About
Giltrap Group Involvement
Since before the Giltrap Group was formed, Sir Colin has been involved in motorsport. Starting in the mid-sixties, Colin could be found behind the wheel of a race car. However, while Colin was a competitive racer, his passion really lay in supporting young New Zealand motoring talent, in the hope that they would make it in the “big time” overseas.
Over the past forty years, Colin has been attributed as the main driver of New Zealand talent, including such household names as: Larry Perkins, Denny Hulme, Danny Sullivan, and more recently, Jim Richards, Earl Bamber, Brendon Hartley, Mitch and Simon Evans, and Scott Dixon.
Similarly, the Giltrap Group founded the iconic New Zealand team competing in the well-known A1GP series, racing Black Beauty all around the world. Between 2005 and 2008, Team New Zealand notched up numerous race wins and even more podiums and gained a reputation as being darkhorse in the star-studded international field. Matt Halliday, Chris van der Drift, Earl Bamber and Johnny Reid all had the opportunity to represent their proud country on the international stage as a result of the New Zealand A1GP team.
Today, the Giltrap Group as whole, particularly its staff and directors, are incredibly passionate about motorsport and cheering on kiwi and franchise teams/drivers on a national and international stage. Our people love the sights, sounds, smells, athleticism, teamwork, engineering and strategy that makes motor racing so unique – we see it as much more than cars repetitively going around a track.
If you visit one of our dealers or offices during a major motor racing event, we’ll surely be watching and cheering on our teams and drivers – we’ll even keep you up to date on our website and across our social media. The key series that we follow and take a keen interest are: Formula 1, GP2, GP3, Le Mans, Porsche Championships, WRC, GT3, IndyCars, V8 Supercars, V8 Supertourers – the list goes on and includes national motorsport.
High Achievers
While we proudly support a number of drivers at different levels, we'd like to give extra credit to those at the top of their game, representing New Zealand and the Giltrap Group on an international stage.
Earl Bamber
Hailing from Whanganui, Earl has been a driver who has demonstrated racing talent since he was a rookie. Progressing through karts and minor single seater series he was ranked sixth as the ‘highest future star in the world’ by an internationally recognised website driverdb.com. Earl was the Champion for Formula BMW Asia in 2006 and won the Imola round of the European Formula Masters series in 2008. He raced in the A1 Grand Prix, GP2 Asia Series and has won the championship titles for the 2013-2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and 2014 Porsche Supercup. Earl then went on to race in the Porsche LMP1 919, winning the 2017 24 hours of Le Mans with fellow Kiwi Brendon Hartley.
Brendon Hartley
The man from Palmerston North who became a Porsche Factory Driver racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1-H Division and has made it to Formula 1, racing for Toro Rosso. Apparently having turned up looking like an ‘aspiring rock star, Brendon has been racing in some way for close to 19 years, starting in kart racing. The big brake came 2003 while he competed in the Formula First New Zealand following his brother, Toyota Racing Series, Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, Formula Renault 2.0 Italia, British Formula 3, Formula 3 Euro Series, Formula Renault 3.5 Series, and then the GP2 Series. Our most recent Kiwi in Formula 1, Brendon Hartley is currently a simulator driver for Scuderia Ferrari and formally raced in Formula 1 for Redbull Team Toro Rosso. He is also a two-time 24 hours of Le Mans Champion. He also currently competes for Toyota in the World Endurance Championships.
Mitch Evans
24 year old Mitch Evans started in karting at the tender age of 3. Managing to win almost all there is to win in karting before turning 11, Mitch moved on to Formula First, and later on to Formula Ford. After competing in Formula Ford in New Zealand and Australia for another year, Mitch moved to Formula 3 in Australia, in a Giltrap Group sponsored car.
As Mitch started to make a name for himself in motor racing circles, he headed back to New Zealand to compete in the Toyota Racing Series - which he won in his rookie year.
He won the GP3 Championship in 2012 and then moved up to GP2 where he initially raced for Arden International, and then RT Russian Time securing a great number of podiums while bearing the Giltrap Group logo proudly.
Mitch is now a factory Jaguar Driver in Formula E where he has shown he has the skill and talent to compete for race wins and championships.
Shane Van Gisbergen
Shane Van Gisbergen was born to race. Raised on the rural fringe of New Zealand's largest city Auckland, Shane spent his formative years racing ATVs on natural terrain Motocross tracks and a Quarter Midget on speedway ovals.
Since then he has been on a fast track to major league Australasian success, winning the New Zealand Formula Ford championship in 2006 and finishing a close second to teammate Daniel Gaunt in the Toyota Racing Series in 2007.
The highly accomplished 29-year-old New Zealander made his debut in the V8 Supercars Championship in 2007 and has since gone on to claim 30 race wins, winning the Championship Title in 2016, his first year with Holden Redbull Racing.
Liam Lawson
Reigning Toyota Racing Series Champion and member of the Red Bull Junior Team. Liam is currently racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship in Europe. In 2017 Liam finished second in the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship after becoming the youngest ever Formula Ford (1600) Championship winner in the world. Liam had a near perfect season, taking 14/15 wins and 5/5 poles in Formula Ford and 5 race wins in Formula 4.
Will Bamber
Will is racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship. He was runner-up in 2017 and was selected for the Porsche Scholarship for his impressive performance in his rookie season in the Championship.
Simon Evans
Simon is a past V8 SuperTourer Champion and raced for Super Black Racing in the V8 Supercars Dunlop Series (recently renamed Super 2) in Australia. He has competed in the New Zealand Endurance Championship in both an Audi R8 and modified SuperTourer. More recently he competed in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series winning the inaugural race and finishing the season in fourth.