Feeney joins MTEC Motorsport for the three-race weekend, the final round of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
Feeney’s participation adds further star power to an already formidable grid, with the 22-year-old set to face off against the likes of Supercars teammate Will Brown as well as FIA Formula 2 star and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad in the famed race, one of only two national Grand Prix events not on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar.
“When Bruin Beasley (MTEC Team Principal) messaged me, I jumped at it right away,” said the 2024 Supercars Championship runner-up. “I knew Will was doing it, and we were trying to see if there were any opportunities, so as soon as Bruin said, ‘Do you want to do the Grand Prix?’ I said, “How do we make it happen?”
“To be able to do one event, and it’s the Grand Prix, and at Highlands makes it extra special. It’s a huge event for me to race an open-wheeler in the New Zealand Grand Prix; it will be very special.
“For me, this is something very different, but a great opportunity for me to do some laps, test myself against some young talents, and also drive at Highlands. I’ve been lucky enough to drive around there a few times, but actually, to race around there in New Zealand; we have a big fan base in New Zealand, it’s really exciting.”
In 68 previous editions of the New Zealand Grand Prix, winners have gone on to have illustrious careers in motorsport, with current Formula 1 drivers Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, and Liam Lawson amongst the more recent victors, as is NASCAR star and Feeney’s former Supercars teammate Shane van Gisbergen.
Legendary drivers, including Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, John Surtees, Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren, have also won the event.
Although the New Zealand Grand Prix will mark Feeney’s first foray into open-wheel competition since a brief stint in a Formula 4 some seven years ago, he is embracing the opportunity to compete in a completely new discipline.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s something extremely new for me. I’ve driven an open wheeler two or three times, in Formula 4, about seven years ago.
“I watched all the events in Taupo and kept an eye on it last weekend at Hampton Downs. I’ve been chatting to Will a little bit about it, and I’m good mates with Kaleb Ngatoa, who raced in it last year and did really well.
“I’ve had plenty of mates I’ve been talking to throughout this process, just understanding what I’m getting myself into.
“It’s going to be a hard weekend for me, rocking up on the last round, having never driven one before, but that’s also a great opportunity to learn and gain some new experience in something else.”
With Brown and Lindblad already locked in for the event, Feeney’s participation makes for a third Red Bull-backed entry on the grid, setting up a ‘Battle of the Bulls’ showdown between the trio, with at least 14 other drivers from New Zealand and around the world adding to the challenge.
“There’ll be three Red Bull cars on the grid, which is really awesome,” Feeney adds. “Red Bull Australia has been able to help out, along with many of my other partners who have gotten me over, including Game Over in New Zealand. I wouldn’t be able to do it without all the support from everyone.
“Arvid is a super quick young gun who has done a great job, so it will be tough. I met him in Austria a few months ago with Red Bull, so he’ll probably be like, ‘What on earth is this guy doing in an open-wheeler?’ Hopefully, I can lean on him, and he’ll give me a few tips.”
Tickets for the New Zealand Grand Prix are on sale now, with the Bridgestone GR86 Championship, Summerset GT New Zealand Championship, Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, NEXEN TYRES Mazda Racing Series & Pirelli Porsche Series complementing the action.
The action will be streamed live on the Stuff Speedhub for those unable to catch the action in person at Highlands.
Red Bull Ampol Racing driver Broc Feeney has been confirmed as a competitor for the 69th Running of the New Zealand Grand Prix, set to take place at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell from February 7-9, 2025.
Feeney joins MTEC Motorsport for the three-race weekend, the final round of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
Feeney’s participation adds further star power to an already formidable grid, with the 22-year-old set to face off against the likes of Supercars teammate Will Brown as well as FIA Formula 2 star and Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad in the famed race, one of only two national Grand Prix events not on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar.
“When Bruin Beasley (MTEC Team Principal) messaged me, I jumped at it right away,” said the 2024 Supercars Championship runner-up. “I knew Will was doing it, and we were trying to see if there were any opportunities, so as soon as Bruin said, ‘Do you want to do the Grand Prix?’ I said, “How do we make it happen?”
“To be able to do one event, and it’s the Grand Prix, and at Highlands makes it extra special. It’s a huge event for me to race an open-wheeler in the New Zealand Grand Prix; it will be very special.
“For me, this is something very different, but a great opportunity for me to do some laps, test myself against some young talents, and also drive at Highlands. I’ve been lucky enough to drive around there a few times, but actually, to race around there in New Zealand; we have a big fan base in New Zealand, it’s really exciting.”
In 68 previous editions of the New Zealand Grand Prix, winners have gone on to have illustrious careers in motorsport, with current Formula 1 drivers Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, and Liam Lawson amongst the more recent victors, as is NASCAR star and Feeney’s former Supercars teammate Shane van Gisbergen.
Legendary drivers, including Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, John Surtees, Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren, have also won the event.
Although the New Zealand Grand Prix will mark Feeney’s first foray into open-wheel competition since a brief stint in a Formula 4 some seven years ago, he is embracing the opportunity to compete in a completely new discipline.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s something extremely new for me. I’ve driven an open wheeler two or three times, in Formula 4, about seven years ago.
“I watched all the events in Taupo and kept an eye on it last weekend at Hampton Downs. I’ve been chatting to Will a little bit about it, and I’m good mates with Kaleb Ngatoa, who raced in it last year and did really well.
“I’ve had plenty of mates I’ve been talking to throughout this process, just understanding what I’m getting myself into.
“It’s going to be a hard weekend for me, rocking up on the last round, having never driven one before, but that’s also a great opportunity to learn and gain some new experience in something else.”
With Brown and Lindblad already locked in for the event, Feeney’s participation makes for a third Red Bull-backed entry on the grid, setting up a ‘Battle of the Bulls’ showdown between the trio, with at least 14 other drivers from New Zealand and around the world adding to the challenge.
“There’ll be three Red Bull cars on the grid, which is really awesome,” Feeney adds. “Red Bull Australia has been able to help out, along with many of my other partners who have gotten me over, including Game Over in New Zealand. I wouldn’t be able to do it without all the support from everyone.
“Arvid is a super quick young gun who has done a great job, so it will be tough. I met him in Austria a few months ago with Red Bull, so he’ll probably be like, ‘What on earth is this guy doing in an open-wheeler?’ Hopefully, I can lean on him, and he’ll give me a few tips.”
Tickets for the New Zealand Grand Prix are on sale now, with the Bridgestone GR86 Championship, Summerset GT New Zealand Championship, Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, NEXEN TYRES Mazda Racing Series & Pirelli Porsche Series complementing the action.
The action will be streamed live on the Stuff Speedhub for those unable to catch the action in person at Highlands.
Header Image: Red Bull Content Pool
