The MotorSport New Zealand sanctioned summer series took on a new guise at the end of 2024. Tony Quinn put his hand up to steer the categories under his newly established National Racing Group Promotions Limited banner.
Five of the seven rounds were held at circuits owned and operated by Quinn, so it only made sense to take the reins.
It was, by all accounts, a relatively last-minute deal meaning no major year-on-year changes in terms of the product. All the categories remained, albeit under a new banner – NextGen, which is all about finding New Zealand’s next generation of stars.
So what did we learn (on the other side of the ditch) from watching season one?
Excellent TV product hidden from view
This year’s broadcast was top-tier. Led by former Supercars television boss David Tunnicliffe with high-profile commentators Greg Rust, Stephen McIvor, Jonathan Green, and Richard Crail, the broadcast felt polished and up there with anything produced by Supercars on this side of the Tasman. Though that’s ultimately meaningless if it’s hidden away.
Under its former promoter, the summer series was broadcast on pay television in New Zealand and available to watch in Australia on Fox Sports and Kayo. For the 2024/25 season, that changed. A commercial deal was struck with local news outlet Stuff, who provided written coverage and live streamed the events without a geo-block.
Visibility was perhaps the biggest hurdle for NextGen. A move away from a more traditional medium made it tough at times to find the coverage. There were technical troubles early on, and the swathe of “how can I watch this comments” across social media showed the message hadn’t gotten across – no matter how many Facebook posts you do.
For a series trying to find its feet, maybe the Stuff deal paid dividends commercially. However, local and international audiences would have benefitted from more familiar streaming services or broadcasters.
New Zealand is still the place to race
Formula Regional Oceanis grids aren’t what they used to be, due largely to economic factors and competition from other categories.
Still, New Zealand holds its own as a popular place to race with grids nearing 20 cars.
That was proven by Red Bull sending Formula 1 prospect Arvid Lindblad to the bottom of the earth for the five-round series.
Formula Regional Oceania – and the Toyota Racing Series before it – has long been a popular haunt for Red Bull drivers like Yuki Tsunoda, Lucas Auer, Daniil Kvyat, Richard Verschoor, and Callum Ilott in years gone by.
A cynic would say the Kiwi series did not have the depth of the Middle Eastern equivalent (which is held over a similar period), but that would be a foolhardy view – especially after the standout performances of Zack Scoular, Nikita Johnson, and Patrick Heuzenroeder who kept the Brit honest all season.
In any case, Lindblad has got the FIA Super Licence points to race in Formula 1, and he earned them!
Star power proves the sport is far from dead
Of all the places to draw a crowd, few could have tipped one of the most remote circuits to pull people in — yet, the Historic GP at Taupo did exactly that.
Liam Lawson’s presence, a throng of heritage touring cars and open-wheelers, legends like Greg Murphy and Russell Ingall, and Supercar champion Will Brown made it a must-watch.
The queues to catch Lawson before he jetted back to the UK were unlike anything seen in recent New Zealand motorsport history.
Brown’s involvement clearly captured the imagination of Australian viewers too, with record high viewership on Speedcafe for Formula Regional-related content.
The bar has been set high, and it begs the question: what’s in store for 2026?
MotorSport New Zealand (and New Zealand motorsport) also has to ask itself how to capitalise on that momentum.
Quinn’s offsider, Josie Spillane, who by and large manages the Quinn circuits and heads up the promotion should be commended for her efforts, as well as Toyota who have been the main act all season long.
Formula Ford is unbeatable
While the rest of the world climbs the FIA ladder and adopts Formula 4, New Zealand seems content to continue with Formula Ford.
It’s not perfect, that much is true. Mechanical disparity has always been an accepted element of Formula Ford given the variation between the Mygales, Spectrums, and whatever else.
Still, the series has strong support, and the racing is second-to-none. Highlands, a circuit notoriously difficult to pass on, put on a barnburner as the cars slid and jockeyed for position in the weekend’s finale creating hair-raising moments the series is renowned for.
Expect the series to continue churning out top Kiwi talent.
Is this it for V8 racing?
The V8 SuperTourers/NZV8 split is still being felt more than a decade on. What’s left is an all-comers V8 series akin to sports sedans dubbed SuperV8s.
Once upon a time, there was a grid of 30-odd NZV8s roaring around the country. Now it looks like a top-flight V8 series is just a pipe dream.
Will V8 racing ever have a resurgence in New Zealand like it did in the 2000s? It’s hard to see it happening. Gone are the days of John McIntyre, Andy Booth, Kayne Scott, Angus Fogg and Craig Baird battling it out.
There is a small glimmer of hope, however. TA2 is burgeoning and a small but committed group of competitors want to see the series succeed. What it really needs is a few more to convert.
Ultimately, the SuperV8s need to wander off to the sports sedan series, GTRNZ, and let TA2 (or whatever it wants to call itself) play on its own.
GT series a shining light
While V8 racing may be doomed, the up-and-coming GT series thrives.
GT2, GT4, Cup and IRC cars rule the roost in tin top land and command every bit of attention.
The multi-class series has skyrocketed in popularity year-on-year and for young guns like Marco Giltrap, Ayrton Hodgson, and William Exton it’s the best place to stay match-fit before their Australian season begins.
Equally, it’s become a popular place for so-called gentleman drivers. Marcus Armstrong’s dad Rick is a series regular.
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