Sprague cleans up penultimate Mazda Pro8 round at Highlands

A thrilling victory for Timaru’s Corban Sprague highlighted the latest round of the 2024/25 Mazda Pro8 New Zealand series at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell on Sunday. Despite series leader Jared Pyke’s strong second-place finish, Sprague’s dominance was undeniable, marked by the fastest qualifying lap and three race wins.

While Sprague won the round, points leader Pyke maximized his points, winning one race and finishing second in the other three. Sprague moved into second overall, reducing the points gap to Pyke from 72 to 48 points with one round remaining in Christchurch at the end of March.

“It was a pretty successful weekend,” commented Sprague. “We had a pace advantage, so we kept it smooth in each race; it’s all about the championship fight. It was a matter of being fast but keeping our nose clean.”

Sprague’s success began in qualifying, where he secured pole position by a narrow margin of 0.126 seconds over Pyke, with Ben McConochie a further second back in third. This translated into a Race 1 victory for Sprague, followed by Pyke and McConochie.

“I managed to get a good start in the opening race and led from there,” Sprague recalled. “Jared (Pyke) was close behind, so I had to be on my game and not make any mistakes.”

The marble draw determined the starting grid for Race 2. Pyke won, followed by Sprague, McConochie, Stewart, and Bradley Dawson. “We had really good speed and made some good gains in the first two races. I was stoked to win the marble-draw Race 2,” said Pyke. A power steering problem hampered his performance in the final two races, significantly reducing his pace.

The reverse-marble draw Race 3 saw Sprague start fourth. “I again got a really good start and fought hard early, taking the lead by the end of the first lap,” said Sprague. “From there, it was a matter of consistent lap times, staying in the groove and taking the win.” Pyke, despite power steering problems from the warm-up lap, salvaged second place behind Sprague.

“For the final race, I was able to beat Jared off the line and managed to pull a gap,” said Sprague. “Jared certainly brought it up a level, so it was a matter of putting in some good lap times and getting the win.”

Heading to the final round at Euromarque Motorsport Park in Christchurch (March 22-23, 2025), Pyke holds a 48-point advantage over Sprague. Bradley Dawson is firmly in third, followed by McConochie and Evans.

This sets the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the season, with everything to play for in the final four races. Sprague, now within striking distance, commented: “It’s a big ask with only four races remaining, but I’ll give it my best shot. I’m quite happy to be chasing; I thrive under pressure, so it will be game on.”

Mazda Pro8 New Zealand Points after Round 4 of 5 (Top 15):

Header Image: Enuff Photography & SoutherNZonePhotography