Manson takes control of NZ Formula Ford Championship in Timaru

Auckland’s Marco Manson has leapt up the leaderboard from fifth to first to take control of the 2026 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship supported by Ford after the second round was held at the Timaru International Raceway over the weekend.

The annual Thunder Down Under meeting, run by the South Canterbury Car Club, has seen some classic wheel-to-wheel racing and a shake-up of the leaderboard, with several drivers having contrasting weekends compared with a week ago at the wet opening round in Invercargill.

“Really good and pretty happy,” said Manson.

“I think after last weekend, after driving off the track, I’ve got better at being calmer in the car, which has to be good for championship points.”

Manson was awarded the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy $1,010.10 cheque for fastest qualifier before going on to take three race wins and a second placing. Second for the weekend and now moving up from eighth to third overall is Maxim Kirwan, who proved to be more than a match for Manson and a title contender.

“It’s been ok, it’s been solid,” said Kirwan.

“Pretty happy overall, better than last weekend. The team has been putting in a good effort. I’ve been putting in a good effort, and we have worked quite well to get some good results this weekend.”

Dropping down to second overall was Australian rookie Seb Eskandari-Marandi, who placed third, two fourths and an eight over the round.

“The weekend has been a bit up and down,” commented Seb Eskandari-Marandi.

“We didn’t qualify too well, but some good results. Struggled a little bit initially. The points are always good.”

Fifteen cars took to the track, which also doubled as the penultimate round for the South Island Formula Ford Championship.

Campbell Owens continued to collect points and holds onto fourth place ahead of Dylan Petch. A mechanical dnf in Race 3 has not helped his points haul, dropping him from second to fifth.  

Coming off a stellar home round, Southland’s Jacob Begg continued to collect points in Timaru but not quite as many, dropping from third to seventh.

Australian Michael Basso picked up his first NZZFF podium and moved up one place to sixth. Despite a DNF in Race 1, Nigel Barclay Racing Projects teammate Toby Musico also earned a podium finish in the final race and has moved up to tenth overall.

William Beck has held on to ninth ahead of Olivia Lorenzen, while after a horror opening round, Toby McCormack has points on the board.

The final two rounds take place in the North Island, with four races at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (including the Ron Frost Trophy, 14-15 March) and four races at Taupo International Raceway (including the Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy, 27-29 March 2026).

Rodin Cars is supporting the championship by giving the overall winner of the Championship, plus a wildcard, a three-day free test at their facility at Mt Lyford, with the opportunity for further testing in a Formula 4 car in the UK as part of their Formula Ford to F1 programme.

The championship continues to be supported by Yokohama, the tyre of choice for Formula Ford Racing in NZ.  The Tony Quinn Foundation provides a $60,000.00 Travel Fund to be shared between each entrant who competes in all four rounds of the championship. Included in this is the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy Pole Award.

The Foundation will also, for the first time, offer $10,000 in cash to the overall champion.

NAPA NZ Formula Ford Championship Points after 2/4 rounds:

1. Marco Manson 456
2. Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi 400
3. Maxim Kirwan 390
4. Campbell Owens 358
5. Dylan Petch 331
6. Mathew Basso 323
7. Jacob Begg 319
8. Izaak Fletcher 308
9. William Beck 246
10. Toby Musico 198
11. Olivia Lorenzen 163
12. Toby McCormack 160

Race Results – Race 1 (10 laps)

1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015,
2. Maxim Kirwan, Spectrum 015,
3. Seb Eskandari-Marandi, Mygale SJ08A,
4. Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93,
5. Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94
6. Campbell Owens, Spectrum 015,
7. Toby McCormack, Spectrum 010,
8. Jacob Begg, Ray GR21,
9. Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92
10. William Beck, Spectrum 010b,
11. Mathew Basso, Mygale SJ08A,
12. Dyson Freeman
13. Olivia Lorenzen, Van Diemen RF01,
14. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20,
15. DNF Toby Musico, Mygale SJ08A, Gold Coast

Race 2 (10 laps)

1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015,
2. Maxim Kirwan, Spectrum 015,
3. Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94
4. Seb Eskandari-Marandi, Mygale SJ08A,
5. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20,
6. Toby Musico, Mygale SJ08A, Gold Coast,
7. Mathew Basso, Mygale SJ08A,
8. Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93,
9. Campbell Owens, Spectrum 015,
10. Toby McCormack, Spectrum 010,
11. Jacob Begg, Ray GR21,
12. Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92
13. William Beck, Spectrum 010b,
14. Olivia Lorenzen, Van Diemen RF01,
15. DNS Dyson Freeman

Race 3 (12 laps)

1. Maxim Kirwan, Spectrum 015,
2. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015,
3. Mathew Basso, Mygale SJ08A,
4. Campbell Owens, Spectrum 015,
5. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20,
6. Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94
7. Toby Musico, Mygale SJ08A, Gold Coast,
8. Seb Eskandari-Marandi, Mygale SJ08A,
9. Jacob Begg, Ray GR21,
10. William Beck, Spectrum 010b,
11. Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92
12. Toby McCormack, Spectrum 010,
13. Dyson Freeman
14. DNF Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93,
15. DNF Olivia Lorenzen, Van Diemen RF01,

Race 4 (12 laps)

1. Marco Manson, Spectrum 015,
2. Maxim Kirwan, Spectrum 015,
3. Toby Musico, Mygale SJ08A, Gold Coast,
4. Seb Eskandari-Marandi, Mygale SJ08A,
5. Mathew Basso, Mygale SJ08A,
6. Dylan Petch, Van Diemen RF93,
7. Campbell Owens, Spectrum 015,
8. Toby McCormack, Spectrum 010,
9. Jacob Begg, Ray GR21,
10. Izaak Fletcher, Ray GR20,
11. Jake Bryant, Van Diemen RF94
12. Cameron Freeman, Van Diemen RF92
13. William Beck, Spectrum 010b,
14. DNF Dyson Freeman
15. DNS Olivia Lorenzen, Van Diemen RF01,

Header Image: Great South Photography