PremiAir Racing team principal Roland Dane.
Dane will lend his expertise across the ditch, joining the GT New Zealand Championship.
The championship is a multi-class category for GT4 cars and contemporary Porsche Cup cars.
“I very much enjoy GT and have been a big advocate of the GT4 category in particular,” said Dane.
“So I relish the opportunity to contribute to the NZ scene and help Josie (Spillane) to develop the series.
“I’ve been in the sport as both a driver and as an entrant for over 50 years.
“I’d like to think that I’ve developed a perspective that will help to guide everyone and work with the objective of having a safe and competitive season for one and all.”
Dane is one of three new appointments ahead of the 2026/27 NextGen New Zealand Championships season.
Phil Shaw has been appointed GT New Zealand Championship category manager. He joins the fold from Supercars where he served as general manager of events for 14 years.
Nathan Pilcher joins as Porsche Endurance Trophy coordinator for the GT New Zealand Championship.
The championship changed hands in the off-season, with NextGen New Zealand Championships promoter Tony Quinn taking the reins from Grant Smith.
NextGen New Zealand Championships and GT New Zealand Championship chief executive Josie Spillane hailed the appointments ahead of the 2026/27 season.
“We’re incredibly excited about the team we’ve put together for our first season with Summerset GT New Zealand, and having Phil, Roland and Nathan come on board is a loud and proud statement of what we’re trying to achieve with the championship,” said Spillane.
“They each bring something different, including their personalities, but between them there is an incredible amount of knowledge, professionalism and experience across so many areas of the sport.
“To be able to bring that together within GT New Zealand and the Repco NextGen NZ Championship is something we’re really thrilled about, and I know they’ll each add a huge amount to helping us raise the bar even higher for New Zealand Motorsport.”
The 2026/27 GT New Zealand Championship begins at Taupo on November 13-15. The season begins in the new year at Teretonga on January 22-24.
The season hits halfway at Highlands on January 29-31 as part of the New Zealand Grand Prix undercard.
The penultimate round will be held at Hampton Downs on February 26-28 while the date for the Taupo finale is still to be confirmed as part of the Supercars meeting.