The accompany photo above says it all. Here we have 18 of 23 Formula 1600 single seaters heading to the hairpin bend at the Canterbury Car Club Speed Festival held over the weekend. There’s a mixture of talent, age and experience taking part in a key event on the New Zealand motorsport calendar. It is a result of the hard work many have put into the South Island Formula 1600 Club over a number of years, particularly to boost this important circuit racing category. It is driven by a strong belief in the importance of this category for up and coming young drivers and the race craft and skills that are uniquely learnt from Formula 1600.
It is the opening round of the South Island Formula 1600 Championship which for sometime now has been held on the last weekend of October at the local club meeting held at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park just outside of Christchurch. Twenty-three cars were entered in the round, a similar number that competed last season in the South Island.
Those that intend to compete in the New Zealand Formula 1600 Championship always turn up to this meeting. They have to be there. It is an important ‘shake-down’ to the opening national round in just two weeks time in Timaru, that also doubles as the second South Island series meeting.
No one really knows who will be contending for the all important national title. The intentions are there as are the pre-season jitters with young drivers unsure of who has found extra speed over the winter, are they good enough, is their car reliable enough and are their skills sharp enough.
This season there are at least six young drivers who will be at the sharp end of the racing, vying for both the South Island and national titles.
The back-bone of this category is the high number of returning mature drivers, teams and committee members. Most have spent the winter preparing their car or organising the summer of racing. The focus for drivers’ has been on the car and not necessarily their level of fitness. But it is a love and passion for F1600 that is at the heart of their involvement.
It is this that enables young drivers moving up through the category to capitalise on what Formula 1600 has to offer. A wealth of experience amongst the South Island F1600 Club, a proven calendar of racing that works, and increasing numbers on the grid that gives them plenty of racing experience and action to hone their skills.
This is an important category of circuit racing that is one of a number of key cornerstones of our domestic competition.
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