Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series arrives in New Zealand

28 March, 2018

The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series will take place on New Zealand’s iconic Hampton Downs circuit in April 2018, the car manufacturer has announced. Running 12–15 April, the four-day race schedule will incorporate the open-to-public Ferrari Festival over the weekend.

“Ferrari has a longstanding history with motor racing in New Zealand, and some of our most committed Corse Clienti race drivers hail from here,” said Louis Colmache, Head of Corse Clienti, Asia Pacific.

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Established in 1993, the Ferrari Challenge has achieved distinction as the widest ranging and most envied one-make client racing series in the world, and runs in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific series opens at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit in support of the Formula 1 Australia Grand Prix on 22–25 March, landing on our soil for events at Hampton Downs from 12–25 April, before heading to support the Singapore Grand Prix in September, culminating in Italy at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the Finali Mondiali (World Finals) between 1–4 November, where the Asia–Pacific race drivers will join drivers from the Europe and North America Series for the traditional end-of-season celebrations.

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“New Zealand is home to some of the most passionate Ferrari owners and drivers in the world,” explained Herbert Appleroth, CEO of Ferrari Australasia. “We are excited to be able to now offer our clients the opportunity to experience the thrill of racing with Ferrari on some of the most iconic race tracks in the world, including Auckland’s iconic Hampton Downs circuit in New Zealand. We encourage all of New Zealand’s Ferrari fans to join us for the celebrations.”

These celebrations include the chance for clients and fans to see the Ferrari 488 Challenge car in action — the first turbo-charged model to race, and the most powerful Challenge car ever — as well as a spectacular array of classic and modern Ferrari models and special edition cars on display, and family-friendly entertainment including face painting and Ferrari giveaways.

Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Asia Pacific Series 2018 Schedule
Round 1: 22–25 March, Melbourne, Australia (Formula 1 GP)
Round 2: 12–15 April, Hampton Downs, New Zealand
Round 3: 24–27 May, Shanghai, China (Ferrari Racing Days)
Round 4: 28 June–1 July. Fuji, Japan (Ferrari Racing Days)
Round 5: 23–25 August, Suzuka, Japan
Round 6: 14–16 September, Singapore Marina (Formula 1 GP)
Round 7: 1–4 November, Monza, Italy (Finali Mondiali)

Almost mythical pony

25 July, 2024

The Shelby came to our shores in 2003. It went from the original New Zealand owner to an owner in Auckland. Malcolm just happened to be in the right place with the right amount of money in 2018 and a deal was done. Since then, plenty of people have tried to buy it off him. The odometer reads 92,300 miles. From the condition of the car that seems to be correct and only the first time around.
Malcolm’s car is an automatic. It has the 1966 dashboard, the back seat, the rear quarter windows and the scoops funnelling air to the rear brakes.
He even has the original bill of sale from October 1965 in California.

Becoming fond of Fords part two – happy times with Escorts

17 July, 2024

In part one of this Ford-flavoured trip down memory lane I recalled a sad and instructive episode when I learned my shortcomings as a car tuner, something that tainted my appreciation of Mk2 Ford Escort vans in particular. Prior to that I had a couple of other Ford entanglements of slightly more redeeming merit. There were two Mk1 Escorts I had got my hands on: a 1972 1300 XL belonging to my father and a later, end-of-line, English-assembled 1974 1100, which my partner and I bought from Panmure Motors Ford in Auckland in 1980. Both those cars were the high water mark of my relationship with the Ford Motor Co. I liked the Mk1 Escorts. They were nice, nippy, small cars, particularly the 1300, which handled really well, and had a very precise gearbox for the time.
Images of Jim Richards in the Carney Racing Williment-built Twin Cam Escort and Paul Fahey in the Alan Mann–built Escort FVA often loomed in my imagination when I was driving these Mk1 Escorts — not that I was under any illusion of comparable driving skills, but they had to be having just as much fun as I was steering the basic versions of these projectiles.