The return of veteran New Zealand racing driver Ken Smith to the category has added an all-new element to this weekend's opening round of the 2007/08 F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series at the annual MG Classic meeting at Feilding's Manfeild Autocourse.
Up until now series like the New Zealand-based F5000 Tasman Cup Revival one have been the domain of enthusiastic amateur drivers who have lovingly restored cars they watched professionals like Smith put through their paces in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Most of those professionals hung up their helmets years ago but Smith, now 65, continued competing and - incredibly - remains one of the country's quickest drivers, as evidenced by the pace he still shows behind the wheel of his Toyota Racing Series single-seater.
However, of all the cars he has raced over the years it's the 5-litre Chevrolet V8-powered Formula 5000 single-seaters which are closest to his heart. And he jumped at the chance to return to his racing roots when offered a Lola T430 to drive.
"It's something I've always wanted to do so when I was offered the car I couldn't really refuse, could I," said Smith this week. "They're magic cars from a magic era and I still think that my old 5000 (a Lola T332) was one of the best cars I've ever driven. There was just something about them, they were fast, they handled well and with no body downforce to speak of, but big wings front and rear, you could really move them around."
The annual F5000 Tasman Revival Series is now the pre-eminent one in the world for period Formula 5000 racing cars and - largely because of interest in it - New Zealand now has more restored and race-ready Formula 5000 machines (27 at last count) than any other country, including the United States where Formula A (their name for Formula 5000) was the main domestic single-seater series for several years.
Ken Smith is obviously the big drawcard this weekend but his will be just one of a number of 'new faces' on the grid and he points to Christchurch 'young gun' Chris Hyde (son of former Truck Racing champion Avon Hyde) as a likely pace-setter in the McRae GM1 owned and on occasion campaigned until recently by class stalwart Stan Redmond.
Also behind the wheel of a McRae GM1 will be Peter Burson (part of a two-car father/son team with Talon MR1A-driving son Aaron) and last year's surprise package, Stuart Lush. And driving one of the only March 73 F5000 cars left in the world will be long-time class supporter John Mackinlay.
Not surprisingly, given Smith's comments about it, the Lola T332 is the most popular single model.
There will be five on the grid this weekend led by Christchurch's Stan Redmond in his own newly re-liveried ex John Walker car (now finished in the white and orange Magnum Wheels colours it wore when Walker used it to win the 1979 Australian Grand Prix and Gold Star championship) and including local man Sefton Gibb's 2006/07 championship-winning ex Ian Clements' car, classic motor racing identity Russell Greer's ex Graeme Lawrence/Murray Sinclair car, last year's leading rookie Tony Richards in his car and Auckland's Roger Williams in a car he recently acquired from the United States.
The Lola marque will also be represented by Smith and car owner David Abbott in their later model T430s, while Auckland's Poul Christie will again he behind the wheel of his earlier T190.
Also debuting newly acquired cars will be Kerry McIntosh in the ex-Neil Doyle Begg FM2, and Tony Roberts, one of the two men behind the new Hampton Downs circuit, in the very rare McLaren M22.
This season's Tasman Revival Series is again sponsored by shipping line MSC transport operators Pacifica, NZ Express, Bonney Transport, Smith and Davies and Toll, and Avon race tyre importer Dold Industries.
The series is supported by the Historic Racing Club (HRC), the MG Car Club of Wellington, the Historic Motor Racing Club Inc, The Canterbury Car Club, Southland Sports Car Club and Australia's Victorian Historic Racing Register.
2007/08 F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series - Calendar
Rnd 1: November 10-11 2007 MG Classic meeting Manfeild Autocourse (Feilding, NZ)
Rnd 2: January 5-6 2008 Lady Wigram Trophy meeting Powerbuilt Tools Raceway (Christchurch, NZ)
Rnd 3: January 26-27 2008 HRC Tasman Revival meeting Pukekohe Park Raceway (Pukekohe, NZ)
Rnd 4: February 2-3 2008 HRC Tasman Revival meeting Taupo Motorsport Park (Taupo, NZ)
Rnd 5: March 7-9 2008 Phillip Island Historic meeting Phillip Island (Vic, Aust)
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