Author Profile

Mark Baker has been working in automotive PR and communications for more than two decades. For much longer than that he has been a motorsport journalist, photographer and competitor, witness to most of the most exciting and significant motorsport trends and events of the mid-late 20th Century. His earliest memories of motorsport were trips to races at Ohakea in the early 1960s, and later of annual summer pilgrimages to watch Shellsport racers and Mini 7s at Bay Park and winter sorties into forests around Kawerau and Rotorua to see the likes of Russell Brookes, Ari Vatanen and Mike Marshall ply their trade in group 4 Escorts. Together with Murray Taylor and TV producer/director Dave Hedge he has been responsible for helping to build New Zealand’s unique Toyota Racing Series into a globally recognized event brand under category managers Barrie and Louise Thomlinson. Now working for a variety of automotive and mainstream commercial clients, Mark has a unique perspective on recent motor racing history and the future career paths of our best and brightest young racers.

Latest Posts:
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Armstrong dominates two European Formula 4 championships

September 19, 2017
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Christchurch’s Marcus Armstrong has become the first driver to lead both the German and Italian Formula 4 Championships. The narrowest…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Leitch hangs on in tough, bizarre Formula 4 USA round

September 18, 2017
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Three top New Zealand race drivers converged on the spectacular Circuit of the Americas in Texas over the weekend, but…
Category: International | Written by:

Jack Milligan is heading to Bathurst

September 12, 2017
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Every Kiwi racing driver’s dream will become reality for Jack Milligan when he races a Toyota 86 sports coupe at…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Thomasen defeats 1000-strong field at 2017 Polaris NZ 1000

September 11, 2017
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Extreme weather forces early finish to epic race Competing in atrocious weather that eventually forced an early halt to racing,…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Record entry: Polaris NZ 1000 cracks the magic 100

September 3, 2017
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On Saturday September 9 a total of 100 race cars, four wheel drives, ‘side by side’ UTVs and utilities will…
Category: NZ Circuit | Written by:

Fifteen-year-old wins CareVets Scholarship for coming Toyota 86 Championship

August 9, 2017
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Pukekohe student Liam Lawson will be the CareVets Racing Team’s scholarship driver in the coming 2017-2018 Toyota 86 Championship. “It’s…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Christchurch racers to the fore in last chance points drive

August 4, 2017
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Christchurch off road drivers Jacob Brownlees and Daniel Powell go into a rapidfire round of racing this weekend at West…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Leitch happy with performance in Formula 4 at Mosport

July 10, 2017
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Brendon Leitch is wrapping up a successful race weekend at the Mosport circuit in Ontario, Canada, with points on the…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Determined Leitch heads for third round of US Formula 4

July 5, 2017
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After a tough initiation in the FIA Formula 4 United States Championship, New Zealand race driver Brendon Leitch heads for…
Category: NZ Circuit | Written by:

CareVets scholarship offers racers a fast track into Toyota 86 Championship

June 29, 2017
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Rising New Zealand race drivers will once more have a chance to fast-track their way to a competitive drive with…