A 17-strong field will be present as the 2022/23 Yokohama South Island Formula 1600 campaign begins this weekend at Ruapuna, New Zealand Formula Ford champion Alex Crosbie and current South Island F1600 champion Zac Christensen among the returning competitors on the entry list.
The event, run as apart of the renowned Wigram Revival festival at Mike Pero Motorsport Park, will feature a qualifying session and three races over Saturday and Sunday. Race 3 will see the field compete for the Wigram Cup.
Defending Wigram Cup champion Matthew Hamilton will compete at the event in a Van Diemen Stealth, upgrading from the Van Diemen RF88 he won in last year.
With close racing on the cards, picking a favourite becomes a difficult task with a number of serious contenders in the field. This includes the likes of Crosbie, Christensen and Hamilton as well as returning competitors Dylan Petch, Daniel Brown, Ryan Low and Blake Knowles.
Five new entries are on the grid for their full season debuts, including Jake Bryant, who competed in the final three rounds of the 2021/22 campaign.
Will Neale, Dan Kelly and Caleb Byers will look to shake up the field in their debuts, as will Rachael Beck, the mother of Crosbie, competing in his former Van Diemen RF92.
Saturday’s track-time includes a 15 minute qualifying session, at midday, and a 10-lap race, at 4.20pm.
Sunday begins with a 10-lap race at 10.20am and is followed by the 12-lap Wigram Cup at 2.40pm.
It’s a busy start to the year for the field, who head to Levels Raceway in Timaru for a one-day event just next weekend.
This is followed by a run at Teretonga on December 3-4, before events at Timaru, Teretonga and Ruapuna next year to round out the season.
Header Image: South Island Formula Ford
