• Latest
  • Trending

Perfect Penrose makes history in winning the 2020/21 South Island F1600 Championship title

March 29, 2021

Toby McCormack returns for another season in NZ Formula Ford

September 18, 2025

Zeltwanger looking to maintain blistering winter form

September 17, 2025

Palmer the one to beat heading to Rally Waitomo this weekend

September 17, 2025

TRS and Formula Pacific cars running under exciting new format for 2025/26 season

September 17, 2025

Nick Cassidy to race with Citroën in Formula E while balancing WEC drive with Peugeot

September 17, 2025

Cormac Buchanan battles through tough Misano weekend in Moto3 rookie season

September 16, 2025

Ryan Yardley and David Musial Jr. claim victory in Porsche Endurance Challenge at Road Atlanta

September 15, 2025

Tough weekend at the Bend for Giltrap and Osborne in Porsche Carrera Cup

September 15, 2025

Scott McLaughlin secures historic podium for JMR at Suzuka 1000km

September 15, 2025

Kiwis – Born to Fly 3. First trailer drops and final phases of shooting commence.

September 15, 2025

Kostecki and Hazelwood win The Bend 500 as Payne delivers podium for Kiwis in Enduro Cup opener

September 14, 2025
Thursday, September 18, 2025
VelocityNews
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time updates on Kiwi drivers, events and much more!
Subscribe to New Alerts
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Perfect Penrose makes history in winning the 2020/21 South Island F1600 Championship title

by Velocity News
March 29, 2021
in Formula Ford, New Zealand, News
0

Christchurch’s James Penrose has won the 2020/21 South Island Formula 1600 Championship title, setting a record for the history books at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Christchurch over the weekend. 

Penrose (Van Diemen Stealth) qualified on pole at all six rounds of the series and went on to lead every lap in all of the 18 races that he won over the season.   

“I’m absolutely wrapped,” Penrose said. “It’s something really special, which, going into it I didn’t think it would be possible until heading into the last round this weekend. 

“Then the pressure started to come on, maybe from myself.  It was just all about staying focused on one race at a time and that’s what we did. 

“I couldn’t thank Dad enough for the work that he has put in to keeping the car competitive.” 

Three races made up the last round to decide the overall title and three separate Class titles, with double points on offer for the final feature race of the season. 

In the opening race on Saturday, Penrose, as he has done all season, made a clean getaway from the start line winning ahead of Zac Christensen (Ray GR20) and rookie Jacob Douglas (Van Diemen RF91) with Jack Noble-Adams (Van Diemen Stealth) fourth. 

Sunday morning saw Christensen initially take the lead after Penrose made a poor getaway, only to be reeled in. 

While Penrose controlled the race, Christensen, Noble-Adams and Douglas fought over the remaining podium positions. 

This saw a coming together of the latter two with Douglas spinning after contact with Noble-Adams. 

Douglas, able to control his spin finished in fourth behind Christiansen with Noble-Adams taking second. 

For the final race of the season, Christensen closely tailed Penrose for most of the race but was unable to make a pass and eventually dropped back finishing ahead of Noble-Adams and Douglas who had competed for the final podium position for all 12-laps of the race. 

Second overall was last season’s champion Jack Noble Adams with Zac Christensen third. 

“I had plenty of close battles with Zac over the season,” said Noble-Adams. “He’s certainly got faster. Most of the season it was James (Penrose) getting ahead in the first couple of laps, leaving the rest of us fighting behind him.”

Noble-Adams going toe-to-toe with Douglas

With three Class titles also on the line, Penrose won Class 2 (1990-1999) from Noble-Adams, Ethan Anderson (Van Diemen Stealth) and Cameron Freeman (Van Diemen RF92). 

Christensen won Class 1 (>2000) from Gary Love (Van Diemen RF01), Kim Crocker (Ray GR14) and Ryan Low (Ray GR08). 

“It’s been a good season, a lot of learning and developing the new car over the summer,” said Christensen. “We are happy with the setup of the car and certainly got faster over the season with maybe a few more changes to be made.”

In the highly competitive Class 3 (pre-1990) rookie Harry Wilson (Van Diemen RF88) won the title from Noel Atley (Crossle 55F) with Mark Doran (Ray 86F) third and Hayden Cox (Elden Mk8) fourth. 

“It’s been an awesome season and opportunity, so thrilled I have made the most of it,” commented Wilson.  “Noel (Atley) definitely hasn’t made it easy for me, and that’s good as I really had to work for it.” 

Wilson – champion in class 3

It has been one of the most successful seasons of South Island Formula 1600 racing with an average of 26 cars tackling the six-round series. 

This season has also seen nine rookies taking part across the three different classes.  

Christchurch’s Jacob Douglas (Van Diemen RF91) won the Rookie of the Year award with several superb performances after missing the first two rounds. 

Second was Bo Hill (Van Diemen RF92), who consistently finished in the top-ten, ahead of Daniel Brown (Swift SC96/SC94). 

The three also finishing sixth, seventh and eighth overall.  Alex Crosbie (Van Diemen RF92), Thomas Flynn (Swift SC92) and Dylan Petch (Ray RF20) also put in some superb performances, never far from a top five finish. 

While the series has come to a close, many of the South Island Formula 1600 series competitors will now prepare for the Formula Ford Festival at the Mike Pero Motorsport Park, 1 May, with several competing in the NZ Formula Ford Championship final round, as part of the one-day event.

Images: Euan Cameron

Overall Points (Top 15)

  • 1:   James Penrose    1437
  • 2:   Jack Noble-Adams    1105
  • 3:  Zac Christensen    1027
  • 4:   Ethan Anderson    756
  • 5:   Cameron Freeman,    729
  • 6:   Jacob Douglas *    680
  • 7:   Bo Hill*    652
  • 8:   Daniel Brown*    583
  • 9:   Robert Toshach    531
  • 10:   Shane Drake    519
  • 11:  Alex Crosbie*    519
  • 12:   Simon Spencer-Bower    511
  • 13:   Thomas Flynn*    493
  • 14:  Kim Crocker    448
  • 15:   Noel Atley    373
  • * denotes rookie

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

error:
No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.