Motorsport
Thirteen-year-old kiwi karting star Nixon Cripps embarks on the next stage of his motor racing journey this weekend when he makes his South Island Formula Ford Championship debut at the Levels circuit in Timaru.
Cripps hails from the small Southland town of Edendale, 35km from Invercargill, the town where another speedy Southlander, Burt Munro, grew up. A year 8 student at the nearby Menzies College, Cripps has already had a stellar karting career. The youngster won a Vortex Mini Rok National Title in 2025 as well the Kart Stars Series and the ROK Cup Series – New Zealand’s three main karting titles. He has won numerous other accolades and championships including South Island titles. He has twice represented New Zealand in Italy, finishing fourth in the world as an 11-year-old in the Rotax Grand Final while the following year he took a win and a third place in the heats of the Rok Cup Super Final against the best in the world, before a tough final which he did not finish.
He is now ready for the next step as he prepares to line up in a Spectrum 015 in the opening round of the South Island Formula Ford Series. Nixon has straightforward goals. “I am going out there to do my best and make everyone proud. I’m not scared of hard work and will do whatever it takes.” As a newcomer to the series everything is new to Cripps. “I have had one day of testing at Timaru. It is definitely challenging but it is a cool place!”
The plan for Cripps this season is to tackle both the South Island and New Zealand Formula Ford Series. He took possession of the Spectrum in the middle of last year but with the Rok Cup Super Final in Italy looming he was advised not to drive it at that stage as the driving style required differed from that of his kart.
His first races in the Spectrum came at this year’s Classic SpeedFest at his home track of Teretonga Park in Invercargill. He went exceptionally well and more importantly as he says, “I learnt a lot.” Since then, he has raced at Euromarque Motorsport Park in Christchurch where he finished third and also at the last two rounds of the Winter Series at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding where he finished second and third despite having little time to learn the track.
At just 13 years of age Cripps has achieved an incredible amount and ironically didn’t grow up in a family totally immersed in motorsport. “Dad was watching Formula 1 on TV one night and I liked it. It was fast. After that my parents took me to the Invercargill kart track. I did a Have A Go Day and then we bought a second-hand kart. I watched the owner race it over his last weekend with it and we bought it home and the next day the country went into lockdown!”
During his karting days Nixon met Jordan Michels, an Invercargill race driver who among other successes won the 2018/2019 NZ Formula Ford Championship. When the Formula Ford race car was purchased Michels came on board to help.
Michels rates the youngster highly. “Nixon displays talent and work ethic well beyond his age, so when his family approached me to help guide him through this next chapter of his career, I was excited just to be a part of this young man's journey.”
Ask Nixon why he went to cars at such a young age and the answer is simple – “cars were my main goal. I always wanted to aim higher than karts.”
A typical Southland teenager he also finds time to participate in Netball, Touch, Basketball, Golf and he also enjoys fishing.
Nixon acknowledges the help of his parents, grandparents and Michels as well as his team of sponsors - Leithfield Nursery, Haakman NZ Bulbs, Circa Marine & Industrial, OneForest/IFS Growth, Sign Solutions and Evolution Motorsport.
Lindsay Beer
On behalf of Nixon Cripps Motorsport 021 351 499
To contact Nixon Cripps – 027 600 5108
IMG_0130: Thirteen-year-old Nixon Cripps of Edendale in Southland - please credit Awhina Russell Photographer