Formula Ford champion Blake Knowles brings proven pace and an impressive track record to the first-ever Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

And he’s hoping to get off to a flying start when the lights go out for the start this weekend at the Taupo International Motorsport Park.

The 18-year-old apprentice signwriter from Prebbleton, Christchurch started karting at the age of nine and in the past two years has been a standout performer in Formula Ford. He was 2023 South Island Formula Ford Champion and was the New Zealand National Formula Ford title winner this year.

Knowles was also the winner of this year’s first ever Wolfbrook Motorsport Foundation scholarship, winning his drive in the Toyota GR86 and $50,000 towards his racing campaign in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

He has an impressive amount of experience outside of the Formula Ford and karting codes too, and raced with more success recently in Australia, competing at Bathurst’s iconic Mount Panorama circuit in a the Australian TCR championship and taking three class wins at the same track aboard a Nissan Primera Supertourer in the V8 Sleuth Heritage Revival Super Touring Class.

A graduate of the 2023 New Zealand Elite Motorsport Academy, he is one of the country’s best prospects to come out of karting in recent seasons and will run in the six-round Bridgestone GR86 Championship as a Wolfbrook Motorsport entry but overseen by James Marshall Motorsport.

“I am enjoying the car, it’s good and stable and enjoyable to drive,” he said after two productive days of testing at Hampton Downs ahead of the season opener. “Obviously I want to be competitive and be at the pointy end but everyone does, so I’ll be focussing on being fast and consistent and improving what I do continually.”

A full field of 25 cars is expected this weekend when the championship revs up for the first round at Taupo. The six round championship takes in events in the North Island and the South Island and will include appearances at the 69th New Zealand Grand Prix and a return to Taupo to support the annual visit by the Australian Supercars.