New face joins Mazda Racing Series grid at Highlands

Aucklander Scott Mills is a new face on the Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series grid as it heads to Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell this weekend.

Mills has been racing for “five or six seasons” in the ex-Garry Bradburn Pro 7 Mazda RX7 known as the ‘Golden Goose’. “We ran a stock set up for the first season,” says Mills, “and we have been developing the car over the past four seasons. We have raced in All Classic Japanese, Improved Production, Rotary Racing, the Production Race Series and in the GT3 Class in GTRNZ.”

There has been plenty of success along the way with many class titles, an overall championship in the Rotary Racing Series and a class win in the HRC Endurance 1 Hour race at the final Pukekohe meeting last year.

Mills admits he is “RX7 mad” and when he first discovered the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting was to be run at Highlands this year, “we booked everything.”

“When the classes were announced our car was not suited. I tried for dispensation and it was declined so the hunt for a car to lease was on. We found a Series 6 RX7 which belonged to Stu Hewer.”

And that is the car Mills will bring to Highlands this weekend. Mills says he would be happy to be mid-pack this weekend. “We are there to race so we will be racing hard. The other goal is to put it back in the trailer straight. It is a big exercise, a two-day trek down and two days back.”

It is Mills first time at Highlands. “I haven’t even been there to watch before!”

Hopefully this will not be the last that Mills is seen on the Mazda Racing Series grid this season. “I will be at Hampton Downs in March. I will have both cars there, Stu’s Series 6 in the Mazda Series and my own Series 4 in GTRNZ. I hope to be on the grid at Hampton Downs in May as well.”

The Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series fight out Round 2 of their National Series and the fourth and final round of their South Island Series at Highlands this weekend. There are two practice sessions on Friday, one at 10.54am and the other at 2.24pm before qualifying and a 10-lap race on Saturday. On Sunday competitors face a 12-lap race early in the day with the finale over 10 laps at 12.48pm on Sunday.

The New Zealand Grand Prix is the feature of the weekend’s Super Sprint Motorsport NZ Championship programme and live television coverage of the racing will be screened on Sky Sport.

Scott Mills is supported by Sprint RE Engineering, Hampden Ltd, Timberworld, DBA Brakes, Toyshop Engineering and Signtek.