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FAQ's


  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 

bullet Didn't this used to be called the Holden Race Experience...?
bulletDo I have to pre-book to do the 400kw NZV8 Race Drive Experience...?
bulletCan I purchase a gift voucher for someone else...?
bulletCan we do drive programs and/or NZV8 Hot Laps for conference activities etc...?
bulletDo you supply safety equipment...?
bulletWhat about some of the "other" race experience providers...?
bulletDoes it proceed if it is wet...?
bulletWhat else do we receive as part of your 400kw NZV8 Race Drive Experience...?
bulletDo we really get to drive one of your 400kw Holden V8's on the track at speed...?


Q
   
Didn't this used to be called the "Holden Race Experience"...?
A    Yes it did... For our original first 7 years (up until January 2012) our NZV8 Race Drive Experiences were officially branded and traded as "Holden Race Experience"
As and from January 2012, Holden is no longer our principal naming rights recipient and we now officially trade as NZV8 Race Experience.
That having been said... in all respects, in reality, there are no practical changes or differences in our ongoing operation what so ever... as Holden were only ever a "naming rights recipient" and they took absolutely no active role, input or practical support of our NZV8 Race Drive Experience activities at any stage. 
Apart from the change of trading name... absolutely nothing has changed:
-    We still exclusively utilise the same 400kw 5700cc Holden V8 race cars that we have always used...
-    We still exclusively utilise the same experienced professional V8 Race Instructors that we have always used...
-    We still exclusively utilise the same race venues, safety equipment and resources that we have always used...
-    We are still exclusively owned and operated by Advanced Driving Systems Limited, as we always have been...
-    NZV8 Race Experience also honoured any and all valid pre-paid Holden vouchers...

Q    Do I have to pre-book to do the 400kw NZV8 Race Drive Experience...?
A    Yes you do... In order to ensure that the venue, staff and vehicle resources are all in place to professionally conduct our NZV8 Race Experience, it is essential that prior attendance bookings are made and confirmed in advance.
NZV8 Race Experience generally exclusively hires an entire race track venue in order to exclusively undertake this extreme experience with maximum safety and enjoyment.    
(Unlike some cheap would be imitators, who are more interested in getting your money, than providing the professional service)

Any failure to attend at the pre-booked allocated time will subsequently result in the forfeiture of your NZV8 Race Experience thru your non attendance or late arrival.
Please ensure that you read and fully comply with all of our standard operational terms and conditions.   

Q    Can I purchase a gift voucher for someone else...?
A    Yes you can... A very high percentage of our NZV8 Race Drive Experiences are purchased as gifts... 
NZV8 Race Experience is the ultimate gift option that is easy to organise and the recipient is sure to be thrilled and excited by the memorable experience.
Our NZV8 Race Experience vouchers are valid for an entire 12 month period and are redeemable at any of our various numerous pre-organised and confirmed V8 Race Experience event days throughout the year.
(Beware of some "other would be providers" selling vouchers that they then fail to honour or only have a very short and limited opportunity to redeem)
        Purchase it for yourself...
        Purchase it for your spouse or partner... 
        The absolute ultimate Christmas Gift Voucher...
        All chip in to get it for one of your mates birthdays... 
        Workmates chip in as an unforgettable leaving gift... 
        Purchased and used as a sales staff incentive reward...
        Arranged as an incentive reward for your most valued clients... 

Q    Can we do drive programs and/or NZV8 Hot Laps for Conference activities etc...?
A    Yes you can... We can individually tailor and organise practical drive programmes to complement and enhance your company conference or group event.
We also specialise in arranging and conducting truly memorable Corporate Client Drive Day Events.
Dependent upon your company's individual requirements we can arrange everything for you, including supply of additional drive vehicles etc if required.
Visit our Corporate Drive Days page for further information and/or don't hesitate to ring us direct so as we can organise and configure your next "truly memorable" event for you.

Q    Do you supply safety equipment...?
A    Yes we do... NZV8 Race Experience is a fulltime professionally operated organisation that takes all practicable steps to ensure your safety and enjoyment.
We have a full range of safety helmets for our participants to utilise and an extensive selection of racesuit overalls.
Our NZV8 Race Experience drive vehicles are fully equipped with a full MSNZ approved race roll cage, "extra wide" RaceTech race seats, race belt harnesses, modified race suspension, premium Bridgestone performance tyres along with modified Harrop & Wilwood premium brake packages.

Q    What about some of the "other" race experience providers...?
A    Well... It's good that you asked... As with most things in life... All things are not created equal. 

-    There are some would be weekend warrior race drivers who will charge you money to let you take their old clapped out race cars for a spin... 
(Literally) 
-   
Likewise, some of the "others" try to get away with charging you money to drive their "mildly worked road cars" that don't even utilise full protective rollcages or "older model cars with spongy brakes and standard suspension" or struggle to provide you with fitting racesuits & correctly sized safety helmet protective equipment... 

(She'll be right, it always makes that funny noise under brakes... Yeah Right)

   Some "others" market and promote their V8... but then the only cars that they will actually let you drive is their small toy 1600cc sign written road cars or their clapped out old HQ's and painted V6 road cars with standard brakes
(Race Experience... Yeah Right)     (That wasn't what I thought I was paying for...)
   Some "others" promote their Holden & Ford V8 race experience... but then the only cars that you actually drive is their under-powered sign written "look alike" cars that have feedback comments like these on resellers website feedback pages: 
"Pretty lame experience"... The most I would have got up to was 130km/h which isn't what it says in the description"... 
"I expected the track to be longer"... 
(Race Car Experience... Yeah Right)     
-   
Still "others" market and promote their race experience, sell you a voucher, take your money... but then don't ever get around to delivering the service and you find your that vouchers are then worthless as they are not doing it anymore and they won't even return your calls
(That is an experience that I want... Yeah Right)  
-
   
Still "others" market and promote their old VT Commodore by the size of its engine... but then the only track circuit that they will actually let you drive on is the small 1.5km hardly ever used club circuit (where you are unable to even go fast or get beyond 3rd gear at any stage) out the back of the real main Grand Prix race circuit 
(Race Experience... Yeah Right)     (That wasn't what I thought I was paying for...) 
(They have now gone bust and have finally closed down!!!)
  
Still "other cheap would-be imitators" try to undertake "quasi race experience activities" only on circuit test days (so as they can try to get away with making more profit off you by paying less for the track hireage) and you are then forced to try to drive an unfamiliar race car on an unfamiliar race circuit, whilst the race circuit is very congested with masses of other racecars travelling at full speed under and overtaking all around you... 
(That sounds really safe and enjoyable... Yeah Right)    
       
As opposed to the NZV8 Race Experience who have a totally professional policy of generally exclusively hiring race circuits, whenver possible, so as you have the opportunity to go flat out in the utmost safety and enjoyment... 
(Professionalism and safety are vitally important to NZV8 Race Experience and our customers... if not to other operators...)
-   
Still "other cheap operators" only utilise one venue (in order to save their time & money)... and you're subsequently forced to waste your time and your personal expense to travel the entire length of the North Island to their sole venue in order to drive their disappointing clapped out cars 
(It cost me more in time and money to get there and back, than to actually do it...)
(Pity that I couldn't physically take all my family and friends that far to see me do this...)    

   is totally different to all other providers... 

We are New Zealand's premier nationwide professional Holden NZV8 Race Drive Experience providers.
Were not a struggling would be race team trying to take drivers for a ride in their very old car with tired tyres to try to make some money to keep the race team running... 
NZV8 Race Experience is a professionally operated organisation that exclusively provides race drive experiences for Corporates, company's and private individuals.
It is a part of the much larger Advanced Driving Systems and their NZV8 Hot Laps nationwide organisation.
NZV8 Race Experience owns and operates two specifically designed, extensively modified and enhanced 400kw 5700cc & 6000cc Holden V8 Commodore  race cars which are solely dedicated and exclusively utilised as our NZV8 Hot Lap & NZV8 Race Experience vehicles.
(Our vehicles are not mildly worked and sign written look a like road cars or comparatively underpowered clapped out race cars running on old tyres and standard suspension, like some of the others still try to get away with)
Our dedicated 400kw NZV8 Race Experience vehicles are extensively equipped with full MSNZ approved race roll cages, designer modified RaceTech race seats, full race-belt harnesses, modified race suspension,  premium performance racing tyres and modified premium performance braking packages.
NZV8 Race Experience genrally exclusively hires and utilises multiple race venues nationwide throughout New Zealand on numerous various days right throughout the entire year. (Pukekohe, Manfeild)  (Chch by arrangement)
As a professional organisation that is acutely aware and totally committed to ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all our participants and staff... we generally "exclusively" hire the entire race circuit for the day in order to safely, professionally and exclusively undertake our NZV8 Race Drive Experiences.
(We generally don't conduct our NZV8 Race Experiences during circuit test days like other cheap imitators try to always do, so as to save themselves money at your expense and personal safety) 
Only suitably experienced specialist professional drivers who have an extensive previous race winning pedigree and/or who have been specifically approved by Advanced Driving Systems Limited are authorised to be our NZV8 Race Experience instructors.

The NZV8 Race Experience Operations Manager and Instructor, Phil Blythe, is the three time New Zealand National Classic Champion, former two time Pro7 NI Champion and a BNT NZV8 competitor, who is also vastly experienced and was previously specially trained as a Holden Advanced Driving Instructor.
(We only utilise race Champions and specifically trained high-speed performance drivers as our NZV8 Race Experience instructors)
We also specialise in providing expert race tuition to currently competing race drivers.

As a totally professional commercial organisation, NZV8 Race Experience is fully committed to ensuring that our NZV8 race experience activities minimise your risk and maintain your personal safety... whilst maximising your enjoyment and delivering a truly memorable NZV8 Race Drive Experience.
The entire NZV8 Race Experience operation has been specifically audited and pre-approved by a certified Labour Dept O.S.H Inspector & also reviewed by WorkSafe NZ ... so as to maximise the safety of our operational staff and all customers.

Q
   
Does it proceed if it is wet...?
A    Yes it does... Generally speaking, rain will not adversely affect or stop our NZV8 Race Drive Experience sessions... unless in the expert opinion of our NZV8 Race Experience personnel, that the prevailing weather and/or subsequent track conditions have become too extreme and are unsuitable to safely continue at that time.  
In this respect, their expert decision regarding operational safety will be binding, final and absolute.
The safety of all of our participants as well as our professional NZV8 drivers is at all times absolutely paramount.
We take all practical and necessary steps to at all times ensure that the NZV8 Race Experience sessions are conducted safely and professionally. 

Q    What else do we receive as part of your 400kw NZV8 Race Drive Experience...?
A    Apart from the absolute thrill and excitement of actually driving a fully modified performance 400kw V8 Holden race car at speed on a race circuit, all participants will also subsequently receive:
-    A full colour printed presentation certificate of your completed NZV8 Race Experience
-    You can also take as many additional photos and/or video as you wish during your experience
-    Your extended family, whanau and friends are all welcome as spectators
-    A huge smile on your dial and the personal satisfaction from knowing that you have "put yourself into the drivers seat" and have truly "accelerated your life"

Q    Do we really get to drive one of your 400kw Holden V8's on the track at speed...?
A    Yes you do... Provided that you have positively taken onboard the necessary pre-drive briefing information and are able to clearly demonstrate sufficient practical driving abilities, then as part of our NZV8 Race Drive Experience you get to personally pilot one of our fully modified 400kw Holden 5700cc V8 race cars around the track at speed, with one of our specialist expert NZV8 Race Instructors assisting and tutoring you.
Dependant upon the prevailing track conditions and your own driving performance, you will be driving at up to speeds of somewhere between 180km/h to 220km/h.
(Beware of providers that let you drive their flash road cars on a racetrack with absolutely no rollcages, race belts and minimal safety equipment)
Given the large amount of time, effort and money that has gone into creating, maintaining and exclusively operating our 400kw NZV8 Race Experience vehicles and also so as to at all times ensure our staff and participants personal safety, a clearly demonstrated minimum skill level is required both prior to and during the driving of our Holden V8's.
Participants will need to be competent with and demonstrate efficiency in operating a manual transmission.
If at any stage you demonstrate either a lack of physical or mental ability to safety control the race vehicle, or at any time fail to fully comply with any safety operational instruction given to you by any of our NZV8 Race Experience staff, then your race driving experience will immediately be terminated "forthwith". 

         

This exclusive NZV8 Race Experience is professionally provided by Advanced Driving Systems Ltd
and is directly associated with our NZV8 Hot Laps & NZ Advanced Driver Training operations.

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