Auckland’s Marco Manson has made his mark on the 2025/26 South Island Formula Ford Championship (SIFF) at the opening round held at Timaru International Raceway over the weekend.
Manson qualified on pole, taking home the $500 Hamptons Downs NZ Racing Academy cash prize, then won three of the four races and now leads the series from fellow rookie drivers Maxim Kirwan and Zach Tucker.
“I’m pretty happy with that,” said Manson.
“It’s my first time racing at Timaru. It’s a very cool, very fast track.”
It wasn’t all straightforward for Manson (Spectrum 015), with the experienced Dylan Petch (Van Diemen RF93) winning the opening race of the five-round series.
Although Manson first crossed the line, it had been a tight race with Petch right to the end, with the former receiving a post-race five-second penalty for a code of driving conduct infringement.
“It was a rookie mistake,” said Manson.
“It’s all about learning. The competition is really good and I’m learning a lot from racing with Dylan (Petch).”
Manson will have to keep an eye on Petch this season, who is proving to be quick right from the start. The Canterbury-based driver qualified second-fastest, just 0.130 behind Manson.
Despite winning a race and finishing second in the final 12-lapper, he sits fourth overall, just one point behind Tucker, after having to retire from Race 2.
Taking advantage of others’ mistakes was Maxim Kirwan (Mygale SJ08A). The Auckland driver finished three times on the podium, picking up the NAPA Driver of the Day $300 voucher, and sits 38 points behind Manson on the points table.
He has a 24-point advantage over third-placed Zach Tucker (Van Diemen RF05), who twice finished third at the round.
Despite the size of the field, it was quality racing throughout, pointing to a very competitive season ahead.
Also on the podium over the weekend were Reagan Edwards (Spectrum 015) and Izaak Fletcher (Ray GR20), while consistent finishes from Jake Bryant (Van Diemen RF94) see him fifth overall.
Teams and drivers now prepare for the second round in Christchurch with the Wigram Revival meeting 22–23 Nov 2025, hosted by the Canterbury Car Club, celebrating classic and historic racers that would have raced at the original Wigram Aerodrome circuit.
The South Island Formula Ford Club acknowledges the support from Team Hutchinson Ford.
Available throughout the Formula Ford season are funding and support from both the Tony Quinn Foundation and the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy, while Yokohama returns as the tyre of choice for Formula Ford Racing in NZ.
Points after 1/5 rounds:
- 1. Marco Manson 281
- 2. Maxim Kirwan 243
- 3. Zach Tucker 219
- 4. Dylan Petch 196
- 5. Jake Bryant 174
- 6. Cameron Freeman 162
- 7. Izaak Fletcher 161
- 8. Jackson Culver 160
- 9. Reagan Edwards 154
- 10. Jacob Begg 36
Race 1 Results:
- 1. Dylan Petch, Van Dieman RF93
- 2. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20
- 3. Maxim Kirwan, Mygale SJ08A
- 4. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015
- 5. Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015
- 6. Zach Tucker, Van Dieman RF05
- 7. Jake Bryant, Van Dieman RF94
- 8. Cameron Freeman, Van Dieman RF92
- 9. Jacob Begg, Ray GR21
- 10. Jackson Culver, Ray GR20
Race 2 Results:
- 1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015
- 2. Maxim Kirwan, Mygale SJ08A
- 3. Zach Tucker, Van Dieman RF05
- 4. Jake Bryant, Van Dieman RF94
- 5. Jackson Culver, Ray GR20
- 6. Cameron Freeman, Van Dieman RF92
- DNF Dylan Petch, Van Dieman RF93
- DNF Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20
- DNF Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015
- DNS Jacob Begg, Ray GR21
Race 3 Results:
- 1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015
- 2. Maxim Kirwan, Mygale SJ08A
- 3. Zach Tucker, Van Dieman RF05
- 4. Dylan Petch, Van Dieman RF93
- 5. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20
- 6. Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015
- 7. Cameron Freeman, Van Dieman RF92
- 8. Jackson Culver, Ray GR20
- 9. Jake Bryant, Van Dieman RF94
- DNS Jacob Begg, Ray GR21
Race 4 Results:
- 1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015
- 2. Dylan Petch, Van Dieman RF93
- 3. Reagan Edwards, Spectrum 015
- 4. Zach Tucker, Van Dieman RF05
- 5. Maxim Kirwan, Mygale SJ08A
- 6. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20
- 7. Jake Bryant, Van Dieman RF94
- 8. Jackson Culver, Ray GR20
- 9. Cameron Freeman, Van Dieman RF92
- DNS Jacob Begg, Ray GR21
2025/26 Yokohama South Island Formula Ford Championship:
- Round 1: Timaru International Raceway, Timaru, 1–2 Nov 2025
- Round 2: Euromarque Motorsport Park, Christchurch, 22–23 Nov 2025
- Round 3: Teretonga Park, Invercargill, 6–7 Dec 2025
- Round 4: Timaru International Raceway, Timaru, 31 Jan–1 Feb 2026
- Round 5: Euromarque Motorsport Park, Christchurch, 7-8 March 2026
Header Image: Euan Cameron
