# 2007–08 Toyota Racing Series

The 2007–08 Toyota Racing Series was the fourth running of the Toyota Racing Series. The Toyota Racing Series is New Zealand's premier open-wheeler motorsport category. The Series includes races for every major trophy in New Zealand circuit racing including the New Zealand Motor Cup and the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy. The cars are also the category for the 2008 New Zealand Grand Prix, which was held as the third race of the Manfeild Autocourse round, - one of only two races in the world with FIA approval to use the Grand Prix nomenclature outside Formula One.

## Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed during the 2007–08 Toyota Racing Series. All teams were New Zealand-registered.
| Team | No. | Driver | Rounds |
| International Motorsport | 1 | Earl Bamber | All |
| International Motorsport | 2 | Mitch Cunningham | All |
| International Motorsport | 27 | Daniel Gaunt | 2–3 |
| Triple X Motorsport | 3 | Matt Halliday | 2–4 |
| Triple X Motorsport | 44 | Kristján Einar | 2–4 |
| Knight Motorsport | 5 | Andy Knight | All |
| Knight Motorsport | 19 | Sam MacNeill | 1, 5–7 |
| Knight Motorsport | 19 | Michael Pickens | 2–4 |
| Scorpion Racing | 6 | Hamish Cross | All |
| Scorpion Racing | 6 | Jason Bargwanna | NC |
| NZ Motorsport Trust | 7 | Ben Harford | All |
| Motorsport Solutions | 9 | Nic Jordan | All |
| Motorsport Solutions | 74 | Michael Burdett | All |
| Motorsport Solutions | 89 | John Whelan | NC |
| Ken Smith Motorsport | 10 | Dominic Storey | All |
| Ken Smith Motorsport | 11 | Ken Smith | All |
| Prviateer | 20 | Daynom Templeman | 3–4 |
| Victory Motor Racing | 28 | Nelson Hartley | 1–5 |
| D. J. Hewitt | 40 | Matthew Hamilton | 2 |
| D. J. Hewitt | 40 | Mark Munro | 6–7 |
| European Technique | 47 | Nathan Antunes | All |
| Evans European | 48 | Andrew Waite | NC |
| Mark Petch Motorsport | 55 | Christina Orr | All |
| Ben Crighton Motorsport | 87 | Ben Crighton | All |

## Calendar

| Round | Round | Venue | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
| 2007 ||||||||
| 1 | R1 | Pukekohe Park Raceway (Pukekohe, Auckland Region) | 2-4 November | Andy Knight | Andy Knight | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 1 | R2 | Pukekohe Park Raceway (Pukekohe, Auckland Region) | 2-4 November | Andy Knight | Nic Jordan | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 1 | R3 | Pukekohe Park Raceway (Pukekohe, Auckland Region) | 2-4 November | | Earl Bamber | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 2008 ||||||||
| 2 | R1 | Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Christchurch, Canterbury Region) | 4-6 January | | | Ben Harford | NZ Motorsport Trust |
| 2 | R2 | Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Christchurch, Canterbury Region) | 4-6 January | | | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 2 | R3 | Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Christchurch, Canterbury Region) | 4-6 January | | | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 3 | R1 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 11-13 January | Earl Bamber | Matt Halliday | Daniel Gaunt | International Motorsport |
| 3 | R2 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 11-13 January | | Earl Bamber | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 3 | R3 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 11-13 January | | Nelson Hartley | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 4 | R1 | Taupō Motorsport Park (Taupō, Taupō District) | 18-20 January | Ben Harford | Matt Halliday | Ben Harford | NZ Motorsport Trust |
| 4 | R2 | Taupō Motorsport Park (Taupō, Taupō District) | 18-20 January | | Michael Burdett | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 4 | R3 | Taupō Motorsport Park (Taupō, Taupō District) | 18-20 January | | Dominic Storey | Ben Harford | NZ Motorsport Trust |
| 5 | R1 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 15-17 February | Earl Bamber | Nelson Hartley | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 5 | R2 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 15-17 February | | Andy Knight | Andy Knight | Knight Motorsport |
| 5 | R3 | Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, Manawatū District) | 15-17 February | | Earl Bamber | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 6 | R1 | Timaru International Motor Raceway (Timaru, Canterbury Region) | 29 February-2 March | Andy Knight | Earl Bamber | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 6 | R2 | Timaru International Motor Raceway (Timaru, Canterbury Region) | 29 February-2 March | | Ben Harford | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 6 | R3 | Timaru International Motor Raceway (Timaru, Canterbury Region) | 29 February-2 March | | Earl Bamber | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| 7 | R1 | Teretonga Park (Invercargill, Southland) | 7-9 March | Michael Burdett | Earl Bamber | Michael Burdett | Motorsport Solutions |
| 7 | R2 | Teretonga Park (Invercargill, Southland) | 7-9 March | | Ben Harford | Ben Harford | NZ Motorsport Trust |
| 7 | R3 | Teretonga Park (Invercargill, Southland) | 7-9 March | | Earl Bamber | Michael Burdett | Motorsport Solutions |
| NC | R1 | Hamilton Street Circuit (Hamilton, Waikato District) | 18-20 April | Earl Bamber | Andrew Waite | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |
| NC | R2 | Hamilton Street Circuit (Hamilton, Waikato District) | 18-20 April | | Earl Bamber | Earl Bamber | International Motorsport |

## Championship standings

| Pos. | Driver | PUK | PUK | PUK | RUA | RUA | RUA | MAN1 | MAN1 | MAN1 | TAU | TAU | TAU | MAN2 | MAN2 | MAN2 | TIM | TIM | TIM | TER | TER | TER | HAM | HAM | Points |
| Pos. | Driver | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | Points |
| 1 | Andy Knight | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1230 |
| 2 | Earl Bamber | 13 | 4 | 12 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1207 |
| 3 | Ben Harford | 3 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Ret | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | Ret | 3 | 1 | Ret | | | 995 |
| 4 | Michael Burdett | 10 | 13 | 5 | 12 | Ret | 4 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 901 |
| 5 | Nic Jordan | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 10 | Ret | 11 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 3 | Ret | 5 | 2 | 835 |
| 6 | Mitch Cunningham | 12 | 3 | 10 | 6 | Ret | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | Ret | 803 |
| 7 | Dominic Storey | 11 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | | | 792 |
| 8 | Christina Orr | 8 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | Ret | 10 | 8 | 8 | 661 |
| 9 | Ken Smith | 5 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 11 | 652 |
| 10 | Hamish Cross | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | Ret | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | DNS | 4 | 9 | Ret | 10 | DNS | 8 | 11 | | | 626 |
| 11 | Nelson Hartley | 7 | 7 | Ret | 9 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 11 | Ret | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | 625 |
| 12 | Ben Crighton | 6 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 12 | Ret | 11 | 8 | 13 | 10 | Ret | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 602 |
| 13 | Sam MacNeill | 4 | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | 10 | 12 | 6 | DNS | 5 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 11 | 4 | Ret | 5 | 581 |
| 14 | Nathan Antunes | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 15 | Ret | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | Ret | 4 | Ret | 5 | 7 | Ret | DNS | Ret | 3 | 564 |
| 15 | Matt Halliday | | | | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | 417 |
| 16 | Daniel Gaunt | | | | 4 | Ret | 7 | 1 | 2 | Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 238 |
| 17 | Mark Munro | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | Ret | 9 | 214 |
| 18 | Michael Pickens | | | | 16 | 12 | 12 | DNS | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | 192 |
| 19 | Kristján Einar | | | | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 14 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | 174 |
| 20 | Daynom Templeman | | | | | | | 8 | 15 | 6 | 12 | Ret | 9 | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Ret | 170 |
| 21 | Matthew Hamilton | | | | 8 | 8 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 127 |
| - | Andrew Waite | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| - | Jason Bargwanna | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | 10 | 0 |
| - | John Whelan | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ret | Ret | 0 |
| Pos. | Driver | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | Points |
| Pos. | Driver | PUK | PUK | PUK | RUA | RUA | RUA | MAN1 | MAN1 | MAN1 | TAU | TAU | TAU | MAN2 | MAN2 | MAN2 | TIM | TIM | TIM | TER | TER | TER | HAM | HAM | | Points |