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ClubSport is the broadest banner in NZ motorsport — it covers half a dozen different event formats, most of them cheap, low-drama, and run by clubs almost every weekend of the year.
Autocross runs against the clock on a marked-out grass, gravel or tarseal course. Motorkhana is a precision test around cones at low speed — no danger, all car control. Sprints and hillclimbs run individual cars up a closed road course, sealed or gravel. Drifting competitions are judged on angle and control through a marked section rather than lap time — and in New Zealand they're run under ClubSport regulations too.
MotorSport NZ runs two Gold Star ClubSport national championships each season — the overall ClubSport Championship and the Hillclimb Championship — plus accredited series including D1NZ (drifting) and the NZ Super Lap Series. These are the pointy end; most ClubSport racing happens at club level, on any given Sunday, with a handful of competitors and a relaxed pit area you can walk straight into.
ClubSport is built to be the easiest motorsport entry point in the country — for some formats, easier than you'd think.
Motorkhanas and standard Autocross events run under "ClubSport Basic" — MotorSport NZ requires no competition licence to enter one. Turn up, sign on, and drive your own road car. Some motorkhanas don't even require a helmet.
A warranted, roadworthy daily driver is enough for grassroots ClubSport Basic events — no cage, no modifications. Scrutineers check the basics: secured battery, firm brakes, nothing loose in the cabin or boot.
Step up to "ClubSport Advanced" — gravel sprints, hillclimbs, drifting competitions — and you'll need at least a Temporary M Grade or full M Grade competition licence. That's the point where it's worth reading the Compete Properly section below.
Most ClubSport competitors never need more than an M Grade licence — MotorSport NZ's entry-level national grade, and the quickest of the three to obtain.
Register at MotorSport Online with a passport-style photo — it prints onto your licence card. If you've held a licence or entered an event before, you may already have a record; the MSNZ office can look it up.
Add your MotorSport Club Membership in the Licences tab and select your club. It needs to show as Approved with a current expiry date before your licence application can proceed — find a club through MSNZ's affiliated club directory if you haven't joined one yet.
Submit the MSNZ Competition Licence application — licence type, a medical declaration tailored to that licence, and payment.
Study the Drivers Guide and MSNZ's M Grade Licence Exam study guide, then contact a Licence Examiner near you to sit it. They mark you off in the online system on the spot.
Junior competitors (12–16) can take part under Schedule C, Article 5 of the National Sporting Code — check the eligibility and supervision requirements before entering.
Autocross (advanced-status events), driver training, motorkhanas run at ClubSport Advanced status, rallycross, sprints and trials all fall under this licence.
Requirements scale with the event's status — ClubSport Basic is deliberately light, ClubSport Advanced and National-status events ask for more.
Overalls, socks and closed shoes are required — except for Motorkhanas and Car Trials, which MotorSport NZ exempts even from that. 100% cotton overalls, a helmet, and covered leather or fireproof footwear cover most Basic events; check your event's supplementary regulations, since some clubs ask for more.
Overalls step up to multi-layer, or single-layer worn with cotton or wool underwear. Socks and closed shoes are compulsory, and gloves are required in single-seater and open sports racing cars.
Grassroots ClubSport events are built around road cars — a current WOF is generally enough, checked against Schedule A for the basics: secured battery, sound brakes, nothing loose in the cabin. No cage or modifications needed until you're stepping up toward National-status sprints or hillclimbs.
The national governing body for ClubSport — licensing, the National Sporting Code, and the Gold Star Championships.
Email: admin@motorsport.org.nz
Phone: 04 815 8015 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5pm)
Address: 102A Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu 5032
Sit your M Grade theory exam with a Licence Examiner near you — find one through MSNZ's examiner directory.
The first call for entering a ClubSport Basic event, joining as a member, and finding out what's running near you. MotorSport NZ's club directory lists every affiliated club by region.
MotorSport NZ's grassroots grade — non-contact, usually one-car-at-a-time events like autocross, motorkhana and hillclimbs, designed as affordable entry-level competition.
Yes — most ClubSport events accept standard road cars with basic checks. A helmet is required at speed events; some slow-speed motorkhanas don't even need that.
Typically NZ$50–100 plus club membership — the cheapest competitive motorsport in New Zealand.
A basic ClubSport licence through a MotorSport NZ member club — quick to obtain and far simpler than a race licence. See our licence guide for the grades explained.
A precision driving test around cones at low speed — no speed danger, huge skill gain, and the traditional first-ever event for Kiwi racers of every age.
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