Southland’s Alex Crosbie heads into the penultimate round of the 2023 NAPA Auto Parts NZ Formula Ford Championship with a healthy 99-point lead and home-circuit advantage this weekend at Teretonga Park in Invercargill. Crosbie proved unbeatable at the second of four championship rounds at Taupo and the chasing pack of Dylan Grant, Sebastian Manson and Daniel Brown will have their work cut out at the four-race meeting.
While Grant and Crosbie duelled for race wins at the opening round at Hampton Downs at the NZ Grand Prix meeting in February, it was Manson who battled with Crosbie at the Taupo International Motorsport Park, setting fastest lap in qualifying and then initially fighting with Crosbie before the latter dominated each race. Manson is the only North Island competitor to have raced at Teretonga, competing in the SIFF round in early December 2022.
Grant did enough to finish on the podium in Taupo, collecting valuable points to stay in the title hunt, as did Daniel Brown. Behind the top four is a real mid-pack battle between Blake Dowdall, Mason Potter, Caleb Byers, Blake Knowles, Jack Noble Adams, William Neale and Dylan Petch. All capable of finishing on the podium.
An important key to the final two rounds which will see eight races and a maximum of 604-points on offer, will be tyres. The majority of competitors have used eight of their 12-tyre allocation in the first two North Island rounds with just Grant and Dowdall using their second set for the final race at Taupo. While Crosbie has used his tyres to their maximum advantage, he and others, face eight more races on just one new set of rubber.
The 2023 Napa Auto Parts NZ Formula Ford Championship
The national championship has two rounds in the North and two in the South Islands and are seen as crucial to the growth in both experience and confidence for young drivers wanting to progress their single-seater career. The Tony Quinn Foundation has provided a travel grant to enable Formula Ford competitors to undertake this essential travel.
Up for grabs is the Hampton Downs NZ Race Academy $1,010.10 cash prize for fastest qualifier as well as the $230 NAPA Auto Parts ‘Driver of the Day prize. Also on offer is a Toyota Formula Regional Oceania FT60 test for the winner of the national title while both North and South Island series winners will get a FT50 test.
The Napa Auto Parts NZ Formula Ford Championship and the Yokohama South Island Formula 1600 Championship are also supported by Yokohama, the Tony Quinn Foundation and NAPA Auto Parts.
Overall Points – 2023 NAPA Auto Parts NZ Formula Ford Championship – after 2 of 4 rounds
1/ Alex Crosbie 550
2/ Dylan Grant 451
3/ Sebastian Manson 443
4/ Daniel Brown 420
5/ Blake Dowdall 345
6/ Mason Potter 331
7/ Caleb Byers 317
8/ Blake Knowles 307
9/ Jack Noble-Adams 307
10/ William Neale 283
11/ Dylan Petch 229
12/ Hayden Bakkerus 184
13/ Keith Miller 200
14/ Leo Scott 45
2023 Napa Auto Parts NZ Formula Ford Championship Calendar
Rnd 1: 3-5 February 2023, Hampton Downs, Waikato, NZ Grand Prix meeting
Rnd 2: 10-12 February 2023, Taupo International Motorsport Park, Taupo
Rnd 3: 18-19 March 2023, Teretonga Park Raceway, Invercargill
Rnd 4: 25/26 March 2023, Ruapuna, Christchurch
Feature image thanks to Photo Euan Cameron
