Marlborough’s Arthur Broughan produced a standout debut performance at Ruapuna Raceway over the weekend winning the Rodin Cars Formula Ford Challenge with a race win and three podium placings.
“Obviously super stoked to win on debut, can’t have asked for much better of a first time in Formula Ford,” said Broughan
Competing for Nigel Barclay and Co Racing Projects in car #2, Broughan entered the event directly off the back of a GR86 campaign and had only one practice session on Friday to adapt to the Formula Ford machinery.
“The Formula Ford is completely different to the GR86, so I knew I had to work hard throughout practice and qualifying to tune my driving style to the car,” he explained.
Despite the limited preparation, Broughan immediately showed strong pace, qualifying third and placing himself in contention for the weekend ahead.
The debutant’s weekend began with a composed drive to second in Race 1, before crossing the line first in Race 2 after a strong performance in wheel-to-wheel racing. A post-race 10-second penalty, however, saw him classified third.
Broughan responded in emphatic fashion in Race 3, claiming his first Formula Ford victory with a controlled and confident drive. He rounded out the weekend with another consistent podium in Race 4, finishing third to complete a highly impressive debut.
Across the weekend, Broughan was involved in multiple close and high-intensity battles with some of the category’s leading competitors, including Marco Manson, Maxim Kirwin, and Sebastian Eskandari.
A highlight of the weekend included a bold double overtake around the outside of Turn 3—commonly known as “Pothole”—underscoring Broughan’s confidence and race craft in his first outing in the category.
Reflecting on the future, he remains open about his next steps. “I’m not sure what’s next for me, hopefully something across the ditch in Australia, but I just need to find the budget.”
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