Our rich heritage in Motorsport .
Graeme Lawrence Steve Millen Dave McMillan David Oxton Kenny Smith Mike Thackwell Paul Radisich Craig Baird Ross Stone Brent Collins Daniel Gaunt Andy Knight Mitch Cunningham Mitch Evans Nick Cassidy Liam Lawson Matt Payne Greg Murphy Brad Kennett Simon Wills Andy Booth Fabian Coulthard Jonny Reid Simon Gamble Earl Bamber Shane Van Gisbergen Liam Sceats
Graeme Lawrence Steve Millen Dave McMillan David Oxton Kenny Smith Mike Thackwell Paul Radisich Craig Baird Ross Stone Brent Collins Daniel Gaunt Andy Knight Mitch Cunningham Mitch Evans Nick Cassidy Liam Lawson Matt Payne Greg Murphy Brad Kennett Simon Wills Andy Booth Fabian Coulthard Jonny Reid Simon Gamble Earl Bamber Shane Van Gisbergen Liam Sceats
New Zealand Formula Pacific, TRS and New Zealand Grand Prix Champions 1977-2024
New Zealand’s own Brendon Hartley was the first race winner in a TRS car at the age of 15, at Timaru in 2005. He then went on to Formula 1 and also winning Le Mans multiple times.
The Castrol TRS Series has been a proving ground for many other great drivers. Along with Brendon, drivers who have competed in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series (or its successor, the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania) and have gone on to race in Formula 1 include Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, and current Formula 1 driver, Liam Lawson.
Champions
From 1977 to 1993, New Zealand's premier open-wheel racing series, the New Zealand International Grand Prix, was contested by cars built to the Formula Atlantic and later Formula Pacific regulations.
This era was a golden age of NZ Motorsport, attracting both top-tier international talent and showcasing rising local stars.
The series was a stepping stone for many drivers who would go on to have successful careers in other motorsports.
The series also produced many of New Zealand's most celebrated racing drivers. Multiple champions included local legends like Ken Smith, who won in 1984 and 1990, and Craig Baird, who dominated the final years of the championship with three consecutive titles from 1991 to 1993. Other prominent Kiwi drivers who competed in the series included Paul Radisich and Greg Murphy. The New Zealand Grand Prix itself, a key event within the championship, was won by a number of these drivers.