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Also, just to clarify, the Benson & Hedges series was not the NZ National Championship. It was a 3 race long distance series and from 1984-86 was contested by both Group A and NZ Production cars. The Pukekohe 6-hour race was the jewel in the crown so to speak - the Bathurst of New Zealand touring car racing. The last series was held in 1986. And prior to 1984, the series was for production racers with very limited modifications. For 1987 the Pukekohe race became a 500km stand alone endurance race and there was no Benson & Hedges series. The Pukekohe race in 1987 was held a week after the Wellington round of the World Touring Car Championship.
There was a New Zealand Touring Car Championship - held every year from 1984 to 1991 in support of the Formula Atlantic series.
The Nissan-Sport series was started in 1985 - with two races at Wellington and Pukekohe. This series became the Nissan-Mobil series when Mobil came on board as a joint sponsor from 1986 onward. The series was contested from 1985-1993, with the Nissan-Mobil 500 at the Wellington street circuit taking over from the aforementioned Pukekohe 6-hour race as New Zealand's premier long distance race. The Wellington street race was held twice in 1987 - as part of the Nissan Mobil series in January and as a round of the World Touring Car Championship in October.
There was one other Group A series that was held as a one off in 1986. The Simpson Global series was for Group A cars only and was comprised a series of 3 hour races at Manfield, Baypark and Pukekohe in late November following the completion of that year's Benson & Hedges series.
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