It’s another jam-packed weekend of international action for our Kiwi stars, with no fewer than 16 drivers flying the flag across nine different series around the world!
In the U.S., Shane van Gisbergen is back on the NASCAR Cup grid at Kansas Speedway, while over at Indianapolis it’s all go — with Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong lining up in IndyCar, Callum Hedge and Liam Sceats in Indy NXT, and Jacob Douglas and Sebastian Manson back in action in USF Pro 2000.
Closer to home, Supercars heads across the ditch to Symmons Plains with five New Zealanders on the grid, while young gun Ayrton Hodson returns in Super2 after making a real impression on debut.
We’ve also got Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber chasing big results in the World Endurance Championship at Spa, Brendon Leitch and William Bamber are back in the States for Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America at Laguna Seca, and Chris van der Drift making his long-awaited return in GT World Challenge Asia. And don’t forget Cormac Buchanan, who’s set to take on Le Mans as Moto3 heads to France!
It’s a full-on weekend — here’s where to catch all the Kiwi talent doing us proud.
Shane Van Gisbergen: NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Kansas Speedway, Kansas.
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 8:30 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 9:40 AM
- Race: Monday 7:00 AM
- How to Watch: ThreeNow (race only)
Shane van Gisbergen is back on the NASCAR Cup grid this weekend for Round 12 of the season at Kansas Speedway, once again behind the wheel of the #88 Trackhouse Racing Camaro.
While it’ll be his first Cup start at the 1.5-mile oval, the Kiwi does have experience at the venue, having raced there in Xfinity last year — where he carved through the field from 22nd on the grid to finish eighth.
Van Gisbergen will be hoping for a stronger outing from Trackhouse this time around, with the team having faced challenges in qualifying across the season. He currently sits 35th in the standings heading into the Kansas weekend
Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin & Marcus Armstrong: Indycar Series
- Where? Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Indiana.
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 1:30 AM
- Practice 2: Saturday 5:10 AM
- Qualifying R1 Group 1: Saturday 8:35 AM
- Qualifying R1 Group 2: Saturday 9:00 AM
- Qualifying Round 2: Saturday 9:25 AM
- Qualifying Fast 6: Saturday 9:50 AM
- Warmup: Sunday 3:32 AM
- Race: Sunday 8:45 AM
- How to Watch: Sky Sports
The IndyCar Series is back for the second weekend running, continuing its build-up to the 109th Indianapolis 500 with a stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
All three Kiwis — Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, and Marcus Armstrong — will be in action, coming off a solid collective showing at Barber. McLaughlin qualified on the front row and converted it into a strong third-place finish, Armstrong rolled the dice on strategy and led a few laps, while Dixon pulled off a classic comeback drive from 26th to 12th after a tough qualifying.
Let’s see if one of the Kiwi trio can strike gold at The Brickyard this weekend.
Callum Hedge & Liam Sceats: Indy NXT
- Where? Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Indiana.
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 3:05 AM
- Qualifying Group 1: Saturday 6:30 AM
- Qualifying Group 2: Saturday 6:48 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 11:00 AM
- Race 2: Sunday 5:00 AM
- How to Watch: Indycar LIVE
Also back for the second weekend running is Indy NXT, with the field lining up for a double-header at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course — Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2025 season.
Both Callum Hedge and Liam Sceats will be on the grid, with Hedge aiming to rebound after a frustrating outing at Barber, while Sceats looks to carry on his momentum from Alabama, where he scored a career-best sixth.
The results have Sceats sitting equal 9th in the standings, with Hedge close behind in 12th heading into the weekend.
Practice, qualifying, and Race 1 all take place on Saturday NZT, with Race 2 set to air early Sunday.
Jacob Douglas & Sebastian Manson: USF Pro 2000
- Where? Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Indiana.
- NZ Times:
- Test 1: Friday 5:10 AM
- Test 2: Friday 7:30 AM
- Practice: Friday 9:20 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 12:40 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 7:05 AM
- Race 2: Sunday 1:30 AM
- Race 3: Sunday 6:20 AM
- How to Watch: YouTube
Rounding out our seven-strong Kiwi contingent at Indianapolis this weekend are Jacob Douglas and Sebastian Manson, who return for Round 3 of the 2025 USF Pro 2000 season.
Douglas has been in fine form through the opening rounds in St. Petersburg and NOLA, finishing inside the top four in four of the first five races — including a podium in St. Pete — and currently sits fourth in the championship standings.
Manson, meanwhile, started the year with promise, qualifying fifth on debut and scoring an eighth-place result in Race 2 at St. Pete.
A tough weekend at NOLA saw him just miss the top ten, and he’ll be looking to bounce back at the Brickyard. He enters the weekend 16th in the standings.
Matthew Payne, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans, Ryan Wood, Richie Stanaway: Supercars Championship
- Where? Symmons Plains Raceway, Tasmania
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 1:55 pm
- Practice 2: Friday 5:00 pm
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 11:05 am
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 11:55 am
- Race 1: Saturday 2:05 pm
- Race 2: Saturday 5:55 pm
- Qualifying 3: Sunday 11:35 am
- Top Ten Shootout: Sunday 1:55 pm
- Race 3: Sunday 4:45 pm
- How to watch: SkySport
Supercars is back this weekend for the first time since visiting our shores last month, lining up for Round 4 of the 2025 season at Symmons Plains Raceway.
As usual, we have five Kiwi talents flying the flag — led by Matthew Payne, who delivered his strongest Supercars event to date in Taupo, winning two of the three races and taking home the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. Payne now sits third in the Championship, just 46 points off series leader Will Brown.
Joining him is Ryan Wood, who claimed his first Supercars podium at Taupo with a third-place finish in the opening race, and currently sits 12th in the standings.
Andre Heimgartner also had a strong showing on home soil, banking three top-ten finishes to sit inside the championship’s top ten.
Rounding out the Kiwi contingent are Jaxon Evans and Richie Stanaway, both looking to rebound after challenging weekends at home — Evans currently sits 17th in the standings, with Stanaway in 22nd.
Ayrton Hobson: Super2 Series
- Where? Symmons Plains Raceway, Tasmania
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:25 am
- Practice 2: Friday 3:30 pm
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 12:40 pm
- Race 1: Saturday 4:30 pm
- Qualifying 2: Sunday 11:00 am
- Top 5 Shootout: Sunday 12:55 pm
- Race 2: Sunday 2:40 pm
- How to watch: SkySport
Joining Supercars in Tasmania this weekend is the Super2 Series, returning to Symmons Plains for the first time since 2018.
Back on track is young Kiwi prospect Ayrton Hodson in the #28 Anderson Motorsport Ford Mustang.
Hodson made an immediate impression on debut at Sydney Motorsport Park, topping his first-ever practice session before qualifying on the front row — just 0.03s off pole — and finishing fifth in Race 1.
Race 2 proved more challenging, though he showed good racecraft to climb back to 16th after qualifying further down the order. He heads into Round 2 sitting 12th in the standings, just nine points shy of the top ten.
Brendon Hartley & Earl Bamber: FIA World Endurance Championship
- Where? Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
- NZ Times:
- Practice 3: Friday 9:00 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 12:40 AM
- Grand Prix: Sunday 12:00 AM
- How to Watch: WEC TV
Now we look to Belgium for Round 3 of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Back in action are our Le Mans-winning duo of Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber.
Hartley returns with Toyota Gazoo Racing alongside teammates Sébastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa, as the team continues a season of damage limitation — having collected a pair of fifth-place finishes as they work to match the pace of Ferrari and BMW.
Bamber, meanwhile, is back behind the wheel of the #38 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac Hypercar, sharing driving duties with Sébastien Bourdais and Jenson Button. The trio have shown promising speed, but incidents have hampered their results so far.
Both Kiwis will be pushing for a breakthrough performance this weekend in Spa.
Brendon Leitch & William Bamber: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
- Where? Laguna Seca, California
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 6:25 am
- Practice 2: Saturday 10:40 am
- Qualifying 1: Sunday 2:55 am
- Qualifying 2: Sunday 3:20 am
- Race 1: Sunday 11:45 am
- Race 2: Monday 4:35 am
- How to watch: YouTube or IMSA TV
After racing an Audi R8 in GT World Challenge Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend, Brendon Leitch has made the journey back to the U.S. for Round 2 of the 2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series.
Leitch returns to the grid after a dream debut at Sebring in March, where he and teammate Anthony McIntosh took victory in their first outing together in the series.
The Kiwi will be looking to carry that winning momentum into this weekend’s event at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit in California.
Joining him will be William Bamber in the #29 alongside Elias De La Torre.
Cormac Buchanan: Moto3 World Championship
- Where? Bugatti Circuit Le Mans, France
- NZ Times:
- Free Practice 1: Friday 7:00 pm
- Practice: Friday 11:15 pm
- Free Practice 2: Saturday 6:40 pm
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 10:50 pm
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 11:15 pm
- Race: Sunday 9:00 pm
- How to watch: ThreeNow
But wait, there’s more! Also flying the Kiwi flag this weekend is teenage talent Cormac Buchanan, who returns for Round 6 of the 2025 Moto3 World Championship at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.
After a pair of tough outings in Qatar and Spain — where he showed impressive pace and progressed into Q2 on both occasions — Buchanan will be aiming to convert that speed into points.
He’ll be looking to bounce back strongly at one of the most iconic venues on the calendar.
Cole Davies – Supercross 250SX West
Kiwi sensation Cole Davies is gearing up for a pivotal weekend as he heads into the 250SX East/West Showdown in Salt Lake City, marking the finale of the 2025 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.
After a challenging outing in Denver, where an incident involving teammate Haiden Deegan disrupted his race in the final laps, the 17-year-old from Waitoki, New Zealand, is eager to bounce back and conclude his rookie season on a high note.
Despite the setback in Denver, Davies has showcased remarkable talent and resilience throughout his debut season. He clinched his first professional Supercross victory in Seattle, becoming only the second New Zealander to win an AMA Supercross main event, following his former coach Ben Townley. With a series of strong performances, including multiple podium finishes, Davies has firmly established himself as a rising star in the 250SX West division.
Returning to Salt Lake City holds special significance for Davies, as it’s the venue where he secured the 2024 Supercross Futures AMA National Championship. Drawing from his past success at this track, he aims to leverage that experience to deliver a standout performance in the high-stakes East/West Showdown.
- Where? Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 4:20 AM
- Qualifying 1: Sunday 5:20 AM
- Qualifying 2: Sunday 7:50 AM
- 250 West Heat: Sunday 11:19 AM
- Last Chance Qualifier: Sunday 12:23 PM
- 250 East West Showdown Main Event: Sunday 12:52 PM
- How to Watch: Super Motocross Video Pass
Chris van der Drift: GT World Challenge Asia
- Where? Mandalika International Street Circuit, Indonesia
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 3:10 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 7:15 PM
- Grand Prix: Sunday 4:15 PM
- How to Watch: YouTube
And finally, we have Chris van der Drift, who makes his long-awaited return to GT World Challenge Asia this weekend — his first appearance in the series since 2019.
This weekend the championship heads to Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit for Round 2 of the season, with van der Drift teaming up with Adrian D’Silva in the #61 Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R.
It’s a welcome return for the experienced Kiwi, who’ll be looking to make an immediate impact on his comeback.
Header Image: Scott McLaughlin Facebook
