Motor Sport
Talented sixteen–year old Invercargill racing driver, Alex Crosbie, has won the 2023 NAPA Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. It is the second year in succession that Crosbie has won the title, a rare feat.
Crosbie, a Year 12 student at Southland Boys High School, sealed the title at Euromarque Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in Christchurch on Sunday.
Crosbie had topped the timesheets in testing at the circuit on Friday and then grabbed pole position in qualifying the following morning. Two races were held in mixed weather conditions on Saturday afternoon and Crosbie said later he “didn’t quite have the car set up for the conditions.” Nevertheless, he brought his Ray GR21 home in second place in the opening race before a tenth placing after an off-course excursion in the second outing. Crosbie had built a 2 second lead before a safety car intervention in that race and went off at the first corner after the restart, an incident he described at the time as “gutting.”
He went into the first of Sunday’s two races with the goal of a strong finish and after a huge battle with Canterbury based rivals William Neale and Blake Knowles, he finished second, a result that sealed his second consecutive New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. With the championship secured he then won the final race.
The championship had begun at Hampton Downs in North Waikato in February where Crosbie compiled results of second, first, and then thirteenth after a last lap incident while leading, to leave round one with a precious one-point championship lead. The following weekend at Taupo, Crosbie was unbeatable, winning five races from five, increasing his points lead to 99 points and securing the prestigious Ron Frost Trophy.
The action then headed to Crosbie’s home track of Teretonga Park in Invercargill where, ironically, he had his toughest weekend of the season. A broken throttle cable resulted in retirement from the first of four races and put him on the back foot for the weekend. He fought back to record finishes of third, sixth and fourth the following day to leave with his championship lead reduced but still intact as he headed to this weekend’s final round.
Crosbie also took Class 1 in the championship and finished runner-up to Knowles in the South Island Championship of which this weekend was also the final round. Last year he was third in that championship.
Alex said he was “very happy” with the season and thanked his Mum and Dad for their support along with Motorsport Solutions, NAPA Auto Parts and the Hampton Downs Motorsport Academy for their support of the series.”
Crosbie’s also thanked his many sponsors for their support. His motor racing efforts are supported by Rodin Cars, Invercargill Oil Shop, Stresscrete Southland Limited, Four Square Otatara, Kiwi Skips, Motorsport Solutions NZ Ltd, Macaulay Motors and Easy Steel Invercargill.