Motorsport: NZIGP finale revs up in Waikato after stellar South Island run

Competition between Glen Collinson and Brad Kroef has been intense all season. Photo / Dillon Photography

The UDC V8 Utes will rev up at Hampton Downs for a grand finale after having returned from a stellar South Island tour.

The NZ International GP season has so far seen new stars emerge, track records broken and great attendance, so the final race weekend is expected to be a great one, organisers say.

The NZIGP race events hitting the track on May 10 and 11 include Super V8s and NZ V8 Utes, Toyota 86 Trophy Series, Formula Junior and Historic Formula Ford.

In the bumper 15-ute field are several local drivers including panelbeater Glen Collinson from Hamilton and Phill Ross from CR Construction in Cambridge.

Collinson currently leads the series with 342 points – but last year’s champion, Brad Kroef, still has a chance of stealing the title.

Kroef is coming off a win at Teretonga Park Raceway and currently places second with 295 points.

The organisers said the competition for the lower placings would also see some serious action.

Several drivers, including Greg Kroef and Phill Ross, who share third place in the points, as well as Daniel Ludlam, Simon Ussher and Blair Gribble-Bowring, could all make it on to the podium this weekend.

Gribble-Bowring, a former drift racer, really found his groove this season as he beat Chris Pither’s track record at Timaru.

Meanwhile, Ross notched up a race win, as well as a second and two third placings, and Ludlam had a hard-fought third place at Teretonga.

New to the series is former D1NZ racer Cam Vernon, who’s purchased a Ford FG ute recently imported from Australia.

Other racers set to battle it out on the track include Dave Robb, who will give one of David “Shaggy” Lowe’s Ford Falcon BFs a run, newcomer Brad Wenzlick, who will be racing Lowe’s other Falcon BF, Tyler Ward, and Stu Monteith, who is back in the #99 Holden after stand-in driver Jake Stoneman notched up two impressive podiums in the ute at Teretonga.

Racing, including qualifying events for the various classes, will start on Saturday at 8.30am, but the UDC V8 Utes season finale kicks off Sunday with a 15-minute qualifying session.

More information is available at nzigp.co.nz. Tickets are available online via Ticketfairy.