The 2023/24 OK Cup begins next month in the North Island, building off the foundations laid from its predecessor, the 2k cup, with a new management team taking the reigns.
Starting ten years ago, Mark Mallard and James Watson built the 2k Cup into one of the North Island’s most recognisable grassroots motorsport competitions. With Mallard and Watson stepping aside, the series has been handed over to five dedicated competitors.
Enter the new era.
John Forrest, Matthew O’Gorman, James Whitlock, Warren Crowther and Brian McIntyre take control of the newly-rebranded OK Cup, looking to build on the successes of their predecessors.
“The plan is to keep the series going pretty much the same way,” a spokesperson told Velocity News on behalf of the new management team. “Mark and James started a wonderful thing, and they may have moved on, but that’s no reason the wonderful thing shouldn’t continue.
“Most of the OK Cup management team have raced for many years in 2kcup. We’re passionate about this type of grassroots racing. It puts safety, sportsmanship and close racing before car performance and winning.
“We want OK Cup to be the first step in anyone’s racing career. A value-for-money series that will help hone your skills through close racing and also a happy place for those of us who decide that the first step is where we want to stay long-term. It’s OK to race slower cars.”
While the plan is to continue to build on the foundations set from the 2k Cup, the new team have confirmed some changes for the upcoming campaign.
“We’ve made a few key changes,” they said. “We no longer have a series cup, so there’s no overall grand prize that everyone wants to win. Instead, we have four classes based on car performance, and everyone competes within their class.
“We will all race in the same grid, so we’ll have the same awesome 2kcup experience of having 35 – 45 cars on track, but the actual competition will be class-based, just like 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“We’ll also be focussing on enforcing the rules. We want our drivers to improve their skills, not improve the car. If we think someone is being naughty, we’ll take steps to find out. Doubt about cheating can sow a really negative seed in the series, and who wants that?
“There are other great production series like IPC that allow tuners to go nuts. But it’s not for OK Cup. It’s OK to turn your nana’s shopping trolley into a race car!”
The team have recently announced a seven-race calendar for the 2023/24 season, beginning with the HRC meeting at Taupo Motorsport Park on September 3.
Three rounds at Hampton Downs follow (September 23, October 28 and November 26) to see out 2023 before the OK Cup returns in 2024 for a round at Manfeild (February 24), a return to Taupo (March 17) and the season finale at Hampton Downs (April 6).
The 2K Cup South Island remains as is, running as a separate entity.
Header Image: Supplied (OK Cup)
