Feilding’s Kevin Ingram claimed victory in the final race of the weekend at round four of the 2024/2025 F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series, securing the prestigious Bert Hawthorne Cup in the process.
Ingram’s victory at the SKOPE Classic sees him leave the round with an 18-point advantage over Tony Galbraith.
Held at Ruapuna, the Sunday afternoon race unfolded in damp conditions, adding an extra layer of challenge for the historic high-horsepower cars.
Ingram mastered the slippery circuit to take the win, with Michael Collins (McRae GM1) finishing second and Steve Ross (McRae GM1) rounding out the podium in third.
“I’m rapt,” said Ingram. “I’m really, really pleased with the result. I was lucky it rained—otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to win, as I don’t have the fastest car. While I don’t mind the wet, I almost came unstuck once or twice.”
Michael Hey began the weekend in spectacular fashion on Saturday in a McRae GM1, topping the timesheets in qualifying before securing victory in the opening race under the Christchurch summer skies.
Following Hey across the line was teammate and local Collins, who finished 5.526 seconds behind in the #22 STP McRae GM1. Originally entered in the ex-Graeme Lawrence Lola T332, Collins switched back to his usual car after the team determined it would be the better option for the weekend.
Third place went to Ingram (Lola T332), just over two seconds behind Collins.
After the race, Hey was quick to credit his team. “It’s thanks to Mark Collins for all the preparation work on the car, and to Dad as well for the very lucky opportunity to race this car again.
“We got the cars back from Taupō on Tuesday last week. Mark has done an amazing job getting them ready in such a short time—including the Formula Ford I was supposed to be racing as well—just so I could come down from the top of the South Island to drive here this weekend.
“I’ve never had a pole position before, so managing the start and getting a few good laps in was my first focus. As the race went on, the rear tyres started getting a bit slippery, and I could see myself slowing down. I knew I had to keep the pace up without pushing too hard—I just had to maintain my position.”
Hey led the ten-car field into the first turn and controlled the gap while Ingram, running second, came under pressure from Collins.
Ross (McRae GM1) had been expected to challenge after qualifying second, but a gear selection failure on the run to turn one saw him struggle for two laps before retiring to save the car for another day.
Fourth place went to Glenn Richards (Lola T332), while Codie Banks (Talon MR1) rounded out the top five.
In the A category, Tony Roberts (McLaren M10A) initially ran ahead of points leader Frank Karl (McLaren M10B) before a moment of distraction cost him position.
“One minute he was in my mirrors, and the next, he was gone—which worried me,” Roberts explained after an off-track excursion. Karl finished seventh, with Roberts in eighth.
The only non-starter was Bruce Kett (Lola T332), who suffered a mechanical failure in qualifying due to a rear hub issue.
The weather turned on Sunday, the day beginning under cool, cloudy conditions for the start of the eight-lap handicap race.
With the fastest cars expected to reach 280km/h into Turn 1, the field remained well-spaced, allowing the quicker drivers room to work through the pack. Hey, starting last after his Saturday win, faced the biggest challenge but was forced to retire by lap six with broken half-shafts.
At the front, Ross built a healthy lead, while Galbraith won a close battle for second, holding off Ingram who finished third. Richards crossed the line in fourth, while Michael Collins finished fifth.
In the A category, Roberts once again edged out Karl, finishing eighth and ninth respectively.
The wet weather arrived before the Bert Hawthorne Cup race, where Hey started from the front. He was quickly overtaken by Collins on the run to the first turn.
However, by the end of the opening lap, Ingram had eased into the lead, demonstrating his wet-weather prowess as he managed the gap through to the end of the 12-lap race. Hey finished in fourth with the Lola T332 cars of Galbraith and Kett, who were fifth and sixth respectively.
Finishing in seventh overall, Roberts led home Karl in the A category, tightening the points battle. Karl remains the class points leader on 264, but Roberts has closed the gap to just five points on 259.
At the post-race prizegiving, His Worship, the Mayor of Christchurch, Phil Mauger, awarded the Stan Redmond Memorial Trophy to Roberts—his first time receiving the honour—recognised for embodying the spirit of F5000 racing that Redmond was renowned for.
The series now takes a break until mid-March, when the cars return to the North Island for NZIGP Thunder at the Downs, held at Hampton Downs from 14-16 March. This penultimate round will be crucial in shaping the championship battle before the season finale.
Header Image: Euan Cameron
