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Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series arrives in New Zealand

28 March, 2018

 

 

The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series will take place on New Zealand’s iconic Hampton Downs circuit in April 2018, the car manufacturer has announced. Running 12–15 April, the four-day race schedule will incorporate the open-to-public Ferrari Festival over the weekend.

“Ferrari has a longstanding history with motor racing in New Zealand, and some of our most committed Corse Clienti race drivers hail from here,” said Louis Colmache, Head of Corse Clienti, Asia Pacific.


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Established in 1993, the Ferrari Challenge has achieved distinction as the widest ranging and most envied one-make client racing series in the world, and runs in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific series opens at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit in support of the Formula 1 Australia Grand Prix on 22–25 March, landing on our soil for events at Hampton Downs from 12–25 April, before heading to support the Singapore Grand Prix in September, culminating in Italy at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the Finali Mondiali (World Finals) between 1–4 November, where the Asia–Pacific race drivers will join drivers from the Europe and North America Series for the traditional end-of-season celebrations.


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“New Zealand is home to some of the most passionate Ferrari owners and drivers in the world,” explained Herbert Appleroth, CEO of Ferrari Australasia. “We are excited to be able to now offer our clients the opportunity to experience the thrill of racing with Ferrari on some of the most iconic race tracks in the world, including Auckland’s iconic Hampton Downs circuit in New Zealand. We encourage all of New Zealand’s Ferrari fans to join us for the celebrations.”

These celebrations include the chance for clients and fans to see the Ferrari 488 Challenge car in action — the first turbo-charged model to race, and the most powerful Challenge car ever — as well as a spectacular array of classic and modern Ferrari models and special edition cars on display, and family-friendly entertainment including face painting and Ferrari giveaways.

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series 2018 Schedule
Round 1: 22–25 March, Melbourne, Australia (Formula 1 GP)
Round 2: 12–15 April, Hampton Downs, New Zealand
Round 3: 24–27 May, Shanghai, China (Ferrari Racing Days)
Round 4: 28 June–1 July. Fuji, Japan (Ferrari Racing Days)
Round 5: 23–25 August, Suzuka, Japan
Round 6: 14–16 September, Singapore Marina (Formula 1 GP)
Round 7: 1–4 November,  Monza, Italy (Finali Mondiali)

ROTARY CHIC

6 September, 2024

Kerry Bowman readily describes himself as a dyed-in-the-wool Citroën fan and a keen Citroën Car Club member. His Auckland home holds some of the chic French cars and many parts. He has also owned a number of examples of the marque as daily drivers, but he now drives a Birotor GS. They are rare, even in France, and this is a car which was not supposed to see the light of day outside France’s borders, yet somehow this one escaped the buyback to be one of the few survivors out in the world.
It’s a special car Kerry first saw while overseas in the ’70s, indulging an interest sparked early on by his father’s keenness for Citroëns back home in Tauranga. He was keen to see one ‘in the flesh’.
“I got interested in this Birotor when I bought a GS in Paris in 1972. I got in contact with Citroën Cars in Slough, and they got me an invitation to the Earls Court Motor Show where they had the first Birotor prototype on display. I said to a guy on the stand, ‘I’d like one of these,’ and he said I wouldn’t be allowed to get one. Citroën were building them for their own market to test them, and they were only left-hand drive.”

Tradie’s Choice

30 August, 2024

Clint Wheeler purchased this 1962 Holden FJ Panelvan as an unfinished project, or as he says “a complete basket case”. Collected as nothing more than a bare shell, the rotisserie-mounted and primed shell travelled the length of the country from the Rangiora garage where it had sat dormant for six years to Clint’s Ruakaka workshop. “Mike, the previous owner, was awesome. He stacked the van and parts nicely. I was pretty excited to get the van up north. We cut the locks and got her out to enjoy the northland sun,” says Clint. “The panelvan also came with boxes of assorted parts, some good, some not so good, but they all helped.”