It’s all on the line this weekend in Taupo with four remaining races to determine the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship supported by Ford. Heading into the final fourth round, Marco Manson has a ‘slim’ 51-point lead over Seb Eskandari, with Maxim Kirwan in third, followed by Campbell Owens and Dylan Petch.
In fact, with a maximum of 302-points available across the event, there are ten drivers with a mathematical chance of taking the title at the Taupo Motorsport Park in Taupo.
To Manson’s advantage, he has consistently been the quickest driver across the 11 races held over three rounds this season. He has set the fastest lap in the three qualifying sessions and won seven races.
Eskandari has stood on the podium six times, including two race wins, while Kirwan has stood on the podium seven times with two race victories. Of the three, Eskandari has finished in all 11 races, while the other two have DNF’d (did not finish) 1 race each, losing the chance to score valuable championship points.
“I’m feeling confident heading to Taupo,” commented Kirwan.
“Anything can happen. It’s a fast and smooth track with some great passing opportunities.”
The event also doubles as the fifth and final round of the 2025/26 North Island Formula Ford Series (NIFF), which saw a change in the overall leaderboard at the last round at Hampton Downs. Campbell Owens has a 45-point lead over Jack Groenewald, with William Beck having moved into third and Toby McCormack fourth. Campbell is the in-form driver of the series and sits fourth overall in the national championship.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday morning with two championship points available for the fastest driver, who will also be awarded the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy $1,010.10 cash prize.
Saturday afternoon sees the first of four races, while Sunday features three races, including the prestigious Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy, to complete the season. The key to a successful conclusion on Sunday for each driver will be error-free races. Any mistake is likely to cost valuable championship points.
Rodin Cars is supporting the championship by giving the overall winner of the Championship, plus a wildcard, a three-day free test at their facility at Mt Lyford, with the opportunity for further testing in a Formula 4 car in the UK as part of their Formula Ford to F1 programme.
The championship continues to be supported by Yokohama, the tyre of choice for Formula Ford Racing in NZ. The Tony Quinn Foundation provides a $60,000.00 Travel Fund to be shared between each entrant who competes in all four rounds of the championship. Included in this is the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy Pole Award.
The Foundation will also, for the first time, offer $10,000 in cash to the overall champion.
NZ Formula Ford Championship Overall Points after 3/4 rounds
- Marco Manson 683
- Sebastian Eskandari 632
- Maxim Kirwan 592
- Campbell Owens 576
- Dylan Petch 518
- Mathew Basso 470
- Jacob Begg 459
- Izaak Fletcher 428
- Toby Musico 393
- William Beck 384
- Toby McCormack 351
- Olivia Lorenzen 286
2025/26 North Island Formula Ford Series Overall Points after 4/5 rounds
- Campbell Owens 749
- Jack Groenewald 704
- William Beck 618
- Toby McCormack 614
- Oliver Sentch 561
- Shane Drake 504
- James Collie 351
- Olivia Lorenzen 309
- Maxim Kirwan 269
- Sebastian Eskandari 236
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
