BMW Race Series new sponsor

[Andrew 30]

Media information

16 July 2008

CASTROL REVS UP BMW RACE SERIES

The New Zealand BMW Race Series today welcomed Castrol New Zealand

as its primary sponsor.

Castrol has committed to a three-season sponsorship of the amateur racing

series, New Zealand’s biggest-ever single-make series. The announcement

marks a further step in Castrol’s involvement in the series, which it has

supported from its very beginning.

Beginning on September 13 and 14 at Pukekohe Park Raceway, drivers in the

series will compete over six rounds at the Pukekohe, Manfield and Taupo

racetracks. This year’s season will also see a major inaugural meeting at the

soon-to-open Hampton Downs racetrack.

Jayne McEwan, Castrol’s Consumer Marketing Manager, says Castrol and

BMW have a long and successful heritage of working together in motorsport

both in New Zealand and overseas.

“Together we have set records, won race championships and helped develop

the careers of some of New Zealand’s best race drivers. Internationally, we

have won world championships together and taken historic victories at some

of the world’s most testing and best-loved races. Castrol backed the NZ BMW

Race Series from the outset and we are pleased and proud to now step up to

a role as primary sponsor.”

The BMW Racing Series focuses on the iconic E30 BMW 3 Series, a car that

in M3 form helped BMW win the first ever World Touring Car Championship

and sparked the runaway success of the 3 Series.

This main E30 class is for 3 Series cars manufactured between 1984 and

1991 and using either 1.8-litre four-cylinder engines or 2.0-litre six-cylinder

engines.

Mf…

-2-

In addition, the “open” class allows a wide range of classic and current-model

BMWs onto the track to race in a separate category within the series. The

open class is for any BMW running original, standard specification engines.

NZ BMW E30 Race Series founder and committee member Colin Briscoe

says the BMW and Castrol brands have long been synonymous with motor

racing success at the highest levels.

“We are thrilled to have Castrol alongside BMW to support the racing series

which brings a tremendous level of qudos and credibility to our sport,” he said.

In New Zealand, the BMW race heritage extends back through the New

Zealand Touring Car Championship to the launch of the BMW New Zealand

Race Team, run by Lyall Williamson’s International Motorsport, and to

Castrol’s support of the all-conquering Schnitzer factory-supported team when

it raced E30 M3s at the Wellington Street Races in the 1980s.

Castrol and BMW were together in motorsport as Craig Baird and Brett Riley

took factory-specification E36 3 Series Coupes to an unprecedented run of

New Zealand Touring Car Championship titles.

The relationship continued as the cars became four door E36 3 Series, then

four door E46 3 Series, netting further titles for Brett Riley and Jason

Richards.

The NZ BMW Race Series has its own television coverage package and has

grown rapidly in size and popularity, with more than 100 competitors in the

North Island alone, 70 of whom race in the E30 class.

Many series members also compete in their BMWs in other track races and

the Targa road rally series.

Existing sponsors of the NZ BMW Race Series include BMW New Zealand,

Radio Sport, Toyo Tyres, Koni Shocks and King Springs; the series is

supported by the BMW Car Club of New Zealand.

BMW uses Castrol lubricants in the assembly of all new BMW cars, Castrol is

the specified lubricant for use in BMW’s range of high performance M cars,

and throughout New Zealand Castrol lubricants are available from the BMW

dealer network.

Internationally, Castrol and BMW continue their touring car relationship in the

FIA World Touring Car Championship.

-End-

2008-2009 NZ BMW Race Series dates

13-14 September 2008 Pukekohe

14-16 November 2008MG Car Club Classic Manfield

24-25 January 2009 Tasman GP ( Formula 5000) Pukekohe

1-2 February 2009 Tasman Revival meeting Taupo

28-29 March 2009 Summer classic Hampton Downs

11-12 April. 2009 (Easter meeting) Hampton Downs

Distributed in New Zealand on behalf of Castrol NZ by:

Mark Baker, Veritas Communications Limited

For further information, please contact:

Jayne McEwan, Castrol New Zealand

Telephone 09 639 0000

Email [email protected]

Mark Baker, Director, Veritas Communications Limited

Telephone 09 296 8636

Mobile 021 212 0607

Email [email protected]

[3series 0]

mint - dates.

[hybrid 1044]

:thumb:

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

Bugger!

Just bought all my oils for the car, could've got it cheap!!

[Driftit 2093]

Bugger!

Just bought all my oils for the car, could've got it cheap!!

Could have got it cheap through Glenn at Botany Motorworx anyway.

[Silver Fox 43]

Congrats to the committee on a job well done. Might have taken a bit longer than expected, but with all the work involved it is a great outcome. Hope everyone appreciates the endevour put in by the committee to get a major oil company in behind the series when everyone else's trying to get out of spending at the moment. At least in 3 years time we know they'll still be here. Thanks.

[*Glenn* 855]

Have I read this wrong. Nowhere could I find any offer of discounts on oil supply from any distributor ??

Or are they just supplying stickers to make your cars look good ??

[OLLIE 26]

Have I read this wrong. Nowhere could I find any offer of discounts on oil supply from any distributor ??

Or are they just supplying stickers to make your cars look good ??

I think it was just assumed that we would get discounted oil. the sponsorship is financial sponsorship for the series, exactly what the money will be spent on I don't know. I'm guessing it will go towards promotion, organization/admin, TV coverage, reduction in entry fees? etc ... either way all should be kept transparent and we can watch as the series grows into something we are proud to be a part of.

[Silver Fox 43]

AFAIK it's mainly for the TV coverage, this isn't cheap, and it's what we need to get other sponsors aboard. I'm sure they were a sponsor last year? See they aren't on the list at the moment, sure that will change tho.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Silver Fox

[Driftit 2093]

Yar I saw the V8 utes on Tv last weekend and thought oooo the BMWs raced that weekend too. So I sat and watched patiently. But alas. They only covered the V8's and then onto bike racing somewhere overseas.

Edited July 18, 2008 by driftit

[OLLIE 26]

Yar I saw the V8 utes on Tv last weekend and thought oooo the BMWs raced that weekend too. So I sat and watched patiently. But alas. They only covered the V8's and then onto bike racing somewhere overseas.

yeah unfortunately that was not an official round in the series for us so it wasn't filmed i don't think. Shame really, I did some spectacular wet weather drifting round castrol, would have looked great on TV. I just pushed the brake pedal a wee bit hard just after the esses and it was sideways into castrol, sideways through castrol and sideways out of castrol. Now i know why drifters do it, it felt great to pull it off without spinning out.