Dowdall grabs lead of NZ Formula Ford Championship in Timaru

| Photographer Credit: Terry Marshall

Two wins from four races has given Palmerston North Blake Dowdall the initial overall lead of the 2025 Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship after the opening round held at the Thunder Down Under meeting in Timaru. In what will be a very tight championship, Dowdall now has a 24-point lead over Dylan Grant from Auckland with Christchurch’s Will Neale in third ahead of Australian rookie Lincoln Taylor. The event also doubled as the fourth round of the Yokohama South Island Formula Ford Championship.

“Pretty happy with that,” commented Dowdall (main photo). “We can only be happy with the race car we have got at this stage in the championship. Speed on the straight was key to get passed heading into Turn four.”

#28 Will Neale qualified fastest and is third overall – photo Euan Cameron

Will Neale set the pace on Friday afternoon qualifying fastest and picking up the $1,010.10 cash prize from the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy. While the team struggled for speed, three podiums from four races has kept Neale in the hunt just 27-points off the lead.”

“Been a bit of a struggle,” said Neale. “We had pace, obviously putting it on pole. One lap qualifying pace is different to race pace, and we are just struggling in a straight line. The competition is quick so pleased to get some good championship points.”

Auckland’s Dylan Grant drew first blood winning in the rain on Saturday morning from Dylan Petch and Neale. Fourth home was Australian Formula Ford rookie Lincoln Taylor who impressed enough over the weekend to be awarded the Napa Auto Parts Driver of the Day.

#20 Dylan Grant won Race 1 and sits second overall – photo Euan Cameron

Dowdall started to stamp his mark on the series by winning the second race on Saturday afternoon from Neale followed by current national Formula Ford champion, Blake Knowles. Knowles was making a one-off appearance as part of the South Island Formula Ford Championship and proved to be very competitive.

Knowles was quick out of the blocks in the third race leading until the penultimate lap when a coming together with a hard charging Dowdall saw the former off the track ending his weekend and the latter dropping down to third. It was Taylor that benefitted from the incident taking his first Formula Ford race victory ahead of Dowdall, Toby McCormack, Dylan Grant and James Penrose.

“Really happy with the win coming from eighth on the grid,” said Taylor. “Got in a position to make some real gains when the opportunity came along.”

Australian rookie Lincoln Taylor won Race 3 and was awarded the NAPA Auto Parts Driver of the Day – Photo Euan Cameron

The final 12-lap feature race saw a number of lead changes between Dowdall, Neale and Taylor while Grant and 2020/21 national championship, James Penrose battled for a place on the podium.

Taylor had the lead heading into the final lap, but it was Dowdall who got passed to take his second win. Taylor crossed the line in second but a five-second penalty for jumping the start saw him drop to seventh giving second place to Neal followed by Grant, Penrose and Toby McCormack. Following the final race Dylan Petch’s results from Races 2, 3 and 4 were deleted after a technical breach was found in post-race scrutineering.

The championship heads to the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell for the second of four rounds in two weeks’ time (7-9 February 2025 (three races)).  Available for drivers and teams is a $51,000 travel fund from the Tony Quinn Foundation.  At each round there is a $1,010.10 cash cheque available for the fastest qualifier provided by the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy.  NAPA Auto Parts will again offer prizes for Driver of the Day while Yokohama return to the series as the tyre of choice for Formula Ford Racing in NZ.

#98 James Penrose #17 Dylan Petch and #28 Will Neale – Euan Cameron

This summer sees a collaboration between Rodin Cars and MotorSport NZ to create a new pathway to Formula 1 with the NZFF champion and selected Formula Ford drivers invited to an all-expenses-paid, three-day testing and evaluation program with Rodin Cars in New Zealand. From there a driver who exhibits exceptional talent has the possibility to test with Rodin Motorsport in the UK with the possibility of securing a seat in one of Rodin’s F4 teams.

The final two rounds take place in the North Island with three races at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park which includes the Ron Frost Trophy race, 21-23 March and four races at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, which includes the 18-lap Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy race, 4-6 April 2025.

Overall Points after 1/4 rounds
1/ Blake Dowdall 262
2/ Dylan Grant 238
3/ Will Neale 235
4/ Lincoln Taylor 228
5/ James Penrose 212
6/ Toby McCormack 181
7/ Jacob Begg 165
8/ Izaak Fletcher 162
9/ Jacob Cunniffe 153
10/ Ryan Denize 121
11/ Reagan Edwards 96
12/ Campbell Owens 84
13/ Dylan Petch 67

Race Results (Pos, Driver, Chassis, Home)
Race 1 (10-laps)
1/ Dylan Grant, Van Diemen RF03, Auckland
2/ Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93, Rolleston
3/ Will Neale, Van Diemen RF94, Prebbleton
4/ Lincoln Taylor, Mygale SJ08A, Australia
5/ James Penrose, Ray GR20, Canterbury
6/ Blake Knowles, Van Diemen RF05, Prebbleton
7/ Blake Dowdall, Spectrum 015, Palmerston North
8/ Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20, Tai Tapu
9/ Jacob Cunniffe, Mygale SJ12, Geraldine
10/ Jacob Begg, Mygale SJ08A, Winton
11/ Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
12/ Toby McCormack, Spectrum 015, Aucjland
13/ Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015, Auckland
14/ Jack Noble-Adams, Van Diemen RF92, Christchurch
15/ Ryan Denize, Mygale SJ08A, West Eyreton
16/ Dan Kelly Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
17/ Campbell Owens Ray GR21, Carterton
18/ Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92, Dunedin

Race 2 (10 laps)
1/ Blake Dowdall, Spectrum 015, Palmerston North
2/ Will Neale, Van Diemen RF94, Prebbleton
3/ Blake Knowles, Van Diemen RF05, Prebbleton
4/ James Penrose, Ray GR20, Canterbury
5/ Lincoln Taylor, Mygale SJ08A, Australia
6/ Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
7/ Jack Noble-Adams, Van Diemen RF92, Christchurch
8/ Dylan Grant, Van Diemen RF03, Auckland
9/ Jacob Begg, Mygale SJ08A, Winton
10/ Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20, Tai Tapu
11/ Toby McCormack, Spectrum 015, Aucjland
12/ Jacob Cunniffe, Mygale SJ12, Geraldine
13/ Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015, Auckland
14/ Ryan Denize, Mygale SJ08A, West Eyreton
15/ Dan Kelly Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
16/ Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92, Dunedin
17/ Campbell Owens Ray GR21, Carterton
DQ Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93, Rolleston

Race 3 (10 laps)
1/ Lincoln Taylor, Mygale SJ08A, Australia
2/ Blake Dowdall, Spectrum 015, Palmerston North
3/ Toby McCormack, Spectrum 015, Aucjland
4/ Dylan Grant, Van Diemen RF03, Auckland
5/ James Penrose, Ray GR20, Canterbury
6/ Jacob Begg, Mygale SJ08A, Winton
7/ Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
8/ Jack Noble-Adams, Van Diemen RF92, Christchurch
9/ Jacob Cunniffe, Mygale SJ12, Geraldine
10/ Will Neale, Van Diemen RF94, Prebbleton
11/ Dan Kelly Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
12/ Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20, Tai Tapu
13/ Ryan Denize, Mygale SJ08A, West Eyreton
14/ Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92, Dunedin
15/ Campbell Owens Ray GR21, Carterton
DNF Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015, Auckland
DNF Blake Knowles, Van Diemen RF05, Prebbleton
DQ Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93, Rolleston

Race 4 (12-laps)
1/ Blake Dowdall, Spectrum 015, Palmerston North
2/ Will Neale, Van Diemen RF94, Prebbleton
3/ Dylan Grant, Van Diemen RF03, Auckland
4/ James Penrose, Ray GR20, Canterbury
5/ Toby McCormack, Spectrum 015, Aucjland
6/ Jack Noble-Adams, Van Diemen RF92, Christchurch
7/ Lincoln Taylor, Mygale SJ08A, Australia
8/ Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20, Tai Tapu
9/ Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
10/ Jacob Begg, Mygale SJ08A, Winton
11/ Jacob Cunniffe, Mygale SJ12, Geraldine
12/ Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015, Auckland
13/ Ryan Denize, Mygale SJ08A, West Eyreton
14/ Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92, Dunedin
DQ Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93, Rolleston
DNF Dan Kelly Van Diemen RF94, Christchurch
DNF Campbell Owens Ray GR21, Carterton
DNS Blake Knowles, Van Diemen RF05, Prebbleton

Benjamin Carrell is a freelance motorsport writer and currently edits talkmotorsport.co.nz. He writes for a number of Kiwi drivers and motorsport clubs. That's when he's not working in his horticultural day-job or training for the next road or mtb cycle race!

https://talkmotorsport.co.nz

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