Currently, it seems near impossible to be able to travel outside of New Zealand especially for competitions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of the expected disappointment from the local Formula 5000 Association members, they are currently working on a shortened and New Zealand based 2020/21 season.
According to Auckland-based car owner and driver and also a member of the committee, Glenn Richards, everyone seems excited about the upcoming opening round of the 2020/21 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series. The annual ‘The Sound MG Classic‘ meeting at Manfeild is set to happen on November 14-15 weekend.
Formula 5000 Tasman Cup Revival Schedule 2020/21
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| Rnd 1: 13-15 Nov 2020 | MG Classic, Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild Feilding NZ. |
| Rnd 2: 22-24 Jan 2021 | Taupo Historic Grand Prix featuring Ford, Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Taupo NZ. |
| Rnd 3: 05-07 Feb 2021 | Skope Classic – Mike Pero Motorsport Park Ruapuna Christchurch NZ. |
| Rnd 4: 20-21 Mar 2021 | HRC Legends of Speed Hampton Downs Waikato NZ |
“Like most Kiwis, we’re probably guilty of underestimating the effect of the whole COVID-19/Lockdown on people’s states-of-mind. When we sat down, in fact, to talk about our calendar for the new season, there was very little appetite for any major travel – for the time being, anyway.”
Glen Richards
This season’s SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series will only have four, instead of the usual five or six races like in the previous seasons. All races will be in New Zealand, on tracks and at meetings that are familiar with the 10 series regulars who form the bulk of the entry, at least for the opening series’ round.
“There was still a desire to drive our cars – once you’ve turned a wheel in anger in an F5000 racing car I don’t think that ever leaves you – but what came through loud and clear was that in the past, we’ve – perhaps – put a little bit too much pressure on ourselves to take our show ‘on the road….’ and right now the last thing any of us want or need is any more pressure in our lives.”
The first round will be happening at Feilding’s Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild where the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 single-seaters have been a well-liked attraction for the organizers of the long-running MG Classic race meeting for many years.
It will be more than two months before the second round of the 2020/21 series will resume at the Taupo Historic Grand Prix featuring Ford which will be held at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park from January 22-24. The third round will be held at the annual Skope Classic motor racing meeting which will be at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park from February 5-7.
The fourth and final round of the 2020/21 series will be hosted by the Auckland-based Historic Racing Club at its annual Legends of Speed meeting which will be held at the Hampton Downs circuit from March 20-21.
The 2019/20 series title holder, Michael Collins from Christchurch will be heading the 12-strong field of the classic ‘stock block’ 5.01 liter V8 powered wings-and-slicks-equipped single-seaters that are scheduled to be at the opening round of the 2020/21 series which will premiere this month at the Circuit Chris Amon Manfeild.
The 25-year-old Collins will again be driving one of Alistair and Vicki Hey’s motorcars. This season, he will be behind the wheel of the original Tasman and US L&M Series-winning 1972 Leda LT27/GM1 001. His older sister, Anna Collins will be driving the car Collins used to win his 2019/20 SAS Autoparts MSC Series title, the Leda LT27/McRae GM1 004.
28-year-old Anna, similar to her older sister Katherine and younger brother Michael, grew up with a successful karts career. She eventually moved on to the South Island Formula Ford championship in 2015 and is now dabbling in the SAS Autoparts/MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series in 2020.
In her second year in the NZ Class 2 Formula Ford category, she was able to bring home the championship and just last year, she finished 5th overall in the South Island F1600 Series.
The 2019/20 series runner-up Glenn Richards from Auckland is ready to take on the Collins siblings.
The SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series has been organized and will be run with the support of the sponsors SAS Autoparts, MSC, Boney’s Specialised Bulk Transport, NZ Express Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Avon Tyres, Pacifica, Supercharge Batteries, and Webdesign.
[Source: New Zealand Formula 5000 Association]
