Entrepreneur and racer Tony Quinn has been confirmed to race in the second round of the Formula Open New Zealand (FONZ) series in support of the Historic GP on January 21 and 22, 2023, at Taupo International Motorsport Park.
Fans will be treated to some amazing racing from the historic and contemporary wings and slicks racing cars dating back from as early as 1989 up to 2018. Seven Formula Atlantic/Pacific cars will face off against six ex-TRS FT50s and two ex-TRS FT40s with the racing expected to be intense right throughout the field.
FONZ welcomes Taupo circuit owner Tony Quinn who will be joining the series for this weekend behind the wheel of his own Reynard 93H Formula Atlantic.
Quinn will be looking to reignite his past battles with his good mate, three-time NZGP winner Kenny Smith, who’s first appearance in FONZ this season will be a welcome sight for all race fans.
Smith will be piloting the ex-Marcus Armstrong Tatuus FT50 and at 81-years-young this year, if anybody thinks he will not be on the pace, rights him off at their own risk. Kenny’s recent testing times at Hampton Downs show he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Series hot shot James Watson will be competing in his 1991 Swift DB4 Formula Atlantic, the car in which he scored the FONZ lap record in at Taupo, meaning he will be the man all the others will be trying to knock off.
Kaleb Ngatoa will be behind the wheel of the ex-Graeme Lawrence owned Swift DB4 Formula Pacific. Ngatoa’s DB4 won the 1989 NZIGP with American Dean Hall driving powered by a Ford BDA. It won it again in 1991 with Craig Baird driving using a Toyota 4AGE.
Ngatoa is now a full time professional racing driver based in Australia and has been racing the S5000 wings and slicks cars. His recent testing times in the Swift at Hampton Downs suggest that Watson will need to bring his ‘A+’ game to keep this hard charging young man at bay.
Not that these two will not have it all their own way as there is a bunch of very fast drivers wanting the top step of the podium. First in the queue is 2009 TRS series runner up Sam Mac Neill. This season Mac Neill is FT50-mounted and will be fighting at the front.
Likewise teammates Fergus Crabb and Joshua Andrews will be right in there. Crabb is from an off road racing background and now into his third season of FONZ, he’s looking fast. Andrews comes from a simulator racing background and one season of Formula Ford has taken to the Crabb Racing owned FT50 like duck to water.
With a field of fifteen cars that all lap under 1min 30 sec, don’t expect processional racing amongst the FONZ cars considering the individual characteristics of these cars will ensure plenty of passing and repassing.
There will be close fought battles throughout the field with Taupo’s long back straight suiting the FT40s whereas the twisty sections suiting the ground effect Formula Atlantics/Pacifics with the FT50s being a balance between the two.
Catch Quinn at the second round of Formula Open New Zealand when it gets underway at Taupo International Motorsport Park on the weekend of 21st and 22nd January.
Main image: Matt Smith Photography | Words: Supplied
