A truly international field of single-seater racing cars is promising to be an exciting prominent feature of next season’s South Island annual historic and classic race meetings.
As part of the first leg of the Formula Junior Platinum Jubilee World Tour, entries are now expected from the UK, Australia, USA, Europe and, of course, New Zealand.
In a significant departure, instead of the three original events commencing with the Skope meeting in Christchurch, agreement has been reached with Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell to feature these cars as a support category at the prestigious New Zealand Grand Prix event.
This will be their first appearance in New Zealand, and the summer dates have been altered to accommodate this. Next summer, the “Four Stars of the Southern Cross” will provide enthusiasts of these impressive little cars with another opportunity to watch close and exciting racing.
The new dates are:
| Event | Location | Date |
| NZ Grand Prix | Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell | 30th January – 1st February 2026 |
| Skope Classic | Euromarque Motorsport Park, Christchurch | 6th February – 8th February 2026 |
| The Southern Classic | Levels Raceway, Timaru | 13th February – 15th February 2026 |
| Ascot Park Hotel Classic Speedfest | Teretonga Park, Invercargill | 20th – 22nd February 2026 |
For followers of single-seat racing cars, no International formula has been more truly worldwide than Formula Junior. The brainchild of Italian Count Johnny Lurani, the category had a relatively short life, running for five years from 1958 until 1963.
People like Jim Clark, John Surtees, Jochen Rindt, Lorenzo Bandini, Peter Revson and our own Denny Hulme and Howden Ganley, all formed their future careers in Formula Junior.
The cars are mini versions of the then-current Grand Prix cars, powered by production car engines limited to 1.0 or 1.1-litre capacity and with production gearboxes.
Original front-engined cars, mainly from Italy, used Alfa Romeo and Fiat engines, but very quickly, UK manufacturers such as Lotus, Cooper, Brabham, and Lola produced rear-engined chassis utilising either the Ford 105E engine from the Anglia or the BMC A series from the Austin A40 Farinas, and these very quickly became the combination to have.
In 1975, Formula Junior was the first past category to be revived as a historic series worldwide.
The Lurani Trophy was commissioned in 1995 and is the first FIA-recognised championship run by its own organisation, the Formula Junior Historic Racing Association.
As in the days of the Tasman Series of the 1960s, racing over four weekends in New Zealand’s summer sunshine holds excellent appeal for competitors shivering in northern winter, and strong interest is already being shown from previous visitors and new entrants.
Header Image: Supplied
