When regular MSC New Zealand F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series visitors Mike Whatley and Linda Stoddart-Whatley fly in from the UK this week for the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing meetings at Hampton Downs which start in a week’s time they will have a special trophy with them.

The Stan Redmond Memorial Trophy celebrates the life of series’ original Stan Redmond who died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident at the final round of the 2012/13 MSC series at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park last February.

As well as being both a competitor and strong supporter of the MSC Tasman Cup Revival Series here and across the Tasman, Redmond made several trips to the UK to race and the Trophy has been put up by a group of drivers and family members from there in consultation with the Redmond family in Christchurch and the New Zealand Formula 5000 Association.

It will be presented – by Redmond’s long-time crew chief and engine man Steve Weeber –  to the driver who puts on ‘The Most Spirited Drive’ at the final round of this season’s MSC series at the annual Skope Classic meeting at Redmond’s home circuit, Mike Pero Motorsport Park (Ruapuna), over the February 01/02 weekend.

The two Hampton Downs meetings which precede the Christchurch final have attracted a 20-strong grid for the MSC series races led by emphatic first 2013/14 series round winner Ken Smith (Lola T332) and including a five-strong UK contingent made up of Mike Whatley (Surtees TS8B) and Greg Thornton (March 76B), husband and wife Frank (Eagle FA74) and Judy (Lola T332) Lyons, and their son Michael (Lola T400).