The GVI.Kiwi Formula Open New Zealand is set for its final round at the Single Seater Festival in Memory of Martin Lucas this weekend at Taupo International Motorsport Park, Taupo. What a final it will be with sixteen cars on the grid featuring six Formula Atlantics, six FT50 ex TRS cars and four ex TRS FT40’s
In the Formula Atlantic series, Gary Rush already has one hand on the David Oxton Cup. But he will have his work cut out for him with the CTFROC Dorothy Smith Cup winner Kaleb Ngatoa making a return to FONZ in the ex Dean Hall/Craig Baird 1989 &91 NZIGP winning Swift DB4.
Adrian Rivers who impressed at Hampton Downs last month in the Ex POPE Racing Swift DB4 taking out a win in the fifteen Lap feature race will be one to watch and could well give Ngatoa and Rush something to ponder.
Unfortunately, engine maladies ruined Ken Smiths return to the track at Hampton Downs and he has decided to park it until next season using the winter months to set the car up. However ex Muscle Car racer Rhy Humphries is running the ex-Tony Quinn Reynard Formula Atlantic and is getting quicker each round, another to keep an eye on.
In the Jim Palmer Cup for the FT40’s, young Toby McCormack has got this one in the bag, but in all fairness this class has been light on numbers all season but for the final round this year Toby has got some really stiff competiton with current NZ Formula First Champion Chris Symon hopping into Hayden Bakkerus’ FT40 and Blake Dowdall, fresh from the NZ Formula Ford finale at the Supercars meeting last weekend, coming back to the track in a Ken Smith Motorsport FT40.
So, Toby may have the Jim Palmer Cup in his grasp but Symon and Dowdall are both keen to see what these FT40’s can do. Remember at the Historic GP meeting in February, FT40’s were at the front all weekend as Taupo really suits them, so look for some action in this group.
The Grame Lawrence Cup for the FT50’s is wide open at the moment with only forty-six points separating leader Geoff Harriman, on 264, with Zac Chistensen in second, on 261 and Hayden Bakkerus in his FT50 third on 218.
Hayden is fresh off a highlu placed finish in the Toyota 86’s final round last weekend at the Supercars meeting. Zac is the current FONZ Champion and whilst he is out of the running for the overall FONZ Howden Ganley cup, he will certainly be looking to take out the Graeme Lawrence Cup for FT50’s.
Brody McConkey makes a return to FONZ this time in a Crabb Racing FT50. Brody impressed at the HGP in January driving the Lush Motorsport FT40. Adding some spice to the series Sebastion Manson, the current NZ Formula Ford runner up, joins the series this weekend in the ex-Tom Alexander FT50 and will certainly be looking to make his mark. This will be an exciting finish to the season for these guys.
If you have a love for single seaters and especially wings and slick cars, then Taupo is the place to be this coming weekend. All qualifying and race results will be on the FONZ Facebook and Instagram pages.
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