Off the back of a very successful Historic GP for Formula Atlantics at Taupo, six visiting Australian Formula Atlantics will attend the Legends of Speed meeting celebrating David Oxton at Hampton Downs this weekend.
They will join the CRC, Mountshop, and GVI-supported Formula Open New Zealand grid to resume their battle with the FONZ Formula Atlantics at Taupo. Throw the FONZ ex TRS FT40s and 50s into the mix, and you are looking at a solid grid of 18 cars.
This is shaping up to be a Formula Atlantic version of the All Blacks playing the Wallabies or, more correctly, a revival of the old Tasman Series from days gone by.
Most of the Kiwi Atlantics run the Toyota 4AGE engine, whereas all the Australian cars use the fabulous-sounding Cosworth Ford BDA engine.
Whilst the Atlantics are superb in braking and extremely fast through corners due to their ground effects, at Hampton Downs, they are under threat from the Ex TRS Tatuus FT40s and FT50s.
The FT40 has the higher top speed of the three car types but loses out in the corners due to its lack of aero and ground effects. The FT40s younger sibling, the FT50, has a slight edge on the Atlantics, although still not as good under brakes or cornering. The improved aero over the FT40 and the longer wheelbase bring it much closer to the Atlantics and give it a marginally faster lap time.
Young gun and find of the series is eighteen year old Oliver Sentch, who will be one of the drivers to watch at this event.
Sentch has been competing in Ford Escorts in classic racing for several years, starting in a 1600cc pushrod model before moving to a fully worked BDA version. He has shown great promise.
Recently, he and his dad purchased the ex-Grant Rivers Swift DB4. After only one day of testing, Sentch started the Historic GP midfield on the 25-car grid to end the weekend in the final race of the weekend fourth overall, taking the spot off none other than Greg Murphy on the line.
Kenny Smith will also be in action in his restored Swift DB4 Cosworth BDA-powered Formula Atlantic. This is only its third outing since being fully restored after a 25-year hibernation. However, this time, Smith has competitor and friend James Watson on the spanners and is setting the car up with the specs of his own car as a starting point. Expect to see Smith at the pointy end.
Of the Australians, ones to watch include youngster William Lowing in the ex-John Bowe Lucky Nuts Ralt RT4 and his teammate Peter Lucas in the ex-Ralt Australia Ralt RT4. Both were very quick at the Historic GP and mixing it up with some Swift DB4s.
Another Australian to watch will be Tom Hamlett in the exquisite March 80A. The Australian cars are all pre-1988 cars. After that, Australia adopted the Formula Holden category, whereas New Zealand stuck with the Formula Atlantics until 1992, so the New Zealand cars have better ground effects. However, nobody seems to have explained that to the Australians, who were hugely competitive at Taupo and should also be this weekend.
In addition to the Formula Open New Zealand Grid, the David Oxton celebration meeting will be one of the best classic & Historic meetings of the year with huge fields including Formula 5000, Touring Car Masters, Historic Formula Fords 7 Formula Juniors, Hi Q Formula First, Heritage Touring Cars, HVRA Classic Saloons, Historic Muscle Cars, BMW Enduro, and Pre 65 & Super Mini challenge.
