Motorsport: Racing evolution at speed

When the New Zealand Grand Prix is run at Teretonga on Sunday, it will probably mark the end of yet another chapter in our premier single-seater race.

After four seasons contested in Formula Fords, the race is almost certain to switch to the new Toyota Tatuus formula for 2006.

Change is nothing new for the Grand Prix. It has been contested in a variety of racing cars and the Toyota, with its stunning looks, slick tyres and downforce wings, is a step back to the glory days when some of the best drivers in the world raced in versions of their world championship cars.

Motorsport New Zealand records list local driver John McMillan as winner of the first Grand Prix in a Jackson Special at Ohakea in 1950. Aussie Stan Jones, father of world champion Alan, won the first of the regular series at Ardmore in 1954 in a Mayback Special.

Fifty years ago, Thai Prince Bira won in a Maserati and the following year Stirling Moss became the first of a series of superstar winners.

For the next decade New Zealand stars Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme and Chris Amon diced with the likes of Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees and Jim Clark. The Grand Prix became part of the Tasman Cup series, which started with 2.5 litre cars and then moved to the powerful Formula 5000.

Racing shifted from Ardmore airfield to the permanent Pukekohe circuit in 1963 and it was a fixture there until 1991. The cars changed to Formula Pacific, Formula Brabham/Holden and finally Formula Ford and Manfeild, Ruapuna and Teretonga took over as hosts.

Brabham (1958-61) and Craig Baird (1991-93) are the only drivers to win three in a row. Ken Smith has the remarkable record of winning in three decades - 1976 in a Formula 5000 Lola, 1990 in a Formula Pacific Swift and last year in a Formula Ford.

V8 Supercar stars Paul Radisich (1988), Greg Murphy (1994) and Simon Wills (1998-99) all won the race and Radisich actually finished first in 1989 only to be disqualified for a premature start.

Favourite this weekend is probably young Christchurch driver Andy Knight, who was pipped by Smith by a fraction of a second last year. Queenslander Shannon O'Brien and another Canterbury driver Marc Doran should also be prominent and the local favourite will be LeRoy Stevenson from Invercargill.