The V8 Utes are heading for a showdown at Hampton Downs

The Ferodo NZV8 Utes are set for an epic battle at the NZIGP event at Hampton Downs this weekend. Daniel Ludlam currently leads the series after scoring two maiden race wins at the opening round at Manfeild last month. Two-time champion Brad Kroef is 2nd after top qualifying, scoring a race win and a 2nd at Manfeild, while the current V8 Utes title holder Glen Collinson in 3rd.

Unfortunately Glen Collinson won’t be there to add more points to his tally due to a family commitment. Yet with several talented newcomers joining the series and 2023 enduro-winner Stu Montieth returning from Europe, there’ll be plenty of pressure up front.

Rookie and former karting champion Mitch Sparrow, while just 19 years old, made quite an impression in his first outing in a Holden ute. Qualifying 2nd fastest then backing that up with 3rd and 4th place race finishes, he’s an exciting new talent to watch. Newcomer Cam Vernon racing a Ford FG Ute achieved a 2nd placing in just his second round in the utes. After setting the lap record in Timaru last season, Blair Gribble-Bowring has stepped up to a Ford FG and is ready to challenge the leaders. With this round sponsored by performance brakes supplier Ferodo, stopping these 1800kg 400-horsepower utes won’t be an issue.

Last month at Manfeild saw the first round of a new format with the V8 Utes racing ahead of the ‘NI Sixes’ – a category restricted to six-cylinder Fords and Holdens. Racers and organizers from both camps were delighted with how the racing played out as around 25 vehicles battled it out for their own race within the one event. With both categories comprising exclusively of Fords or Holdens, they’re keeping alive the tribal rivalry that has been a mainstay of motorsport on both sides of the Tasman for decades.

The ‘Omnigraphics Waikato Challenge’ event, hosted by NZIGP, will feature a comprehensive line-up of categories – from supercarts & Mazda rotaries, to BMWs and big V8s. The action will keep race fans on their toes – well worth the earlybird $15 weekend admission price. Test sessions on Friday 21st will allow drivers to fine-tune their utes. Saturday’s program starts at 8.30am, while for the Ferodo NZV8 Utes, a 20-minte Qualifying session is scheduled for mid-morning with Race One Saturday afternoon. There’ll be a reverse-grid Race Two on Sunday morning with the final race, mid Sunday afternoon with all races being 10 laps.