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Impressive line-up of F5000s at New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing

12 January, 2015

We’ve been looking forward to it for ages, and now it’s just around the corner. The highly anticipated New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing (NZFMR) is being held over the weekends of January 16–18 and January 23–25 at Hampton Downs.

Our excitement is in response to the amazing features that the festival is to play host to in its celebration of renowned Kiwi racer Howden Ganley. These features include Formula One cars, Formula 5000 racers. More than six Formula One cars will be in attendance, but it is the F5000s that are the main talking point. With over 50 confirmed, the NZFMR will host the world’s first Formula 5000 World Series, the winner of which will be crowned after the final race on the festival’s second weekend.

Other features we don’t want to miss include Can-Am cars, the ex-Denny Hulme 1973 McLaren M23, a show and shine, 12 race classes with over 350 racers, eight Australian Trans Am racers competing with the Historic Muscle Cars, parade laps of significant cars, and (weather permitting) a Spitfire and RNZAF display. 

Project Adder – an MGB with bite

21 November, 2025

Bill and Rae Denize have been active MG Car Club members in Wellington for nearly 32 years. They have held a variety of positions on the club committee, and now that they are both retired, they can be even more involved in the club’s activities. Bill is currently the president of the MG Car Club, Wellington Centre.
The list of cars they’ve owned over the years is testament to their passion for the brand. It includes a 1972 Midget — the round rear-wheel arch model with 1275cc motor; a three-door 2004 MG ZR; a 2005 MG ZR (five-door); and Rae’s 2005 MG TF, which they still own. Bill also raced a 1967 Morris Mini Cooper S at Manfeild for many years. That car featured in an article in the January 2013 issue of this magazine.
In April 2013, Bill sold the Cooper S and decided to buy a low mileage, freshly imported MG RV8 from Japan. He liked the idea as there were only 1983 built in the early 1990s, which, hopefully, would translate into these cars holding their value. More importantly, their bodies were galvanised, which meant fewer rust problems, although Bill and Rae didn’t escape encounters with oxidation unscathed.