Ingram Clinches Opening Round of the SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series

Local driver Kevin Ingram won all three F5000 races at Manfeild’s Circuit Chris Amon, the opening round of the NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series on 8-10 November.  Although the entry was below expectations due to shipping delays affecting the return of several vehicles from overseas – the planned 60-day shipment had stretched beyond 90 – the drivers in the eight-car field of roaring V8s capitalised on the opportunity to score an early points advantage.

Photo Jarod Carruthers

Young challenger Michael Hey showcased his own skill, setting the fastest lap time and shadowing the experienced frontrunner on his way to second place three times.  Having never raced outside the South Island, it was not only Hey’s first time racing at Manfeild, but first time in a car with such massive horsepower.

After Saturday’s fine-weather, Sunday’s six-lap handicap race ran as scheduled despite looming rain clouds.  Starting from the back, Hey (McRae GM1) chased race leader Ingram (Lola T332 HU 48R) to the final flag.  Toby Annabel, in the Group A McLaren M10B, led the pack at the start of the reversed grid race, but ultimately finished fourth. 

As rain threatened, officials and competitors agreed to bring forward the final eight-lap race in the afternoon.  With the starting grid based on Saturday’s results, Ingram held off the determined Hey as rain began to fall just as the race ended, with the field quickly retreating to their garages.  For the 21-year-old, following Ingram offered an invaluable opportunity to learn, “Kevin is the man to follow.  He would try something completely new at a certain point on the track, and when I tried it later, it made a real difference – he knows what he’s doing,” said young Hey.  

Tony Galbraith racked up 64 points towards the 2024/25 title in his Lola T332, to Ingrams’s 70 and Hey’s 67, with three third places in the first round of the six-round season.