Twenty-five cars will line up on the 2021/22 South Island Formula 1600 Championship grid this weekend as the six-round series gets underway for the season. Rookies, regulars, new and refurbished cars will be competing for the prestigious Wigram Cup at their first meeting at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Christchurch.
The competition is expected to be brisk with a number of kartsport youngster moving up to the single seater category coupled with the first time the Series has competed on new Yokohama tyres.
“There is a lot of competition this season,” commented returning 2019/20 champion Jack Noble-Adams, who will debut a brand new Ray GR21. “We have new cars and tyres, plus more experienced drivers on the grid with some well-developed machinery.
“Zac (Christensen) will definitely be at the pointy-end as he has been quick in testing. I expect Dylan (Petch) to be there along with Cameron (Freeman) and then we have some quick rookies such as Louis Sharp. It will be interesting as a lot has changed from last year.”
With a number of new or recently new Ray chassis expected on the grid, the experienced Zac Christensen (Ray GR20) is expected to set the benchmark in early practice on Friday. Dylan Petch, who moved up to a Ray GR20 last season has also stepped up in testing while Cameron Freeman will be competing in last season’s scholarship and Wigram Cup winning Van Diemen Stealth raced by Series and national Formula Ford champion James Penrose.
This season sees for the first time, the use of race radios and a switch from Avon to Yokohama tyres which will also be a factor in car set up early in the season, with none of the field having previously raced on the rubber.
“I like the new tyre,” said Noble-Adams. “It doesn’t quite behave like the Avon. They have a lot of grip right from the get go and may be a bit faster. It’s capable of bringing the mid-field up towards the front of the pack. The tyres are new and what we might find that initially some will be much quicker than the rest of the field.”
Fourteen-year-old kartsport champion Louis Sharp will be one to watch coming into the category competing in a late model Spectrum, with a season of Formula First under his belt. Also moving into the category is fellow Cantabrian Simon Hunter with a wealth of competition kartsport experience. Hunter will be piloting the well-developed Mygale SJ08A of Steve Edwards.
The Historic Class 3 is likely to produce some great racing between 2006 Lady Wigram Trophy winner, Matt Hamilton, who will be piloting the ex-Andy McElrea Van Diemen RF88 and fellow ex Toyota Racing Series driver Marc Doran also in a Van Diemen RF88.
Ex-speedway teenager Jacob Cunniffe (Swift) makes the switch and will join rookies Blake Knowles (VD RF92 scholarship car), Sebastien Manson (ex Callum Crawley Spectrum) and Harry McDonald (VD88).
Returning young drivers Bo Hill, now in the ex-Bailey Paterson Stealth, Thomas Flynn in a Swift SC92 with a newly refreshed engine, will also join regulars Dyson Freeman (VDRF92), Robert Toshach, Simon Spencer-Bower (Stealth), Steve Heffernan and James Dicey.
Qualifying and the first of three races will take place on Saturday with two more on Sunday including the 12-lap Wigram Cup.
2021/22 South Island Formula 1600 Championship Calendar
Rnd 1: 29-31 October 2021, Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch
Rnd 2: 6 November 2021, Timaru International Raceway, Timaru
Rnd 3: 4-5 December 2021, Teretonga Park Raceway, Invercargill
Rnd 4: 20-23 January 2022, Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, Christchurch
Rnd 5: 5 March 2022, Timaru International Raceway, Timaru
Rnd 6: 19-20 March 2022, Teretonga Park Raceway, Invercargill
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