Motorsport: Hill aims to match grandad in NZ

Josh Hill practices at Teretonga. Photo / Supplied

The 1996 Formula One world champion Damon Hill is in town but he's not here to follow in his dad Graham's footsteps and race in New Zealand.

He's here to keep an eye on his son, Josh, who's about to kick off his Toyota Racing Series campaign at Teretonga, near Invercargill, this weekend. Josh is the third generation of the Hill racing dynasty. He's using the New Zealand TRS series as a means to get some race kilometres under his belt before he heads back to Europe.

"I hadn't realised until recently that my grandad had come down here and won the New Zealand Grand Prix. I will definitely be aiming to win it as well. That will be a special one to get," said Josh.

The 19-year-old Brit, compared with some of his contemporaries, is a relative newcomer to motor racing, having decided to take up the mantle at 15, and has raced Formula Fords for two years. He'll step up to Formula Renault this year and was chuffed to finally get behind the wheel of the TRS.

"My initial impressions of the car are good. It's a bit twitchy and quite alive. It's a brilliant car and really nice to drive. I haven't driven too many different things back at home so it's a new experience for me. It's going to be a good challenge as well," said Josh.

More international drivers are heading Downunder for the New Zealand motorsport season to gain an advantage over their rivals in the upcoming European season.

"I could have easily stayed at home in the UK and done miles and miles of testing at a cold Brands Hatch or somewhere where you might not be able to drive at all because of the snow.

"There's no substitute for racing. You can be as competitive as you like in testing but, until you get into a race, you don't really know what you can do.

"You may not do as many miles as in testing but it's definitely worth more in experience to go racing. And that was one of the main reasons for coming over and doing the series."

There are a number of other drivers contesting the TRS series who will have their own plans on racing away with the title but it would be fair to say none of them will be sitting next to a former world F1 champion on the drive home from the circuit.

Josh, if he so wishes, will be able to call upon his dad for advice on all manner of racing things.

"He is there to give me a lot of good advice and I do try and listen but, at the end of the day, he is my dad so, sometimes, well ... but I realise how much experience he does have so I do listen," said Josh.

Most parents would prefer their offspring weren't embarking on a career that could possibly end in tears but when you come from a motor racing heritage it's a bit hard to say, "no you can't do it".

"Parents don't automatically want their children to do something that has a high level of risk to it," said Damon.

"But, thankfully, motorsport is a lot safer now than it used to be and it hasn't lost any of its excitement so I can understand why he'd [Josh] want to do it."

There seems to be so much energy and effort put into finding the next big junior thing in racing these days and shoving them into a kart before they can go to the toilet on their own. It's refreshing to see a driver who can start his racing career after he's learned to read and write.

"There's so much intensity put into cultivating young talent I think some may get burned out. Maybe some of them haven't even asked themselves the question if they really want to do it themselves," said Damon.

"I've had the conversations with Josh saying to him he doesn't have to do it. He convinced me it's what he wants to do and has been from when he was 15. It definitely wasn't my suggestion [for Josh to go racing]."

Not only does Josh think coming to New Zealand to race in the TRS series will hold him in good stead back in the UK, his dad - who knows a thing or two about racing at the elite level - thinks the same.

"Competition improves the breed, it really does," said Damon.

Josh is sure to get a lot of competition over the next couple of months as the TRS series has attracted a talented bunch of drivers from Europe, as well as Australia and our own homegrown talent to boot.

Red Bull Junior Daniil Kvyat, British 2.0 Formula Renault winter champion Alex Lynn, defending TRS champ Kiwi Mitch Evans and Aussies Scott Pye and Jordan Skinner, who both won British championships, will be among those out to make Josh's job of winning a tough ask.

TRS series

Round 1: January 13-16, Teretonga Park, Invercargill

Round 2: January 20-23, Timaru International Raceway, Timaru

Round 3: February 3-6, Hampton Downs, Auckland

Round 4: February 10-13, Manfeild, Feilding

Round 5: March 10-13, Taupo Motor Racing Circuit, Taupo


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