NZ Utes: Series Pukekohe preview

V8 UTE MOMENTUM BUILDING

Excitement continues to build as the ENZED V8 Utes prepare for their debut as part of the premier summer motor race series at Pukekohe over the weekend of 6/7 November.

The series is gathering momentum with the news this week of two new, high profile challengers. One of the stalwarts from the cut and thrust of the ultra-competitive Australian V8 Utes, Robert "The Captain" Jarvis has announced that he will contest the kiwi series starting with the opening round at Pukekohe. Jarvis is one of the long term supporters of the Aussie V8 Utes, notching up

his 200th series start across the Tasman at Surfers Paradise recently. Jarvis was seen in New Zealand during the Trans Tasman V8 Ute Test Match at Hamilton in April where he proved to be extremely competitive. Series co-ordinator Lindsay Dodd says that the category is "excited and delighted" to welcome Jarvis into the series. While Jarvis is the major addition to the Ford ranks for this season Holden have also scored a coup with the news that former BNT V8s competitor Dave Stewart of Wellington will be on the grid from the second round of the series at Powerbuilt Raceway in Christchurch. Stewart has purchased the Holden of Steve Elliott after he had a brief taste of V8 Ute action in a lease vehicle last season.

The ENZED V8 Utes are determined to turn on a fantastic show both on and off the circuit and to that end Category Manager Lindsay Dodd was in Surfers Paradise recently to observe a round of the Australian V8 Ute Series. That experience will allow Dodd to reproduce the systems from the highly successful Australian series into the New Zealand version.

While the category management and competitors are pleased to be a part of the Tier One programme this summer Kerry Cooper of The Motorsport Company, promoters of the summer series, is also happy to see the arrival of the class. "The V8 Utes are always great entertainment and with the Ute racing being so popular in Australia and supporting the V8 Supercars it seems to be an ideal mix to have the V8 Utes here racing at our BNTV8s Championship meetings. Bring it on with the Utes - we can't wait for Pukekohe on the 6th and 7th of November", he says.

The category is also delighted to announce the addition of Citizen Watches to their family of corporate supporters and partners and welcomes the company aboard in this most exciting of seasons. The category already enjoys the support of ENZED, Radio Hauraki, Yokohama, Castrol and Exedy while the addition of another high profile company adds to the prestige of the ENZED V8 Utes Series.

-source: 8utes.co.nz