Historic racing is taking centre stage at Hampton Downs this weekend with the NZIGP Legends of Speed event celebrating David Oxton.
The NZIGP Legends of Speed event celebrates Oxton’s illustrious career, which began in the late 1960s when he drove a Daimler SP250 in New Zealand events.
He won two consecutive New Zealand Formula Ford Championships from 1970 to 1972, and debuted in the New Zealand Gold Star Championship and the Tasman Series in 1971. During the 1970s, Oxton won three New Zealand Gold Stars.
Oxton then travelled to Europe and Canada in the 70s, competing in Formula Atlantic, Formula 5000 and the BRDC International Trophy, a non-championship F1 race at Silverstone in 1973.
He won the New Zealand International Formula Pacific Series in 1980-81, and his fourth NZ Gold Star in 1981-82.
Oxton then raced touring cars, combining with the late Peter Brockin a HDT Special Vehicles Holden VC Commodore in 1982, finishing second at Pukekohe in the Benson & Hedges Saloon Car Series.
Those achievements, and more, are being celebrated at with a blockbuster card at Hampton Downs over the weekend, with Touring Car Masters, Heritage Touring Cars, the Pre-65 and Super Mini Challenge, F5000, Historic Muscle and Saloon Cars, NZ Sports Car Racing, Historic Formula Ford, the New Zealand Formula First Championship, the BMW Race Driver Series, and a special Formula Open field, featuring several famed Formula Atlantics from Australia and New Zealand, in action.
Photographer Neville Bailey was on the ground at Hampton Downs, and shared some of his photos with us below.
