MonkeyMatt

Virtual Driver – Race Driver – Developer

Commentating the GT New Zealand Championship

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It was a bit of a dream come true opportunity. I feel odd saying it, I must be the only one getting so excited about this little series in NZ. But it’s huge in my world. It’s the Gran Turismo National Championship. The peak of commentary opportunities without getting into the unachievable international stuff. It’s exactly the position I hoped to be in after opting out of competing in the finals in 2024.

Watch all the recordings in this playlist on NZ Sim Racing TV.

Having worked with TrackSpot previously George was quick to give me the shoulder tap when he sealed the deal to broadcast the new GT New Zealand Championship. The new series born out of the ashes of the NZ Esports Racing Series, which ran in 2023 and 2024, the series was organised by Hooncorp and the NZ Sim Racing Collective as a national championship recognized by NZ Esports. Backed by Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand there was a huge prize on the line, the winner would get a test day in the full metal Toyota 86 race car at a Hampton Downs Academy training day. For the full 6 week season I was on board as co-commentator alongside George lending my skills to follow the story lines, bring a drivers perspective, and amp up the big moments on track.

I loved every moment.

Off the back of my work with the leaderboards in previous seasons there was requests I get back involved in creating graphics again this season. I was excited to dive back in and produce what I could.

I created the above TrackSpot announcement graphic along with the qualifying graphics below.

With TrackSpot.TV building the broadcast package I worked alongside George to create the graphics package that was a cut above other events.

One awesome new opportunity that came along this season was getting my writing posted by Velocity News.

I’ve been writing my own newsletter, Hectic Motorsport News, for two years now. The newsletter exists to keep kiwis up to speed with all the big sim racing events happening in NZ. I call it cosplaying as a motorsport journalist and I love it. The recognition I’ve gained off that meant when Nathan teed up Velocity News to post about the GT New Zealand Championship I got the shoulder tap to do the writing.

It was a really proud moment to see my article live alongside stories about Lawson and CTFROT.

And not long afterwards I would get article number two posted. My words on a professional motorsport news site read by thousands. So cool.

Disappointing they didn’t give direct credit so I won’t be in a rush to give them more of my work for free.

With Hectic getting involved I took the opportunity to double down and try something new. Through Hectic I supported the series with a weekly prize, the Hectic Moment Award. Each round drivers could submit clips of their hectic race moments with one winner each week collecting a playstation voucher as we played their Hectic Moment on the broadcast.

It was a lot of fun reviewing the Hectic Moment submissions each round, and particularly cool to get a look at div 2 given we only saw div 1 on stream. Congratulations once again to our Hectic Moment Award winners:

  • round 1: Lewis Atkinson double overtake at Dragon Trail Seaside
  • round 2: Troyota & Airbrn side by side for an entire lap of Red Bull Ring
  • round 3: Phreelickz doing nothing more than staying on track and going up 4 spots in the Super Formulas
  • round 4: Matt McEwen finding space for a double overtake down the middle at Daytona
  • round 5: Pukeko working hard around the outside in VR at Bathurst

Playstation vouchers have been sent to all the winners.

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