Over 200 cars will compete across 34 races when Timaru’s Levels Raceway roars to life with the annual ‘Thunder Down Under’ meet this weekend.
This year’s event is headlined by the New Zealand Super Truck Racing Championship and the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship’s opening round. The Pits Media is providing a free live stream from 8.30 am on Saturday and Sunday.
Other categories racing at the meet include the Mazda Racing Series, Mazda Pro8 New Zealand Series, OSCA Super Saloon Series, MX5 Heritage Cup Series, SS Cup, Mini7 and Pre-65s, Mainland Muscle Cars and the 2K Cup.
Friday’s action begins with a series of practice sessions, with the first qualifying sessions starting at 2.10 pm.
Four further qualifying runs begin Saturday’s entertainment before the OSCA Saloons feature in the first race mid-morning.
A busy track schedule sees racing continuing until Sunday evening, with the Super Trucks closing the meet with their traditional ‘Flying Farewell’.
Nine trucks will participate in four races over the weekend, with Dave West leading the way from Ron Salter following the opening round at Manfeild in October.
One of the largest grids in recent New Zealand Formula Ford Championship history sees 22 drivers confirmed on the provisional entry list in the first of four rounds.
The round doubles as the fourth for the South Island Formula Ford Championship, with Seb Manson holding a slender points advantage over Dylan Petch, Will Neale, Blake Knowles and Caleb Byers.
A large North Island contingent will also compete, spear-headed by NIFF Championship leader Dylan Grant, joined by the likes of Zach Blincoe, Blake Dowdall, Mason Potter, Blake Knowles and Will Neale, among others.
Chris White Junior enters Round 2 of the Mazda Racing Series leading the charge in the championship standings but will face a stern test against a larger field that includes five North Island competitors and two exciting youngsters, Arthur Broughan and Mac Templeton, who are making the step up from karting.
The Mazda Pro8 New Zealand Series and MX5 Heritage Cup Series link up on a joint grid for the weekend and will race four times.
Mini 7/ Pre-65, OSCA, SS Cup and Mainland Muscle compete four times, while the Mazda Racing Series and 2K Cup will race three.
Header Image Source: Levels Raceway
