Family rivalry gets need for speed

Meet Rachael Beck and Alex Crosbie – the Invercargill mother and son duo who have chosen a unique bonding exercise.

They both love to race cars fast, and they do it competing against each other.

This weekend 15-year-old Crosbie and his 42-year-old mother will both line up in the South Island Formula 1600 Championship at Invercargill’s Teretonga Park.

Beck was born into a motorsport family and has been racing cars for about 10 years. Although she is new to open-wheel single-seater racing which she said had been a big learning curve.

Her partner Jason Crosbie – Alex’s dad – is also a motorsport enthusiast.

Naturally, the passion for racing has been passed onto Alex. He started out racing karts as a seven-year-old and hasn’t slowed up.

The Southland Boys’ High School year 11 pupil has quickly emerged as a rising star in New Zealand motorsport.

While the mother and son pair will line up against each other in the same field this weekend both acknowledge there was no competitive rivalry between each other.

Beck said her son was much faster and in a ‘‘different playing field’’. It was more a case of Beck leaning on 15-year-old Crosbie for a bit of help than any sort of mother-son showdown. ‘‘I give her a bit of advice. Just before we come to the track I’ll give her an idea of what gear she is meant to be in and braking where she needs to be breaking, things like that. Just giving her an idea of how to race on the track,’’ Crosbie said about supporting his mum.

For Beck, motorsport was about the adrenalin of racing cars, as well as creating some family memories. For Crosbie, there’s a bit more at play as he goes about building a promising career.

Crosbie is the reigning New Zealand Formula Ford Champion and in October spent time in Kuala Lumpur as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy programme.

He was one of just 24 14-to-17-yearolds selected from New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia to attend the programme.

His success led him to be awarded the senior boys’ sports person of the year at the 2022 Southland Secondary Schools Sports Awards.

Crosbie sits second on the overall standings heading into the South Island Formula 1600 round at Teretonga this weekend. Mum Beck is 15th in the 19-strong field.

The teenager’s short-term focus is having a crack at winning at Teretonga this weekend. The midterm focus was on one day lining up in the Toyota Racing Series, or potentially racing Formula Fords overseas somewhere.

The long-term dream doesn’t differ from many young race car drivers throughout the world.

‘‘I’d like to get to F2, maybe F1. I suppose that’s everyone’s goal, whether I could get there I don’t know. Maybe Supercars as well.’’

Other racing categories being held at Teretonga Park this weekend includes OSCA Super Saloons, Pre 78 Classic Saloons, Pro 7/8 Saloons, NZ Six Saloons, Mini 7’s, Pre 65 Saloons and Noel McIntyre Drainage Club Saloons.

The action starts at 9.30am today and 9am tomorrow.