The Pivot

Michael Clark has been named the latest independent trustee of the Kiwi Driver Fund, joining mate Bob McMurray and others. The fund helps drivers meet the cost of contesting the Castrol Toyota Racing Series. Its trustees are now seeking support from partner companies to help the trust continue its work A regular competitor in the Historic Formula Ford series, Clark has what he describes as a ‘selfish obsession’: he wants to see the current groundswell of Kiwi racing talent continue to roll across the world’s premier motor racing categories. From his home base at Drury in South Auckland (a short drive south to the Pukekohe and Hampton Downs circuits), Clark highlights the next wave of fast locals following the recent wheel tracks of the ‘two Scotts’ (Dixon and McLaughlin) in Indy. New Zealand, he says, is punching well above its weight in motor racing: Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber in their glory days with Porsche at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship; Chris van der D...

Mad Mike cuts loose at Manukau In February and March of this year Kiwi offroad racing fans were treated to the sight of a father-and-son team dominating the Stadium Short Course Championship racing at Manukau. ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett carved out an early dominance in his amazing Mazda REPU ute ‘RUMBUL’ (an ex-USA stadium truck) with what may be the wildest 13B rotary in New Zealand tucked under its retro bonnet. “The engine is absolutely psycho, probably as wild as you can make a naturally aspirated 13B – it screams.” Meanwhile his 14 year old son Lincoln dominated what were termed ‘demo’ races for the 450cc ModKarts now arriving in New Zealand. These things are miniature race trucks also based on an American specification and wearing panels similar to our local Kiwitruck youth class, though they are sized for teens or adults. Dad Whiddett is a consummate showman who has run an ever more wild progression of drift cars over more than a decade. He’s run RX7s in multi-rotor form, a Maz...

Just lucky...right place right time...pure fluke...a decent snap...Mike Fraser puts on a bicycle stunt show for the photographers at Twizel.     Got entitled attitude? Adjust yo'self! A dislaimer: I don’t consider myself a photographer. Or a videographer.  I write, run events, manage media.  Occasionally I am in the right place at the right time and score a decent snap. This month in my Muddy Wheels column in NZ Petrolhead we take a look at the dedicated few who follow and shoot the spectacular but quirky sport of offroad racing. Mike Peffers, Peter Burling, Craig Dawson, Graham Hughes, Ken Fox, Darryl Hutton. Sometimes Geoff Ridder and Bruce Jenkins. Some very experienced motorsport photographers among them. If I missed out a name or two that’s only because my organic hard drive needs rebooting. New names are emerging: Morgan Dumelow in the south; Darren Stanley in Tauranga. And of course my wing[person] these past few years, Donna Gedye - she and Phil Cameron...

27 and counting... [ disclaimer: Wayne's my dear, dear cousin. Many years ago - last century - I met up with him on the Rally of New Zealand. I was in my asthmatic Escort Sport 1600, he was in his lovely RX4 coupe, and his mates were in a P76! We had a cool time in the frigid dark of the central North Island, following our heroes as they jostled for tenths of a second on frozen gravel roads. It seems none of us can leave behind our motorsport obsessions. Just as I'm about to look closely at another motorsport fascination (possibly with a roundel on the bonnet, or even with a roundy engine under the bonnet), I hear he's doing up an RX7 with some provenance behind it! ] Kiwi endurance racer Wayne Moore (69) is heading for Germany to compete in his 27th Nürburgring 24 hour race on New Zealand’s Queen’s Birthday weekend. It's been a short break away from the legendary circuit, known to many as the Green Hell. Moore last competed in the race in September 2020 after the event...