Latest RacerLink Magazine issue - including SA GTC V8 insight

By Johan Laubscher

The latest issue of the RacerLink Magazine has just been released. It features a diverse spectrum of motorsport coverage, including this month: Asian Le Mans Series, Pikes Peak, Spa 24 Hours, Super GT and much more.

This issue of X15 contains a number of Audi related features including news from the DTM, Australian GT and a feature on the upcoming South African GTC cars, which will include Audi A4 V8 race cars (as pictured above).

As has been the case in recent months, the Audi Motorsport Blog has once again contributed to a small amount of content in the latest Racerlink Magazine issue.  

We thank the Racerlink editorial staff for publishing this content and providing another excellent online magazine issue.

The magazine is well worth the read as it is filled with great content, from cover to cover. 

See the Racerlink Magazine HERE.

More information:
RacerLink website
RacerLink FB page

X15 Mag website
X15 Mag FB page

Photo credit: Motorsport South Africa

SA V8 Touring Cars: South African V8 Touring Car Series ready for testing

By Johan Laubscher

A new South African touring car championship was announced at the end of 2012. The new series would utilize new race cars which would be developed and built in Australia, closely resembling that of the new generation Australian V8 Supercars. The first of the new South African bound cars has been completed and is being readied for testing. In recent months the addition of Audi cars was also announced for the series.

A number of official press releases in South Africa revealed that PACE Innovations in Australia was busy developing the race cars, and that the first car was nearing completion. The first car would be a Ford bodied version, and would arrive in South Africa for testing on local circuits. Thus far Ford Focus and Audi A4 bodied race cars have been confirmed for the series, which is set to begin in 2014. A grid of up to sixteen cars is being prepared for 2014, with up to twenty for the future.   

The cars will be built on a standardized chassis with the option of body style, representing a manufacturer, being open for choice. This standardised chassis approach is similar to the approach used by many touring car series around the world, like the Australian V8 Supercars and the DTM in Germany, where a standardised chassis allows for lower development and overall costs. The teams will be allowed to use engines which have V8 base architecture from a manufacturer of their choice. Which engines specifically will be used in the cars has not yet been announced, but they will be limited to, and controlled at an output of 410 kW. 

In recent weeks PACE innovations has released a series of photos on Facebook, depicting the build of the first car. PACE has called the new cars for South Africa the “GTC” cars (Global Touring Cars). The first car is a Ford Focus and will arrive in South Africa within the next few weeks. The first Audi car will also be built soon and will also arrive in South Africa for testing.

No physical real-world photos of the Audi cars exist yet, other than the CAD model. However we have included the build photos of the first Ford (which has the same standardised chassis as what the Audis will have), and the first roll-out videos.  

Currently the premiere saloon car series in South Africa is the BridgestoneProduction Car Championship. This series has a number of teams running in the top Class A category, including Audi S4, BMW 335i and Subaru teams. The new South African V8 Touring Car series will likely have teams joining from several of the current South African motorsport championships, and most likely also from the older South African V8 Series, which used cars based on the American Trans Am rules.

How this new V8 series will affect the car/team count in the other national/regional categories remains to be seen, and if the new series will be economically viable is the big question. However, a new series pumping new interest into South African motorsport will hopefully bring good things for the future of the sport in the country, and it is great to see Audi cars within the new series as well. 

Here's to hoping that the new South African V8 Touring Car Series will be a great success, and a return to the glory days of South African saloon car racing. 


Update: The first GTC car had its shakedown test at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday 17 July. More solid information regarding the new cars and the South African V8 Touring Car Series was published on SpeedCafe.com during the morning of the test. Those articles can be seen HERE and HERE. The first car, the prototype, is fitted with a Ford Coyote V8. The car will undergo more testing in the weeks to come. 

Photo credit: 

PACE Innovations Pty Ltd on Facebook
StreetMotion.co.za

Motorsport South Africa

Audi included in the new South African V8 Touring Car Series

By Johan Laubscher

An exciting new formula is being born in South Africa. A V8 Touring Car Series, similar to that of the Australian V8 Supercars, is being planned for 2014.

The series will use a spec chassis with a number of planned manufacturer bodies available. The vehicles have been designed in Australia and are closely based on the new generation of Australian V8 Supercars. The manufacturer engines will all be controlled at 410 Kw. Thus far Ford and now Audi body shells have been confirmed, with more manufactures expected to be included.

A render of the Audi version was released today, and it looks very impressive. The first prototype car will arrive in South Africa very soon, and will complete testing on the local circuits. Up to sixteen cars are expected to be manufactured this year with a maximum of twenty taking part in the series next year.

VMP Motorsport’s Vic Maharaj has confirmed that they will be running cars in the series. The VMP team are currently running two Audi S4 quattro race cars in the South African Production Cars Championship, but it remains to be seen which cars VMP will run next year. But hopefully VMP will be seen with the beautiful Audi vehicles, as pictured in the render.

This is a very exciting development in South Africa. 

The Press Release from Motorsport South Africa can be read HERE. 

Photo credit: Motorsport South Africa