THE CARS ARE THE STARS !
The 2026 Southern Classic will feature a bumper list of top level classic and historic race cars, with a total entry list of over 150 vehicles spanning over 80 years of motor racing heritage.
Scroll Down for a taste of what to expect.
FORMULA JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL
We are incredibly pleased to once again welcome the return of the Formula Junior International historic single seater cars to our meeting.
Formed in 1958 Formula junior was an international single seater series created to provide a springboard for future formula 1 legends.
The series was designed around simple and affordable race cars and quickly established itself as a direct feeder category across 5 continents.
Today the Formula Junior Group enjoy large fields of these fantastic historic cars and continue to compete in Europe, the US, and luckily for us, New Zealand and Australia.
Pre 78 Saloons
New Zealand's largest field of classically orientated Saloon cars.
Pre 78's feature a wide range of pre 1978 racing cars that never fail to provide close and spectacular racing. Think Mini Coopers vs. Vauxhall Viva GT's, Ford Escort's vs. Hillman Avengers, just to name a few. Then in case that wasn't enough, there's Chev Camaros, and Ford Mustang creating some of the best David vs. Goliath racing on any track.
All the cars in this group are impeccably turned out and many cars are still road registered.
CMRC ALLCOMERS
CLASS A
The Allcomers group is quickly becoming one of the most popular catergories for classic saloon racers in the South Island. Made up of 2 classes based solely on lap time brackets Class A features some of the fastest classic saloon cars to grace the classic racing scene.
Again as always, 2026 will provide a vast assortment of models and powerplants from tube framed style cars, to muscle and pre 1990 turbo technology. All racing closely but with care these cars always provide close exciting racing at high speeds.
CMRC ALLCOMERS
CLASS B
Making up the second class of CMRC Allcomers is Class B. These cars must run in a lap time bracket of 1.13 onwards. This feild features an even larger variety of makes and models of stripped out racing saloons. BMW's, Fiats, Alfa Romeos, Toyotas, Holdens, Fords you name it its there, and there will be great racing throughout the feild.
PRE 66 VINTAGE AND HISTORICS
Many of the single seater and sports cars in this group are a piece of New Zealand motorsport history. They are the cars that competed in period during the 1950's and 1960's. These cars are also combined with "new" specials created in the spirit of those bygone years.
Get to see history at its fastest !
CONTINENTAL RENNSPORT
A class open to a wide rage of German manufacturers such as Porsche, BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Bringing together the best marques from Bavaria racing together, Southern Classic 206 will mark the final round of the Rennsport championship so there will be point battles and scores to be settled. Get ready for some European style action the track.
FORMULA LIBRE
Libre as a definition means 'open and free', and this class represents that philoshophy applied to racing vehicles. This catergory is made up of a wide variety of singkle seater race cars form various single seater catergories, and periods of racing history. Throw in the mix some sports and open top cars the racing is always enjoyable to watch.
HMX-5 HERITAGE CUP
TheCreated in Manawatu in 2010/2011, this one make series creates a highly compettve gird f MX-5 Miata's. The worlds highest selling sports car can now prvide competitors world wide the opportunity to take part in a cost effective racing, close quarters race series.
And now these cars are over 30 years old, a MX-5 Miata represents eveything that a "modern day classic" is all about.