Seventy thousand dollars is on the line for three talented teenagers who will meet at Hampton Downs on Tuesday, November 5, for the annual Tony Quinn Foundation Shootout.
Sebastian Manson, 16, Zack Scoular, 16, and Alex Crosbie, 17, have been confirmed as the three finalists for the 2024 edition of the prestigious award.
The $70,000 prize will support the winner’s campaign in the upcoming 2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
“We were presented with some very strong applications for the 2024 Shootout,” said Tony Quinn Foundation Trustee Daniel Gaunt.
“It’s fantastic to see how much talent is coming through the ranks in New Zealand, but it made picking three finalists no easy task.
“Sebastian, Zack and Alex are three very accomplished drivers, each paving their way in motorsport. All three have competed internationally over the past 12 months and featured at the pointy end of their respective fields.
“We can’t wait to have all three together on Thursday and determine who will receive the $70,000 prize towards their 2025 CTFROC campaign.”
Crosbie is a returnee to the Shootout following a successful 2024 CTFROC season, where he finished fifth overall as the second-best rookie. He took one podium in his debut round at Taupo International Motorsport Park and finished 11 of the 15 races in the top ten.
Crosbie competed in the F4 US Championship in 2024, winning once and podiuming five more times. He wraps up his season in the United States this weekend and will dash back to Auckland afterwards, arriving in the country on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Shootout.
“Getting another shot at the Tony Quinn Foundation Shootout is a big honour,” he said. “Having the chance to be involved with some high-profile Motorsport faces in New Zealand and using what I learnt last year to my advantage is also another great chance to learn more and improve my career. “
Manson, too, competed in the 2024 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship, getting behind the wheel for the final two rounds. He was immediately competitive against the full-time competitors, taking a best result of eighth in Race 2 of the final round at Highlands.
Since then, Manson has applied his trade in Japan, finishing runner-up in the Formula Regional Japanese Championship with six podiums. He was also a standout performer in both the North and South Island Endurance Series.
“It’s a huge honour to receive the call-up,” said Manson. “It’s something I’ve been working towards for the last year. It’s a massive thing for a young driver’s career, especially in New Zealand, to get their career going.”
Scoular is based in the UAE but regularly returns home to New Zealand, where his dad is from. He has experienced seat time in the FT60 at Hampton Downs through tests organised when in the country.
Scoular began his season competing in the highly competitive Formula 4 UAE Championship, where he finished 17th out of 40 drivers as the fifth-best rookie, with five top tens and a best result of fifth. He then spent the European summer racing in the British Formula 4 Championship, finishing 15th, with a season highlight of finishing on the podium at Brands Hatch.
“It’s huge to be given the opportunity to compete in this shootout,” he said. “It’s a pretty big thing for me. If I do end up winning and receiving the support from the Tony Quinn Foundation it’d help me a lot through my career and what I want to do in the future. It’s been really good for me to get this opportunity.
“Racing in a country where I’m from, it’ll be an honour to be able to do.”
Previous winners of the Tony Quinn Foundation Shootout, Liam Sceats and Callum Hedge, have enjoyed successful seasons in the United States and were involved in recent Indy NXT tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Header Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing NZ
