Contest lures sponsor

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 39

Contest lures sponsor

The new Production Saloon Car Championship for Group N and New Zealand-assembled cars will be sponsored to the extent of $60,000 by Shell Oil New Zealand, Ltd, a company that has given a fair measure of support to New Zealand motor sport over the years. Of the $60,000 championship prize money, $30,000 will be disbursed

to competitors who contest the 12-hour final race at the Mansfeild circuit on March 4. The balance will be prize money in the Benson and Hedges international motor-racing series in January, when two sprint races will be included in each programme of events at the five-round series. Already more than 20

entries have been registered for the championship, many of these being Ford Laser TX3i cars for which Ford New Zealand has already announced an attractive incentive prizemoney scheme.

F.I.S. A.-recognised Group N cars are readily available production saloons built in volume anywhere in the world. Very limited modifications, mainly in safety areas, such as brakes, shock absorbers and so on, are permitted.

For this championship, New Zealand-assembled saloons built in proportionally smaller numbers and with the same modifications permitted on the F.I.S.A. Group N cars will be admitted to the championship series.