January, 2015

Super Black Racing — the only New Zealand-based V8 Supercars team — has teamed up with Prodrive Racing Australia (PRA) heading into the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship, with the team’s debut at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, held between February 26 and March 1, 2015.

Following their successful debut at last year’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, with support from PRA, the decision to continue with PRA’s technical support and services was a no-brainer.

The Wellsford-based team has recently signed 19-year-old Andre Heimgartner to race their PRA Ford Falcon in the 2015 season. At 19, he is one of the youngest ever drivers to race in V8 Supercars.

“I just can’t wait to start racing! The team at PRA are amazing to work with and I’m sure I’ll soak up a lot of information from them, which will be a huge help for us,” he said of the opportunity.  

Australian fans, as well as PRA, have displayed positive reactions towards Super Black Racing. Team owner Tony Lentino says, “We have been blown away from the amount of support we’ve received from all around the world, including our Australian fans … although we are convinced that the friendly New Zealand/Australia banter will be greater than ever.”

To highlight just how serious they are, Super Black Racing has also enlisted the support of legendary racing star Paul Radisich as team principal. Radisich has extensive experience behind the wheel, including winning the Touring Car World Cup in 1993 and 1994.

“I know my V8 experience can and will be put to the best use,” he says of being team principal.

With a New Zealand team to get behind, the 2015 V8 Supercars season is already set to be a good one, and it hasn’t even started.

Merry Christmas from NZ Classic Car magazine

The Classic Car magazine team is taking a few weeks’ holiday from the work computer and heading to the beach for some kickback time.
Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful summer holiday to all our readers, followers, and fans. Enjoy this special extra time with the family. We will be posting archive articles again in mid to late January.
Have fun, be good and be careful out there.

Two engines instead of one?

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.