The 2023 Genuine Vehicle Imports (GVI) Formula Open New Zealand season kicked off in style at the HRC Ice Breaker event hosted at Hampton Downs last weekend. Despite some logistical challenges that temporarily affected car transportation and engine installations, there was a turnout of nine cars for this round.
This season the series has been split into three groups racing for individual cups. The first being the David Oxton Cup for Formula Atlantic’s/Pacific’s, the second the Jim Palmer Cup for ex-TRS FT40’s and the third is the Graeme Lawrence Cup for ex-TRS FT50’s.
The day featured one qualifying session and three action-packed races, setting the stage for an exhilarating season ahead.
Qualifying was wet and saw ex Formula Ford racer Hayden Bakkerus put his Tatuus FT50 on pole position with a time of 1:09.895 heading off last season’s Rookie of the Year Kaden Probst by 1.3 seconds. Then came a very impressive performance for this year’s Rookie Toby Mc Cormack in a Tatuus FT40. The two Formula Atlantics competing were struggling with a wet weather set up and saw Kaleb Ngatoa qualify the JR Russell Swift DB4 in sixth and Gary Rush also Swift DB4 mounted struggling in eighth.
Race one in dry conditions saw Ngatoa demonstrate his experience as a professional race driver by using the superior handling of the Formula Atlantic to weave his way through the field into the lead by the end of lap one.
Gary Rush, likewise, got past three cars on his first lap. Once the radials on the ex-TRS FT40/50’s came on (Atlantics run on crossplys) they came back into their own with Probst hunting Ngatoa and lowering the series lap record to an impressive 1:00.622 in the process. They crossed the line with Ngatoa leading Probst by 0.461 of a second with a further 4.78 seconds back to Bakkerus.
Race two was also dry but with Kaden Probst on Pole and Kaleb Ngatoa alongside it was shaping up to be a battle of old technology versus new technology. It didn’t disappoint as the both drivers fought out an exciting battle for the first few laps until the older tyres on the Atlantic started to go away handing the win to the fast teenager from Hamilton East. Probst setting the second fastest lap of the meeting at 1:00.876 and coming home just over four-seconds in front of Ngatoa with Hayden Bakkerus bringing the ex-TRS FT50 home in third.
The final race of the day may as well have been raced with hydroplanes as it was bucketing down but full credit to all the drivers, they all showed up on the grid. The rolling start saw Kaden Probst leap to the front of the pack followed hard by series newcomer Alex Crosbie in another of the FT50’s then Hayden Bakkerus with Kaleb Ngatoa hanging on for dear life in the evil handling Swift DB4 that did not like the wet conditions. He was being chased hard by Toby McCormack in the Simply Green Sponsored Tatuus FT40 who was making life uncomfortable for his more experienced competitor.
Probst was pulling away from the Crosbie and Bakkerus until the second lap when he got caught out by a puddle at turn two and aquaplaned off beaching himself on the outside of turn three. This brought out the safety car for two laps while they recovered the stricken Probst.
At the restart with the safety car back in Pit Lane, all hell broke loose with Bakkerus climbing all over the back of Crosbie, McCormack making life difficult for Ngatoa and Gary Rush, Jeff Harriman and Paul Couper all vying for the following positions. With two laps to go there were two brilliant passes with Bakkerus making a late dive into the Porsche Dipper catching Crosbie out and on the same lap young McCormack took the FT40 around the outside of Kaleb Ngatoa on the sweeper.
Round 1 results
David Oxton Cup
Kaleb Ngatoa 82 Points
Gary Rush 60 Points
Jim Palmer Cup
Toby Mc Cormack 82 Points
Paul Couper 60 Points
Graeme Lawrence Cup
Hayden Bakkerus 68 Points
Kaden Probst 56 Points
Alex Crosbie 53 Points
Geoff Harriman 40 Points
Richard Crabb 13 Points
FONZ Howden Ganley Cup
Kaleb Ngatoa 82 Points
Toby McCormack 82 Points
Hayden Bakkerus 68 Points
Gary Rush 60 Points
Paul Couper 60 Points
Kaden Probst 56 Points
Alex Crosbie 53 Points
Geoff Harriman 40 Points
Richard Crabb 13 Points
Mark your calendars for the upcoming excitement, as the second round of the season is scheduled for the Manawatu Car Clubs 20-22 October Fast at the Circuit Chris Amon Manfield. With three more Formula Atlantics, three FT40’s and another FT50 joining the field, get ready for more high-speed thrills and intense competition!
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