A mature drive from 16-year-old Matt Day (Lamborghini Huracan GT3), along with top Lamborghini driver and Invercargill local Brendon Leitch, has netted the pair overall victory in the latest Three-Hour South Island Endurance Series race.
There was nothing calm about the day, with wet weather having an impact on Round 2 held at Teretonga Park in Invercargill.
This led to frequent lead changes, both yellow and red flags, while requiring composure coupled with racing as fast as possible in changing, and at times deteriorating, conditions.
“Thrilled with the win,” said Matt Day.
“We didn’t have the pace initially in the dry, but once the rain started, I was able to get into a groove.”
Second home was the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Glen Brazier/Andrew Waite, followed by Sam Fillmore/Jonny Reid (Audi R9 LMS GT3 Evo), Paul Kelly/Kaleb Ngatoa (Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) and Andy Childe/Tom Alexander (Porsche 992 GT3 Cup) in fifth place.
“That was pretty dicey at times, particularly at the restarts,” said Glen Brazier.
“It was a matter of getting into a position to hand over to Andrew (Waite).”
Having missed the opening round a fortnight ago in Christchurch, it was Sam Fillmore (Audi R8 GT3) who took pole position in qualifying and led from the opening lap.
The first 40 minutes of the race, which turned out to be the only dry period, the Brooks/Riding Wolfbrook Audi R8, which won the opening round, spun and dropped down to seventh.
The Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Kane Lawson/Hayden Knighton/Ronan Murphy slotted into second, followed by the Audi R8 GT3 of Luke Manson and James Penrose, then Matt Day and Glen Brazier.
Rain hit the track just before the 45-minute mark, which continued to fall throughout the race, prompting cars to dive for the pits and change to wet-weather tyres.
Fillmore held the lead until just after the one-hour mark, before unfortunately spinning off the track and handing the lead to Day.
With the field under a safety car, the Audi was retrieved, pitted and returned to racing, albeit down the order.
On the restart, it was the Knighton Lamborghini that next spun off the track at Turn one, while the Duncan Cundall-Curry/Blake Knowles (BMW M1 GTR E87) hit a tyre wall, bringing out the red flag.
Having passed Day’s Lamborghini, Luke Manson took the race lead at the halfway mark from Day, Brazier, Brooks, Kelly and Fillmore.
With several teams running both amateur (AM) and professional (PRO) combinations, a minimum of one hour and 50 minutes of running is required for the AM driver. Hence, at this point in the race, several crews were ready for a driver change pit stop.
Unfortunately, it was another leader spinning off with Manson hitting the tyre wall and bringing out a second red flag stoppage.
Once racing got underway again, both Bay and Brazier pitted for driver changes, returning with Brendon Leitch (Pro) vs Andrew Waite (Pro) for a potential showdown to the finish.
Soon after officials first called time on the race to finish by 5:30p.m. due to delays, they changed the leaderboard to show the Wolfbrook Audi in the lead, with Bill Riding at the wheel, due to an incorrect lap count at the last red flag.
With approximately 20 minutes remaining, it was the turn of, again, another race leader to spin off track, with Riding doing so at the Southern Loop.
This handed back the lead to the Dayle ITM Lamborghini of Brendon Leitch, who eventually crossed the finish line ahead of Waite, Fillmore and a contingent of Porsche GT3 Cup 992s led by Kelly, Tom Alexander, Sam Cotterill/Max Vidau and Alan Dippie/Martin Dippie.
With the final third round at the Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell (18 October 2025), Matt Day leads the overall Three-Hour title fight, ahead of Brooks/Riding, and Childe/Alexander.
In the GT Class, Brooks/Riding leads from Day and Brazier/Waite. Childe and Alexander lead Class 1, and Barry Moore/Andrew Giles (VW Golf GTI TCR), who sit seventh overall, are first in Class 3.
“Damage limitation was the key today,” said Jonny Reid.
“It was about circulating and keeping it on the track as these were super tough conditions for everyone, so glad to see the chequered flag at the end.”
Drivers and teams now prepare for the final Round 3 at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, 18 October 2025.
Header Image: Richard Opie Photography
