Teenage driver Alex Crosbie claims third place in South Island champs

Fifteen–year old Invercargill driver Alex Crosbie has surpassed even his own expectations after taking third place in the 2021/2022 South Island Formula 1600 Championship which ended at his home circuit, Teretonga Park in Invercargill last weekend.

Alex, a Year 11 student at Southland Boys’ High School, had raced an older car, a Van Diemen RF92, last season, finishing twelfth in the championship in his first foray in the class. This year he contested the six-round championship in a brand, new car, a Ray GR21. “I was meant to be learning the new car,’ says Alex but I got to grips with it really quick and we were definitely in the running. “The Ray had to be set up differently to the older car but it wasn’t too bad.”

Christchurch based Motorsport Solutions ran the car with Mitch King engineering it and Alex’s dad, Jason, helping out as well. Alex scored good points at the opening two rounds before what he describes as his season highlight, getting his first podium finish at Teretonga Park on the series’ first visit to the track in December, Alex finishing third in the only race held that weekend.

He added more good points at the next two rounds before arriving at the final round back at Teretonga last weekend sitting fourth in the championship and still with a mathematical chance of winning the title.

Caption: Alex Crosbie in his Ray GR21 on his way to his first podium in the South Island Formula 1600 Championship at Teretonga Park, Invercargill in December. Photo: Ron Veint

The main protagonists for the title fought wheel to wheel virtually all weekend with Crosbie battling with eventual championship winner Zac Christensen of Rolleston and the vastly experienced Matthew Hamilton of Christchurch throughout. He finished third in the opening race, setting the fastest lap of the race and then in the second clash did the same – third place and fastest lap. That put him on pole for the finale in which he led for much of the race before eventually finishing second giving him third place in the championship and second in his class.

While Alex says he is “pretty happy with the season,” it is not over yet. He heads to Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in Taupo this weekend for the opening round of the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. It will be a baptism of fire for Alex as he has never driven at the circuit before so his first laps will be during Friday testing. “It will be a big learning curve,” he admits. The second round of the New Zealand Championship a few weeks later will be in familiar territory at Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in Christchurch.

After that Crosbie will turn his focus to next season where he will campaign in the South Island and New Zealand Championships again.

Crosbie has a varied motorsport background having successfully competed in karts, taking a third place at the Nationals and a second at the National Schools Kartsport Championship while also competing across the Tasman in the past. He also competes in speedway, recently winning the Pits Media Trophy with six wins, two seconds and a third placing after rounds at Invercargill, Dunedin and Cromwell. He has also had the occasional saloon car outings at Teretonga Park.