Dowdall wraps up 2025 NZ Formula Ford title and wins Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy

Blake Dowdall has won the 2025 Napa Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship title at the final fourth round at Manfeild circuit Chris Amon in Fielding over the weekend. Having led all season, Dowdall continued to dominate the round and scored enough provisional points to claim the title after the third of four races. He then went on to win the 18-lap Morrie Smith Memorial race, the second time he has etched his name on this trophy.

“Feels amazing,” said Dowdall. “Winning this title means the world to me as it’s something I have been wanting to do for years. It’s a day I will remember.

“It’s been a tough season, but we’ve managed to be well prepared and made our luck the whole way through.”

Second overall was South Island Formula Ford champion Will Neale, just one point ahead of a resurgent Toby McCormack.

McCormack struggled through the first two rounds with car troubles before he had the perfect third round setting fastest lap and winning all three races which then propelled him onto third overall.

This weekend he was fastest again in qualifying picking up the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy $1,010.10 cash prize. He then twice finished second to Dowdall and won a race putting him provisionally second overall. However, while leading the final race, he went wide on the last corner heading onto the start finish line and dropped down the order. A safety car period brought the field together giving him another chance to close the gap. However, he fell short by one-point finishing third overall.

Dowdall is now the recipient of a three-day evaluation at Rodin Cars in North Canterbury as part of their Formula Ford to Formula One Pathway with the opportunity to compete in single seater categories in Europe with Rodin Motorsport. The prize was awarded at the weekend by Rodin Cars Managing Director Emma Duncan along with a wildcard prize for Toby McCormack.

In a fortnight’s time the pair will spend three-days at Rodin Cars near Waiau where they will undergo both driver training and evaluation with Australian driver/coach Mark Williamson. Both simulator and track experience will see them progress through driving a McLaren GT4, a Formula 4 and a Formula 3 single seaters. As well as the experience there may be an opportunity to test a Formula 4 car in the UK with options on competing in the category with Rodin Motorsport.

The weekend was also the final sixth round of the 2024/25 Giltrap Group North Island Formula Ford Series (NIFF) in which McCormack came out on top beating Dowdall by 13-points with Shane Drake in third. Jack Groenewald picked up the NAPA Auto Parts Driver of the Day as well as the NAPA Auto Parts NIFF Rookie of the Year awards.

In the overall national standings Jacob Begg won the Stephen Gillard Trophy for Top Rookie Driver.

Dowdall won the round, the national title and the Morrie Smith Memorial Trophy for the final race of the season.

“I first won this race back in 2023,” commented Dowdall. “Before that race, Kenny Smith Morrie Smith’s son) gave me his old race gloves and shook my hand and told me I had to go out and win it. And that was my first ever race win in Formula Ford, so thrilled to do it again.

“It’s icing on the cake. It’s the best way to wrap up our time in Formula Ford.

“I think the South Island (rounds) were absolutely crucial to our success. We got to grips with two new tracks pretty quickly and that gave us a good advantage heading back north to our home tracks.”

Dowdall now picks up six Super Licence points towards participating in the Repco Supercars Championship, with a total of 15-points required over the past five years to be eligible to race in the series.

Prizes on offer this season include a $51,000 travel fund made available by the Tony Quinn Foundation. NAPA Auto Parts have offered prizes for Driver of the Day at each round while Yokohama is the tyre of choice for Formula Ford Racing in NZ.