Yes David, agreed. F5000 in NZ was on its way out as the SCCA switched to the new Can-Am formula. The last year for the formula in the US was 1976. In fact, by the time the SCCA made the change the formula was all but dead in the UK too. Now that I think about it, Australia would have been the only country affected by this. The English builders did supply most of the chassis', but Lola was dominant here, and they would have switched to building centre seat Can-Am cars, even though the early examples were really modified F5000s.

Saloon racing was certainly on the up and up by the early 70s in NZ, although in reality saloon car racing was also suffering with thin grids and lack of money. NZ came to rely heavily on importing overseas teams for the international events, and Bay Park regularly imported international teams for their bigger events, but really this class was suffering, and this eventually showed when it was canned following the 1977 season. Only two cars contested the entire 1977 NZ Saloon Car Championship! All in all, the mid-70s were probably not a good time for NZ motorsport. Though in saying that, the mid-70s were a difficult time in many countries.

But the promotion and magazine coverage at this time still suggested open wheeler racing was very much considered the premier form of racing in NZ.