The series has always enjoyed TV coverage but the move to a fully online product will make it accessible to many more domestic fans and potentially a much wider international audience.

The new broadcasting deal encompasses live coverage of the forthcoming New Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park on January 22nd to the 24th 2021 and the Castrol Toyota Racing Series meeting at Manfeild over the February 12th to the 14th 2021 weekend.

The forthcoming Grand Prix meeting will be the largest and highest profile motorsport event in well over a year and will feature some huge names in Shane van Gisbergen, Greg Murphy, Daniel Gaunt, Chris van der Drift and André Heimgartner, as well as up and coming young Kiwi racers Matthew Payne, Billy Frazer, Josh Bethune and Kaleb Ngatoa in a field of 16 competitors.

“Although it’s a very different looking series this year, the forthcoming Grand Prix is a great way to start,” explained General Manager of Motorsport, Andrew Davis. “With Spark Sport already broadcasting F1, F2 and F3 live and on-demand it is a natural fit to add a top level domestic championship like the Castrol Toyota Racing Series to the portfolio.

“We’ve obviously seen eighteen of our drivers graduate to F1 in racing or testing roles and on the 2021 F1 grid we will see five of them, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Nicolas Latifi and the latest additions Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda, who raced as recently as 2020 in New Zealand. That means 25% of the field are TRS graduates.

“We also have Liam Lawson and Marcus Armstrong in F2 and other drivers rising through the ranks, that’s a trend that will continue and one which the motorsport world is well aware of. TRS is an important series and although it is different this year with the COVID-19 factor, it is and will remain a perfect fit as motorsport broadcasting continues to evolve with new broadcasting and viewing technologies.”

With the TRS series going online, it represents an interesting new part of a relationship between Toyota New Zealand and Spark. The pair have formed a strong partnership around innovation trialling world leading 5G and IoT (Internet of Things) solutions to enhance the customer experience.

“We are excited to extend this relationship even further and can’t wait to start showing these innovations off to our customers as we bring mobility for all,” added Davis. “We will be offering a sneak peak at the Toyota Festival on the 30th of January at Hampton Downs.”

Viewers preferring the traditional free to air model to watch the Grand Prix will also be able to enjoy a highlights package on New Zealand’s TV3’s Sunday CRC Motorsport show.

2021 Castrol Toyota Racing Series

Round 1: Hampton Downs – 22nd to 24th January 2021 66th New Zealand Grand Prix
Round 2: Hampton Downs – 29th to 30th January 2021
Round 3: Manfeild – 12th to 14th February 2021

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The post Spark Sport ‘a perfect fit’ for Castrol TRS appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Slightly Mad Studios and Bandai Namco Entertainment announced to us here at StG that Project CARS 2 is slated for a worldwide release on the 22nd September 2017.

The most anticipated racing game of the year will also be playable at the Bandai Namco Entertainment Booth at E3 with the first public demo featuring multi-class action showcasing the newly optimized handling as well as revamped gamepad controls, this on the heels of the E3 trailer (above) that presents the game’s “sandbox” approach to the overhauled career mode.

Passion for motorsport is embodied in the fan-requested multi-class racing that allows drivers to compete in a field of multiple car classes which replicates the world’s most famous endurance racing championships, past and present. Whether its iconic cars from the golden age of sportscars, modern prototypes, or GT3, all classes of car can now race together in either single or championship mode as Project CARS 2 scores the driver’s position not just overall, but also in-class.

Capturing all the thrills of motorsport means drivers competing in any car, anytime, anywhere, off- and-online, against both in-class competitors and other classes too.

Feel the adrenaline rush as you close-in fast on a GT race car in the coldness of night at Le Mans in your Le Mans Prototype; scan your mirrors on a wet day at the Nürburgring as a Porsche 911 GT3 R monster bursts from the fog and cuts past your Renault Clio as if you were standing still. This is motorsport in Project CARS 2.

Showcasing the open structure of the Project CARS franchise, the E3 Sizzle trailer presents the game’s “sandbox” approach to its career mode that allows drivers an open path to achieving their motorsport dreams. Drivers can begin their motorsport career in grassroots series such as karts and race their way to the very top echelons where many of the world’s most prestigious brands and cars await; or they can choose to begin in any motorsport discipline; or even go straight into one particular type of motorsport, and spend one or multiple seasons in that championship. With 9 motorsport disciplines to choose from, a racing career has never been more rewarding or challenging.

Project CARS 2 delivers an unparalleled racing experience for players of all skill levels. Bleeding-edge visuals, precise car physics, revamped confidence-inspiring gamepad controls combined with advanced and newly refined tire grip and slip physics that provide drivers with optimized control and feel  in all situations, and enhanced, realistic A.I. make Project CARS 2 the most immersive and technically-advanced racing simulation on the planet.

The post Project Cars 2 @ E3 2017! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The latest mile marker on the road to Forza Motorsport 6’s launch has arrived: They’ve gone Gold! In two weeks, Forza Motorsport 6 will be available to play via early access for owners of the Ultimate Edition.

Five days later, Forza 6 will be unleashed to everyone. Before the full game launches, however, fans will have the chance to experience the thrills of Forza Motorsport 6 in the official free demo for the game, which launches on September 1st 2015.

The Forza Motorsport 6 demo will let players experience the most beautiful and comprehensive racing game of this generation, named “Best Racing Game” and “Best Simulation Game” of Gamescom 2015.

The demo features a selection of the 460 Forza vista cars available in the full version, all with working cockpits and full damage. You’ll experience highlights from the game’s 26 world-famous locales, including wet weather and night racing, all at a stunning 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second.

Everyone who plays the Forza Motorsport 6 demo will automatically get the new Ford GT delivered to their garage in Forza Motorsport 6 for no additional cost. In addition, the demo will include additional features that allow fans to get even deeper into the Forza Motorsport 6 experience.

New cars have also been announced led by the awesome power of the 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S, these ten newly announced cars bring the total car count to Forza Motorsport 6 to 460 cars, the largest number of cars ever seen at the launch of a Forza game!

• 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S
• 1979 BMW #6 BMW Motorsport M1 Procar
• 2015 Volvo S60 Polestar
• 2014 Audi #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports R8 LMS ultra
• 2014 BMW #5 Ebay Motors 125i M Sport
• 2014 Chevrolet #3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R
• 2015 Jaguar XKR-S GT
• 1976 Lotus #5 Team Lotus 77
• 1969 Lola #10 Simoniz Special T163
• 2014 Ferrari California T

You can see the Full List of Vehicles HERE

The post Forza Motorsport 6 Has Gone Gold appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This morning, Xbox revealed more cars that will be available to race, collect and customise in Forza Motorsport 6 when it launches on 15th of September, 2015. A full list of cars announced so far is also available to view HERE.

This week, the spotlight is on a couple of vintage race cars that you’ve never seen in a Forza game before. The McLaren M8B Can-Am car represented the best of the best in an incredible era of racing that was dominated by the cars of Bruce McLaren. The M2B Formula One car, which got McLaren started in Formula One, features one of the most raucous sounds coming from the classic open-wheel F1 cars of the era.

1969 McLaren #4 McLaren Cars M8B

The Can-Am series expanded in the late sixties, intending to open up the podium to more competition. However, Bruce McLaren in the # 4 and Denny Hulme in the #5 McLaren M8B had other plans, winning all eleven Can-Am races in 1969. The series became known as “The Bruce and Denny Show” that year, with the McLaren duo winning every race over legendary drivers like Chris Amon, Mario Andretti and Jo Siffert.

The #4 M8B was driven by Bruce McLaren himself, grounded by a high-mounted airfoil and powered by a bulletproof seven-litre V8. Bruce McLaren earned six of the eleven wins that year and the M8B’s finished both first and second in eight of the races. The now-legendary M8B’s became known as the “Orange Elephants,” a fitting name for their dayglow paint and hard-charging nature. The M8B made a mark that racing history will never forget – and now you can experience the pavement-pounding performance of the Orange Elephant for yourself.

1966 McLaren M2B

In the hard and unforgiving world of Formula One, no quarter is given and none taken without monumental will, bolstered by a little luck. The McLaren M2B represents the legendary racer’s first efforts in the highest level of racing. The Robin Herd-designed “Mallite” monocoque car debuted at Monaco in 1966 with an Indy Ford four-cam V8 (reduced from 4.2 to 3.0 litres) in the back.

With its Hillborn fuel injection intake trumpets sticking out like gun turrets and “snake-pit” exhausts trailing out the rear, it had the look and sound of a winner. However, after nine laps, McLaren realized the motor was ill-suited for F1 racing, despite its ability to rattle the windows of Monte Carlo’s residents. Later versions of the car were powered by a Serenissima V8 designed by Count Volpi, taking McLaren to race finishes that earned the team their first F1 Constructors’ points.

The post Race, Collect & Customise in the Forza 6 Garage appeared first on Shane the Gamer.