Sunday 4 October marks a very special day for Formula Ford in New Zealand. Known as Formula C for its first year, six drivers took to the South Auckland track of Pukekohe exactly 50 years ago.
David Oxton came out on top for the first Feature race in his Elfin 600 ‘Superford’, followed across the line by Peter Huges in the Lotus 41C, and Peter Mahoney, in a Brabham FC.
This Sunday, exactly 50 years, or 18,250 days, following the first Formula C race, a grid of 25 Formula Fords are set to celebrate the occasion. Headlined by young guns such as Matthew McCutcheon, Matthew Payne and Tom Alexander, the grid incorporates everything that has made Formula Ford Successful over the past half-century.
A strong Historic Formula Ford contingent of 13 cars joins the more modern machinery of North Island Formula Ford, old chassis names such as Lola, Trident, Lotus and Van Diemen joining the new cars such as the Spectrums, Ray’s and Stealth’s Billy Frazer, reigning NZ Formula Ford Champion and NIFF Runner-up, is returning for the occasion, driving Phil Foulkes’ 1985 Van Diemen. Regular NIFF Campaigners in Cameron Tanner, Alex Hawley and Blair Brownlee also join the field.
The success of Formula First has provided 4 new drivers with the skills they need to step up into Formula Ford for 2020. Kyan Davie, Matthew McCutcheon, Flynn Mullany and Bree Morriss have all taken the step into modern Formula Ford, While go-karting gun Matthew ayne is also looking quick in a Spectrum 015.
Race day will consist of Qualifying and three races, with prize money for the final feature race of 12 laps further signifying Formula Fords growth in the North Island over the last few years.
The remaining dates for NIFF are as follows:November 28th Hampton DownsMarch 14th (TBC) PukekoheMarch 20/21st Hampton Downs (HRC Legends of Speed Meeting) April 11 Hampton Downs”
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