History

Craig Greenwood created Formula Challenge and has been involved in a motor racing in New Zealand for over 20 years. In that time he has transformed a hobby into a business based in Taupo. As an amateur competitor in Formula First he started designing and building his own race cars. It wasn't long before his design was winning at National level and soon other people were eager to purchase Challenge Formula Firsts.

He has built over 23 Formula Firsts, most of which are still competing at national level. Challenge designed Formula First race cars have won the national championships for consecutive four years, with Craig taking the National Championship title in 1997, proving that not only can he design and build top cars, but he also understands what a driver requires from a car. In recognition of Craig's Kiwi ingenuity and excellence in engineering, he was selected for the prestigious John Britten Memorial Award in 1996, in conjunction with the New Zealand Motorsport Person of the Year Awards.

In early 1999 Craig began designing and building Formula Challenge as a new type of racing car. Primarily this was to introduce a class of car to New Zealand which was both competitive and affordable, but most importantly gave the impression that you were driving an F1 car. He has now manufactured a total of 14 cars to allow people to experience the thrill of being driven in a single seater racing car.

Craig was instrumental in running the successful Formula Challenge TV series which was introduced to New Zealand Motorsport enthusiasts in 2002 and has continued yearly through to 2005.

Formula Challenge is operating from the international A1 circuit at Taupo, and also  at Hampton Downs just outside Auckland and is a motorsport approved school for both new and experienced drivers using single seaters race cars and now also V8 race cars. With the improved Taupo Motor Racing circuit and business park now operational, Formula Challenge is now on call and available whenever the circuit is not exclusively booked.