Motor Sport
Eighteen-year-old Invercargill racing driver Alex Crosbie lines up at Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend as he begins his campaign in the 2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship (CTFROC).
The series attracts some of the best up and coming motor racing talent from around the globe and Crosbie will be part of a field of seventeen drivers from New Zealand, Australia, America, Canada, Brazil, Peru, the UK, Chinese Taipei and South Korea.
Crosbie finished fifth in last year’s star-studded series and made a stunning debut at the opening round at Taupō compiling impressive results of eighth, third and fourth across the three races, starting two of the three races from pole position.
After qualifying seventh on slick tyres in wet conditions last year he finished eighth in his series debut. The following day he set the second fastest time in qualifying for the feature race of the weekend, the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy race. That later improved to pole position after fastest qualifier Christian Mansell of Australia received a penalty.
That meant Crosbie had pole position for both Sunday races as his eighth place on Saturday translated to pole in the morning’s race top eight reverse grid.
Crosbie led most of that race until his tyres deteriorated at the end of the race dropping him to third. He went on to finish fourth in Denny Hulme Memorial Race later in the afternoon.
Crosbie returns to Taupō to start this year’s series and says it is a track that takes some getting used to. “Turn 11 onto the back straight was tricky initially but I had some good speed there last year and I want the same outcome if not better this year.”
Looking long term at the championship which takes place over five rounds he says, “the goal is to win races and take consistent podiums which should lead to a high placing in the championship.”
Since last year’s championship Crosbie has competed in the F4 US Championship where he took two wins and six podiums on his way to fourth overall in the championship.
Crosbie returns to the Giles Motorsport camp for this year’s championship and will proudly race with Castrol livery as the major sponsor on his Tatuus FT-60.
“I’m delighted to be flying the flag for such a high-profile brand. Castrol has an incredible heritage in New Zealand motorsport and it’s exciting to now be a part of that,” says Alex.
Crosbie and his fellow competitors will have three practice sessions on the 3.32km Taupō layout on Friday with a 15-minute qualifying session at 10.17am on Saturday morning to establish grid positions for race one over 18 laps later that afternoon. On Sunday qualifying for the feature race of the weekend, the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy race, takes place on Sunday morning before an 18-lap contest at 1.04pm featuring a top eight reverse grid from Saturday’s race result before the 23-lap Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy race at 4.57pm.
The 2025 CTFROC is part of the Repco NextGen NZ Championship.
Support for Alex Crosbie’s campaign in the 2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship comes from Castrol, Stresscrete Southland, the Peter H McMillan Legacy Fund, Kiwi Skips, Invercargill Hose and Hydraulics, Kiwi Driver Fund and Golden Homes in the Southern Lakes.
2025 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship
- 10-12 January: Taupō International Motorsport Park, Taupō
- 17-19 January: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, North Waikato
- 24-26 January: Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon, Feilding
- 31 January-2 February: Teretonga Park, Invercargill
- 7-9 February: Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell