Motorsport: Double treat for classic enthusiasts

Chris Amon (left) and British racing ace Stirling Moss. Photo / Michael Tubberty

The 2011 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing celebrating the successful career of former Ferrari Formula One driver Kiwi Chris Amon will take place at Hampton Downs over the weekends of January 21-23 and 28-30.

Motorsport enthusiasts are in for an unrivalled treat of two weekends of classic racing, and the best ever gathering of cars raced by Amon himself will also be on display.

Amon will attend both weekends and although he no longer races, there will be time set aside for him to demonstrate some of his former cars including the Ferrari 246T, the Amon AF101, the Talon F5000 and the BRM P201 F1.

There will also be daily lunchtime Chris Amon Parades where Amon will be taken by the New Zealand Ferrari Owner's Club in one of their cars on a lap of the track leading a brief line up of his former cars.

On both weekends Amon will be signing copies of his new book, Chris Amon - a celebration of a Kiwi Icon.

The 2010 Festival, which celebrated the life and career of Bruce McLaren attracted about 25,000 spectators. With that many people the festival was one of the biggest crowd at any motorsport event in the country in 2010 and organisers are hoping that with Amon present, the 2011 event should be even bigger.

Eleven classes will race each weekend. A class for 1980s saloons and GTs has been added with several 1980s Group A cars confirmed. Classic racing motorcycles will also compete over the first Hampton Downs weekend, with the ever-popular Muscle Cars the following weekend.

"Bikes will attract special interest on the first weekend for people who follow classic pre-1963 bikes and who want to enjoy racing as it was," said festival chairman Jim Barclay.

"The second weekend will be a chance to see muscle cars, plus the other 10 classes from the previous weekend."

Both weekend's races will be headed by fields of thunderous and iconic F5000 cars and a bumper grid is expected.

Veteran racer Ken Smith will once again roll back the years and wow the crowds in his ex-Teddy Pilette VDS Lola T430. On the second Friday (January 28) the F5000 cars will take part in an F1-style qualifying shootout. There will be three qualifying sessions with the last being a shootout for pole position amongst the top 10 fastest cars.

The choice of back-to-back weekends at one track is a bit outside the square and is proving to be a popular with both domestic and international competitors.

"Competitors can tour brilliant scenery between meetings and come back to their cars still set up in the same pit garages and the overwhelming majority of domestic and international racers say that is great for them and their teams," added Barclay.

Ex-Amon cars set to appear include the 1968 Ferrari 246T 2.4 litre Amon drove to win the 1968 New Zealand Grand Prix. The same owner will bring a 1968 BRM P126 V12 raced by Bruce McLaren in the Kiwi rounds of the Tasman Cup. The 1974 Amon AF101 F1 car - the only Amon racing car ever produced - was driven by Chris in four Formula One races in the 1974 F1 season.

Among a growing entry list expected to top 330 various race cars, a 1953 Maserati 250F - the very car that Stirling Moss drove to win the 1956 Australian GP. This car later came to New Zealand and was bought and driven by New Zealander Brian Prescott in the early 1960s.

On display will be the ex-Amon Maserati 250F, now owned by Southward Museum Trust; a 1970 March-Cosworth F1 car he drove throughout the 1970 F1 season; the A40 Special - Amon's first single seater racing car; a 1974 Talon MR1A F5000 raced in the 1975 Tasman Cup and the 1974 BRM P201 V12 F1 3.0 litre of the same type raced by Amon in the 1974 Canadian and US Grand Prix.

"The sound of this car on full throttle alone will be worth every cent of our modest ticket prices," added Barclay.

Check with Superwheels in the New Year for more details.