Eight of New Zealand’s most promising young motorsport talents have descended on Dunedin this week for the start of the 2025 Elite Motorsport Academy of New Zealand.
Hosted at the world-class Otago Academy of Sport from Sunday, 6 July to Saturday, 12 July, the week-long camp marks the beginning of the academy journey for this year’s intake.
Over the course of the week, the athletes will be immersed in a high-performance development environment, participating in sessions led by experts across key areas such as fitness, nutrition, mental skills, media, communications, sponsorship and team building.
Throughout the intensive program, athletes will be pushed mentally and physically in a series of challenges designed to test their determination, adaptability, and ability to apply the skills learned.
At the conclusion of the week, a camp winner will receive the Bruce McLaren Trophy based on overall performance and points accumulated across all activities.
This year’s academy athletes are:
- Blake Dowdall (18, Palmerston North) – New Zealand Formula Ford Champion
- Toby McCormack (17, Auckland) – NZ Formula Ford Runner-Up
- Izaak Fletcher (16, Canterbury) – Formula Ford
- Jack Stokes (23, Rangiora) – Rally
- Jack Groenewald (18, Auckland) – Formula Ford
- Arthur Broughan (16, Blenheim) – GR86
- Corban Sprague (19, Timaru) – TR86
- Cameron Hill (18, Auckland) – GR86
“The Elite MotorSport Academy plays a vital role in developing well-rounded, high-performing athletes who are prepared for the demands of top-level motorsport,” said MotorSport New Zealand President, Deborah Day.
“We’re proud to support these eight talented individuals as they begin this journey, and we look forward to seeing how they grow both on and off the track.”
The Elite MotorSport Academy, established in 2004 and administered by the MotorSport New Zealand Scholarship Trust, has a proud legacy of helping shape New Zealand’s top motorsport competitors. Graduates have gone on to excel on the world stage in various categories, including Formula 1, IndyCar, WEC, NASCAR, Supercars, and more.
Header Image: Supplied
