Ruapuna set to roar this weekend | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Up and coming Christchurch driver Andy Knight's only regret about this weekend's Toyota series races at Ruapuna is that the Lady Wigram Trophy isn't at stake.

The series ? Ruapuna is the third round ? has revitalised New Zealand singleseater motorsport this season.

The identical cars ? Italian Tatuus chassis, Toyota 1.8 litre engines, and wings and slicks ? have produced great racing so far and the three races at Ruapuna could be a big pointer to the final outcome.

However, 18-year-old Knight wishes they were battling for the Lady Wigram Trophy this weekend, too.

"It should definitely have been put up, and it will be next year because Ruapuna gets the New Zealand grand prix," he said.

Last year the trophy was at stake for formula three cars but there were only eight or 10 ? and only two or three on the pace, he pointed out. The Toyota series has 20 cars.

One of the promising young drivers out to make a name in the new class, Knight was fourth overall in the last round at Teretonga, and second in the second heat.

He was surprised to do so well after breaking his front wing in the last race and dropping to 10th, but he was not the only driver to strike trouble.

Also racing the formula Ford series (in which he is second overall), Knight should be helped at Ruapuna by not having the distraction of racing in two classes. At Teretonga and Timaru he raced both Toyotas and formula Fords.

The Toyotas were doing 235km/h on the Teretonga straights, but Knight said he thought they'd be even quicker for straight line speed.

"But they corner a lot faster than the formula Fords, with the wings and big wide slick tyres. And it's better than the formula Fords where two or three are out front, and that's it."

The new cars would be "very quick through that tight infield" at Ruapuna, he said.

In the Toyotas if you made a mistake you were seventh or ninth on the grid because everything was so close, whereas in the formula Fords you could get away with mistakes, he said.

The racing had been good in the new series and thrown up a few drivers who might not have been expected to go so well, he said.

Series leader Brent Collins of Timaru had been quick every time, but after two rounds this round could be the one to sort out where the honours were going to go, he said.

Next year Knight, the third generation of a famous boat-racing and motorsport family, will race only the Toyotas.

"The costs are similar but the cars are quite a bit better, and the racing is a lot tighter and closer," he said.

At Ruapuna there is one race tomorrow and two on Sunday.