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Why CMC Markets is backing a young Kiwi motorsport star
Thu, 4th Oct 2018
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Online trading platform CMC markets is sponsoring a young motorsport racing driver who's about to put pedal to the medal in the 2018-19 Toyota 86 Championship season.

That driver is 17-year-old Peter Vodanovich, a year 13 student and Auckland's St Kentigern College.

He started his racing career in mid-2017 and is already a member of the prestigious Elite Motorsport Academy, which is an annual programme exclusive to New Zealand's top rising racing drivers.

According to CMC Markets, the sponsorship is an extension of its commitment to help ambitious young Kiwis reach their goals.

CMC Markets also partners with Variety – The Children's Charity as sponsors of the Gold Heart Scholarship programme.

“Peter is a brilliant example of a young Kiwi who has shown exceptional passion and drive in reaching his ambitions,” comments CMC Markets New Zealand general manager Chris Smith.

“To have achieved so much in such a short period is to be congratulated. We wish Peter all the best for the 2018-19 Championship season, and look forward to being part of his journey.

Vodanovich started his racing career through a PlayStation simulator when he was just 15 years old – something of an unorthodox approach considering many drivers start off with go-kart racing. After winning a number of simulations, Vodanovich graduated to real-life track racing.

That move served him well – in his first year he picked up awards including Scholarship Winner of the Ssang Yong Racing Series, awards at the 2K Cup and the BMW E30 Series Rookie Season.

“Since I began this journey just over a year ago, everything has really been a dream ride,” Vodanovich says.

“I'm incredibly humbled and grateful for CMC Markets' support, and through my successes, I hope I can be an inspiration and show that with determination and passion, anything is possible.

The Toyota 86 Championship will take place between November 2018 and April 2019 through seven separate races.

The Championship helps upcoming race drivers sharpen their skills, and gives them the opportunity to compete on some of New Zealand's leading race circuits and the winner gets a chance to compete in the Australian series in 2019.

CMC Markets is the New Zealand arm of independent financial services provider CMC Markets Group. It offers trading packages and access to more than 10,000 products across CFDs and foreign exchange.

CMC Markets is a Licensed Derivatives Issuer by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). The company's global presence covers Asia, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Europe and Canada.