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: Rally | Written by:

Northern raiders punish the Mainland at Twizel

October 23, 2016
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Albany’s Mike Fraser is the new national offroad racing champion, taking the title in dominant fashion as North Island offroad…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Armstrong back in single seater mode

October 12, 2016
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Christchurch-born race driver Marcus Armstrong returns to ‘wings and slicks’ single seaters this weekend for his second Formula Renault championship…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Armstrong celebrates a challenging single-seater debut

September 19, 2016
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Christchurch-born race driver Marcus Armstrong, 16, has achieved all his goals in his single-seater debut at the daunting Nurburgring in…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Horan hammers his way to northern offroad title

August 30, 2016
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Three northern racers have raided the trophy cabinet at Feilding, taking top points and dominating the points race in the…
Category: Single Seater | Written by:

Support for Kiwi race drivers

August 12, 2016
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The Kiwi Driver Fund is now seeking applications from rising Kiwi race drivers planning to contest the 2017 Toyota Racing…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Nelson’s Badalaj raids Christchurch trophy cabinet

August 7, 2016
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From seventh on the grid to the chequered flag in rain, sleet and even snow, Nelson’s Nevil Basalaj was not…
Category: NZ Circuit | Written by:

Mike Lightfoot returns to master Toyota 86 Championship

August 1, 2016
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From the brutal bellow of a V8 ute to the refined balance of Toyota’s purpose-built TR 86 sports coupe race…
Category: NZ Circuit | Written by:

Reid Harker takes class win in endurance series

July 27, 2016
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Albany race driver Reid Harker has won his class in the North Island Endurance Series, logging valuable race time in…
Category: Rally | Written by:

Local hero wins dramatic Woodhill 100

June 6, 2016
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Mike Fraser had the shortest commute of all to win his first ever championship offroad race on Sunday. The Muriwai…
Category: Rally | Written by:

North-South Offroad Racing Champs clash comes to Nelson

April 5, 2016
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Nelson is the battleground as the fastest southern racers line up for their first chance to grab points in the…