The Race Car(s) now and previous

Mygale SJ13a Formula Ford - 2019 to today

The international Formula Ford category is now in its 50th year of competition. It began in the UK and has coverage world-wide and is recognised as the most vital training category to give drivers the best skills and experience to prepare them for a career in motorsport.

Our race car was purpose-built in France as space-framed open wheel racing car. It has a strictly controlled 1600cc “Kent” Ford (Escort/Cortina X-Flow) engine and a Hewland LD200 quick-change transaxle to strict international standards and managed closely by Motorsport NZ officials. The engine is prepared by Brian Hartley of Hartley Engines and Motorsport. The car has disc brakes front and rear with pressure sensors to monitor braking pressures. The front and rear suspension dampers are mounted inboard to prevent possible damage, are made in Sweden by Ohlins and are fully 2-way adjustable. The car has a cockpit-mounted, adjustable brake bias system. A top-end GPS Motec dashboard is fed by a number of Lambda Air/Fuel ratio sensors and safety is via a 6-point harness and an automated on-board fire extinguisher to protect the driver.

A Formula Ford is capable of up to 230km/hr. Thomas has raced at Pukekohe, Hampton Downs, Manfeild and Teretonga (Invercargill). The car is proudly supported by all our Supporter Club members.

Photo credit: Shots by TayB

Alvee Formula First (Vee) - 2018 / 2019 season

The Formula First race car is a purpose-built, space-framed open wheel racing car. It has a 1200 VW engine and gearbox, modified to Motorsport NZ controlled specifications. The drivetrain is original VW, but modified significantly to strict regulations, with disc brakes front and rear. The front shock absorbers are mounted inboard to prevent possible damage. The shock absorbers are made by QA1 and are fully 2-way adjustable to allow for full suspension geometry changes. The car has a cockpit-mounted front/rear brake bias system to allow modification of the braking effort on either end of the car during a race. The car is fitted with a 5 point harness and an Air/Fuel ratio meter to allow accurate tuning. A Formula First race car is capable of up to 200km/hr. During the 2018/19 season, Thomas raced at Manfeild, Taupo, Hampton Downs and Pukekohe.

Photo credit: Shots by TayB

Team Kiwi Racing BMW Mini - 2016 to 2018 season(s)

The BMW Mini Cooper is a factory-built car which was one of many built by the John Cooper Works Factory team to contest the Global Mini Challenge Series. It is a 2004 LHD model, with a 6-speed Gertrag close-ratio manual gearbox. It has Ø380mm front rotors, giving fantastic stopping power. Being front-wheel-drive, the Mini generates incredible front grip and is very fast in wet conditions. Due to Motorsport NZ rules, Thomas was unable to race the Mini with the original 220BHP supercharged engine until he was 16, as this takes the corrected cubic capacity over 2,500cc (the MSNZ limit). In order to overcome this, the supercharged engine was removed and replaced with a N/A 130BHP unit. Of course, this is much slower meaning Thomas was at a performance disadvantage.

Photo credit: Matt Smith

Collingwood Civil Speedway Ministock - 2016 to 2018 season(s)

The ministock is a purpose-built speedway car, this one was built in Wellington to a controlled Speedway New Zealand design. The engine is a standard 1200cc Nissan A12 which has been blueprinted to strict specifications. The car runs a standard 4-speed gearbox and differential, which is locked to improve traction. The tyres are identical to those fitted to a road-going Nissan 1200 and the car has limited performance. The key to being fast in a ministock is the ability to have the car setup well and driven smoothly to carry as much speed as possible. With fields of over 30 cars each night, the racing can be very intense. The team was supported by Collingwood Traffic Management, Corson Tyres and AutoCity.