Motul New Zealand has announced title sponsorship of the new–look Honda Cup summer series.
The six round series will begin in September and will run through until the end of April, with two dates confirmed on the exciting new V8 SuperTourer race weekends. Motul has provided seed funding for the developing series during the three winter championships it has run over the past two years and is a natural fit for Honda Cup. Managing Director Tim Pollard is a keen racer and will run in the new series in his own ex–Japanese Touring Car Championship Integra DC5.
Upwards of 30 competitors are expected in the championship, and it is also closely allied with the biggest car forum in New Zealand, the NZ Honda Club. It has over 11,000 members, many of whom have sampled track day or circuit racing or who are keen engine tuners and car developers.
"It's a great market for us," commented Pollard. "There is a huge opportunity for Motul to become the lubricant of choice for a younger generation of talented engine tuners and developers, many of whom choose Hondas for their bullet proof reliability and high basic performance".
"As well as that, the series has secured two very high profile meetings in the new V8 SuperTourers, and it will be great to have a significant presence at those events as part of the package".
The Honda Cup is one of New Zealand's fastest growing racing series. Regularly topping grids of 25 during winter rounds, it includes rookie drivers making their first steps into circuit racing as well as old hands like Tier 1 aces Steve Taylor, David Grigor and past Honda championship winner Martin Dunn.
"Motul have been a great supporter of the series in its formative winter seasons" added Motul Honda Cup race director Alan Stewart. "Securing motorsport sponsorship in the current economic climate is not easy, but we have really tried to take a different approach for both sponsors and drivers and add commercial value with a few initiatives that are not the norm for motorsport. We are aiming to be the very best one–make racing series in New Zealand, however, and fundamental to that is having a supportive and recognised partner".
You can keep up with the Motul HondaCup at www.hondacup.co.nz
