The 2025 North Island Endurance Series kicked off in style over the weekend, with the first 3-hour endurance race of the season taking place in cool but dry conditions at Taupō International Motorsport Park.
Despite a compact field of just nine entries, the grid was stacked with talent and delivered a fiercely competitive start to the endurance campaign.
Qualifying: Bryant and Sullivan on Top
Qualifying saw young-gun Tayler Bryant and Steve Sullivan (Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX GT3) storm to pole position with a blistering 1:24.829 lap, four-tenths clear of the front-row pairing of Steve Brooks and Bill Riding (Audi R8 LMS Evo II GT3)
The second row featured Glen Brazier and Andrew Waite (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo) in third, alongside the seasoned Sam Fillmore and Jonny Reid (Audi R8 LMS Evo II GT3) in fourth.
In Class 1, Paul Southam and Robert Steele (Porsche GT3 Cup 992) topped the timesheets. They lined up fifth overall, sharing the third row with the trio of Kane Lawson, Hayden Knighton and Ronan Murphy (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo).
The fourth row consisted of Sam Cotterill/Max Vidau (Porsche GT3 Cup 992) and Glen Cotterill/Brock Gilchrist (Porsche GT3 Cup 992), while the Class 2 duo of Samuel Gilbertson and John McIntyre (Porsche GT3 Cup 991 I MR) started from the rear.
A Fierce Start and Early Drama
Bryant got a clean getaway, leading the field into Turn 1 and engaging in an early battle for supremacy with Brooks/Riding. Just behind them, Fillmore/Reid and Brazier/Waite traded places in a tight contest for third.
Meanwhile, Southam led the way in Class 1, holding a margin over Sam Cotterill and Max Vidau. But as the race settled into a rhythm, Fillmore made a decisive move on lap 14 to grab third from Brazier/Waite.
By lap 18, the race had a new leader. Brooks and Riding surged to the front ahead of Fillmore/Reid, with Bryant/Sullivan slipping to third, with the latter experiencing severe brake knock-off. More trouble struck the early pace-setters soon after, with the left hand rear wheel parting company with car and prompting a safety car. By the time the car was recovered and taken back to the pits, car owner, Steve Sullivan rejoined the race some 7 laps down only to run wide twice in as many laps at Turn 1.
Mid-Race Shake-Up and Strategy Plays
The leaders dove into the pits during the caution period, shuffling the order as teams cycled through their first stops. The safety car peeled off on lap 27 with 45 minutes left to run.
Southam briefly inherited the lead during the pit shuffle, followed by Lawson/Knighton/Murphy, Brooks/Riding, and Fillmore/Reid. But it wasn’t long before the top-tier pace reasserted itself; on lap 34, Brooks regained the lead, with Fillmore quickly following him past Southam to move into second.
As the race hit the halfway mark, Fillmore/Reid seized the lead and began to build a gap.
Closing Stages: Fillmore and Reid Seal the Deal
A minor scare for Glen Cotterill and Brock Gilchrist at Turn 11 on lap 49 triggered a brief caution light, but the action resumed without delay.
A final round of pit stops took place between laps 60 and 72, with Fillmore/Reid rejoining with Jonny Reid behind the wheel and a 17-second lead over Brazier/Waite.
Brooks/Riding sat just 1.7 seconds behind in third.
Waite showed strong pace, clocking the fastest lap of the race on lap 74 with a 1:25.651, and began closing in on the leaders.
With 30 minutes remaining, the gap between first and second shrank to just 10 seconds, but the Fillmore/Reid pairing managed the pressure brilliantly.
At the chequered flag, Fillmore and Reid claimed the overall and GT class victory by 16 seconds, a dominant performance capped by smart strategy and consistent pace.
Brazier and Waite secured a hard-earned second place, while Brooks and Riding completed the GT podium in third, finishing one lap down.
Class Results Round-Up
In Class 1, the battle was just as intense. Sam Cotterill and Max Vidau came out on top, ahead of Glen Cotterill and Brock Gilchrist in second, with early race leaders Paul Southam and Robert Steele rounding out the podium in third.
The Am-Am class honours went to Steve Brooks and Bill Riding, who added to their GT class podium. Paul Southam and Robert Steele finished second, with Steve Sullivan and Tayler Bryant salvaging third despite their earlier misfortune.
Class 2 saw Samuel Gilbertson and John McIntyre take a comfortable victory.
Header Image: Jessica Barnes / Blissful Photography
