Sixteen-year-old Toby McCormack was crowned as the GVI.Kiwi Formula Open Series Champion in the final round at Taupo International Motorsport Park over the weekend of April 27-28.
A strong field of Formula Atlantics, FT40s and six Toyota FT50s saw several returning faces, including Toyota 86 racer Hayden Bakkerus.
Other additions to the grid included New Zealand Formula Ford Championship runner-up Sebastian Manson in an FT50, Brody McConkey in Richard Crabb’s #98 FT50, and Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship race winner Kaleb Ngatoa, driving the ex-1989 and 91 winning NZIGP Swift DB4 Formula Atlantic.
Champion-elect McCormack headed a good field of FT40s contesting the Jim Palmer Cup. The field also included three-time Formula First Champion Chris Symon, who went on to win his fourth straight title that weekend at the same meet.
Ngatoa immediately made an impact on his return, claiming the pole over Manson in qualifying with a blistering 1:23.41.
Manson took the lead off the start in Race 1, starting on the inside line and holding the front through Turn 1. Ngatoa quickly returned to the front, where he remained at the chequered flag to be the first competitor of the David Oxton Cup for Formula Atlantics home, with the overall victory.
Manson was second across the line, while McCormack was the first Jim Palmer Cup driver home in fourth overall.
The start of Race 2 was a carbon copy of Race 1, with Manson getting the better entry to Turn 1 and displacing pole sitter Ngatoa. Once again, the Atlantic was back in front before the end of Lap 1.
While they were scrapping, McConkey got his FT50 past McCormack’s FT40 and was followed by Zac Christensen.
Ngatoa was the first home, ahead of Manson, who did well to keep the Formula Atlantic in his sights. McCormack strengthened his grip on the Jim Palmer Cup as the first FT40 in fifth overall, behind third-placed McConkey and Christensen.
Ngatoa finally got the lead off the line in the finale to lead into Turn 1 ahead of Manson. Hartley got off to a blinder and jumped to fourth amidst a fierce battle.
This time, it was Manson who took the lead off his rival, hitting the front after the 4AGE Toyota in the back Ngatoa’sa’s Swift DB4 coughed and spluttered going through Turn 4. Manson needed no second invitation and was in the lead in a flash.
As Ngatoa slowed, the battle behind for the remaining podium places erupted, and the Marton-based driver was forced to hit the brakes to allow them through.
Hartley was caught out avoiding the melee and dropped several places.
The remainder of the race was a split between Ngatoa trying to get back to the front but being foiled by a misbehaving engine. A great battle was also on further down the field between Paul Couper (FT40) and Fraser Windleburn’s Swift DB4.
Manson was the first Graeme Lawrence Cup competitor home with the overall victory from Bakkerus, with Ngatoa recovering for third, the first of the David Oxton Cup drivers.
McCormack was sixth but the first in the Jim Palmer Cup.
The fifth season of Formula Open New Zealand concluded with a deserving McCormack winning not only the Jim Palmer Cup for TRS FT40 cars but also the overall trophy, the prestigious Howden Ganley Cup named after New Zealand’s works BRM F1 driver. In doing so, he becomes the youngest-ever winner of the series.
For the fourth consecutive year, an FT40 has won the FONZ series outright.
Other winners were Christensen in the Graeme Lawrence Cup by a slender 10 points from Geoff Harriman.
Gary Rush took out the David Oxton Cup for Formula Atlantics and the Chris Watson Cup for drivers over 45.
