NATIONAL EVENTS
A Covid-19-shortened series sees the F5000 title awarded early, but no one could argue it was underserved
Dynamic young Christchurch driver Michael Collins (Leda LT27) has been tipped as a likely overall series title winner since he joined the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series in 2017.
Those prescient pundits will be congratulating themselves now, as well as Michael, as that is exactly what the 24-year-old has done. The 2019/’20 title was awarded to Collins after series organizer, the New Zealand Formula 5000 Association, decided to call the result of the Covid-19interrupted series after the fourth round. It cancelled the postponed series’ final, which was originally scheduled to run at the HRC’S annual Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs in March.
Final round finally aborted
“At the time, we were quite bullish about getting in our final round,” says committee member Glenn Richards. “But as the days turned into months, I think we all started to realize that a better idea would be to put a line under the 2019/’20 season and start
planning for 2020/’21.”
The long-running New Zealand– based, but internationally revered and recognized, SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 series could hardly boast a better champion.
A former karter, and 2016/’17 South Island Formula Ford champion, Michael Collins has been impressing everyone involved in the series with the maturity and racecraft he first displayed behind the wheel of the Alastair Hey– owned / Collins family–run Leda LT27 at the opening round of the 2017/’18 series at Pukekohe Park.
Making his mark
A month later, at just 21 years of age, the mild-mannered, quietly spoken young man won his first race in the class at the second round of that season’s SAS Autoparts MSC series at Feilding’s Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon. Then he added his first clean sweep of all three class races at his home round, the annual Skope Classic meeting at Christchurch’s Mike Pero Motorsport Park, Ruapuna, in February 2018.
He enjoyed similar success over the 2018/’19 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 series season, but, like the year before, prior commitments meant that he had to miss the final and key pointsscoring round.
Ironically, the Covid-19 lockdown meant that everyone in the category missed the final round this year.
The title went to the driver with the most points — Collins — after the penultimate round at the George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park circuit, way back in February.
Half shaft no hindrance
Such was his class that a half shaft letting go on the final lap of the SAS Autoparts MSC feature race at the new George Begg Classic Speedfest meeting, meant that Collins, then 23 now 24 years old, missed out on out on another perfect pole and the record for three wins from three starts.
No matter. He had actually held the 2019/’20 series lead since the first round at the annual MG Classic meeting at Manfeild in November last year. There he qualified on pole and — in the
surprise absence of defending series title holder Ken Smith who had taken himself out of contention by selling his Lola T332 — won all three races.
The young tradie, who works as an electrician when he is not racing the ex–evan Noyes and Chris Lambden Leda LT27 004, did have to play second fiddle to visiting UK historicracing hot-shot Michael Lyons at the second round of the annual Taupo Historic GP meeting at Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park in January.
However, he returned the favour on the Lola T400–mounted Lyons at his annual home round, the threeday Skope Classic in Christchurch in February, where he qualified on pole and won two of the three races.
A fortnight later, he was just a lap away from a second-round clean sweep for the season at Teretonga Park, when the half shaft broke as he began his final lap.
Old-school skills
Collins says that he can look back on his third season with some satisfaction, particularly when it comes to getting the most out of a car which is almost 50 years old.
“It’s something that’s always in the back of my mind when I am driving the car,” says Collins. “And I take my hat off to the guys like Graham Mcrae who raced them back in the day, because without any of the electronics and driver aids you get in modern cars, like the ones they race in the TRS, you are flying a bit blind in terms of setting them up. But, in saying that, you develop a feel for what they like in terms of suspension set-up and things like ride height, it just takes a bit more time to get your head around how they like to be driven.”
The car’s co-owner, Alistair Hey, couldn’t be happier with the result. He and son James help where possible along the way, but they are keen to see Michael and his family get the credit for “a job well done”.
“While myself and my partner, Vicki, own the car, it is fully maintained and run by the Collins family, consisting of Brian, Mark, Andrea, and Michael. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from their time in karts and Formula Ford, and they put in huge hours both before and during the season to prepare and present what was always an immaculate race-, and now championship-winning, car,” Alistair says.
“As the owner of that car, I could not be prouder of what Michael and the family continue to achieve. As a true Kiwi, I am humbled to have witnessed the effort they have put in and what, with that effort and dedication, they have achieved.”
The competition
Second overall, after his most competitive showing yet, was Lola T400 driver Glenn Richards ahead, albeit by just six points, of fellow Aucklander Grant Martin (Talon MR1/A), who in turn had just a five-point margin in the end over the big improver of the 2019/’20 season, former New Zealand Formula Ford champion Kevin Ingram from Feilding, driving the first of the category’s Lola T332s.
Also enjoying his most consistent season to date was Auckland-based category stalwart Shayne Windelburn in his ex–richard Scott and Bob Evans Lola T400, who ended up fifth overall.
In sixth place, after what can only be described as a, “titanic, season-long battle for supremacy in Class A” (for older series cars), with fellow Mclaren driver Tony Roberts (Mclaren M10A), was another Auckland-based category stalwart, Frank Karl, driving his ex–alan Mckechnie / Guy Edwards Mclaren M10B.
The two Mclarens were rarely separated by more than a second or two on the track, though in the end it was Karl’s superior consistency — he was the only driver to start and finish all 12 races — which saw him pip Napier man Roberts for the Class A title.
Showcase trip cancelled
Unfortunately, plans by the local F5000 Association to travel to Ireland and Great Britain for major historic motor racing meetings at Mondello Park on 15 and 16 August and Oulton Park from Saturday, 29 August to Monday, 31 August, have also been cancelled.