Team Kiwi Racing – ready to roll in 2008
January 18th 2008 07:17
V8 Supercars’ Team Kiwi Racing is returning to its roots in 2008 after a disastrous season in 2007 by electing to run their own entire operation in a new purpose built facility in Hamilton, New Zealand.
After a mid-season move in 2007 from Auckland and a number of well-documented issues during the year, both on and off the track, Team Kiwi have consolidated their position as the sole New Zealand based V8 Supercar team in the championship.
“The new facility is all but complete which is a great relief and can now be opened to the public, owner David John said.
“We have many of the race cars TKR have campaigned here on show, including our first ever race car being the Championship winning TKR Pit Stop Nissan Primera and at the other end of the spectrum, the Holden V8 Supercar that was written off at Bathurst last year along with our Ford BF V8 Supercar plus plenty of other memorabilia to view.
“This new facility will provide the chance for the public to see the operation up close, see what TKR has achieved and opportunities it has provided over the years and meet with the teams management one on one.
“We will also have a full merchandise store on site that will allow for the public to come on in see the cars, grad a light refreshment and pickup the latest TKR official merchandise at the same time
“We are thrilled to finally have our base operational. We are looking forward confidently to the 2008 season which is only just over eight weeks away, which is the shortest post-season break that we can remember.
“Most importantly we can not wait till the Hamilton round of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship in March 2008 where we will get the opportunity to rollout the TKR All Black machine on home soil not only against all the big budget Aussie teams but do so in-front of our home crowd.”
2008 will see Team Kiwi with a new chassis, purchased from 888 Engineering, and the continuation of a successful partnership with Stone Brothers Racing, who will provide the engine. A number of well-respected Kiwi staff will take over the workload both at the Hamilton facility and TKR’s small Australian base on the Gold Coast, where the car will be worked on between races.
“We needed to step up competitively in the V8 Supercar Championship and those relationships definitely helped in that process,” David John said about TKR’s relationships with SBR and 888 Engineering.
“We also had more than our fair share of issues and allegations made against TKR this year which have been well documented. As a result the TKR Board believes we need to be more in control of our own destiny and direction.
“They want a competitive V8 Supercar team but they also want us to be firmly in control of all aspects of our own operation. And they want TKR to return more to its original philosophies of developing New Zealanders into the V8 Supercar Championship at all levels.”
Mr John is happy with how the team is developing and is also in final negotiations with a new Kiwi driver for the upcoming season.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us to be ready for the first shoot out at Queensland raceway on the 14th February 2008,” he said, “and will be looking forward to the season opener on the 21 to 24th February of next month in Adelaide.”
See Team Kiwi, along with all the other Queensland based V8 Supercar teams at Queensland Raceway for the compulsory test day on 14th February.
After a mid-season move in 2007 from Auckland and a number of well-documented issues during the year, both on and off the track, Team Kiwi have consolidated their position as the sole New Zealand based V8 Supercar team in the championship.
“The new facility is all but complete which is a great relief and can now be opened to the public, owner David John said.
“We have many of the race cars TKR have campaigned here on show, including our first ever race car being the Championship winning TKR Pit Stop Nissan Primera and at the other end of the spectrum, the Holden V8 Supercar that was written off at Bathurst last year along with our Ford BF V8 Supercar plus plenty of other memorabilia to view.
“This new facility will provide the chance for the public to see the operation up close, see what TKR has achieved and opportunities it has provided over the years and meet with the teams management one on one.
“We will also have a full merchandise store on site that will allow for the public to come on in see the cars, grad a light refreshment and pickup the latest TKR official merchandise at the same time
“We are thrilled to finally have our base operational. We are looking forward confidently to the 2008 season which is only just over eight weeks away, which is the shortest post-season break that we can remember.
“Most importantly we can not wait till the Hamilton round of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship in March 2008 where we will get the opportunity to rollout the TKR All Black machine on home soil not only against all the big budget Aussie teams but do so in-front of our home crowd.”
2008 will see Team Kiwi with a new chassis, purchased from 888 Engineering, and the continuation of a successful partnership with Stone Brothers Racing, who will provide the engine. A number of well-respected Kiwi staff will take over the workload both at the Hamilton facility and TKR’s small Australian base on the Gold Coast, where the car will be worked on between races.
“We needed to step up competitively in the V8 Supercar Championship and those relationships definitely helped in that process,” David John said about TKR’s relationships with SBR and 888 Engineering.
“We also had more than our fair share of issues and allegations made against TKR this year which have been well documented. As a result the TKR Board believes we need to be more in control of our own destiny and direction.
“They want a competitive V8 Supercar team but they also want us to be firmly in control of all aspects of our own operation. And they want TKR to return more to its original philosophies of developing New Zealanders into the V8 Supercar Championship at all levels.”
Mr John is happy with how the team is developing and is also in final negotiations with a new Kiwi driver for the upcoming season.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us to be ready for the first shoot out at Queensland raceway on the 14th February 2008,” he said, “and will be looking forward to the season opener on the 21 to 24th February of next month in Adelaide.”
See Team Kiwi, along with all the other Queensland based V8 Supercar teams at Queensland Raceway for the compulsory test day on 14th February.
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