• Latest
  • Trending
William Exton standing next to Toyota 86

Finalists chosen for Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy Shoot-out

October 28, 2022

Ryan Wood tops Practice 1 as Brown crashes late in Townsville

July 11, 2025

Bewley to make street circuit debut in Townsville Porsche Sprint Challenge Round

July 11, 2025

Rally Debut: Liam Lawson gets a taste of WRC in 2025 Ford Puma Rally1 car at Goodwood

July 11, 2025

Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas this weekend

July 11, 2025

LIVE: Goodwood Festival of Speed – Watch Liam Lawson, Greg Murphy, Mad Mike & more

July 10, 2025

Top US team HMD Motorsports confirmed for Toyota FR Oceania Trophy

July 10, 2025

Jacob Douglas scores podium, Sebastian Manson battles back in USF Pro Championship at Mid-Ohio

July 10, 2025

“We Were Informed in Advance”: What Verstappen’s manager had to say on Horner’s dismissal

July 10, 2025

Martin Brundle breaks silence after speaking with Horner: “No Reason Was Given”

July 10, 2025
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 26: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, and Jos Verstappen talk in the garage during day one of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on February 26, 2025 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202502260251 // Usage for editorial use only //

Red Bull in Turmoil: Horner fired, senior staff axed, Verstappen rift deepens after arguement at British GP

July 10, 2025

Christian Horner fired from Red Bull Racing after two decades at the helm

July 9, 2025
Friday, July 11, 2025
VelocityNews
Subscribe
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Finalists chosen for Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy Shoot-out

by Velocity News
October 28, 2022
in Hampton Downs, News, Toyota GR86 Championship
0

The Hampton Downs New Zealand Racing Academy (HDNZRA) has chosen the three finalists that will race off for this year’s Toyota 86 Championship prize package in a one-day shoot-out on November 9th.

The successful winner will receive a cash prize of $37,500 from the Tony Quinn Foundation towards a season of racing in the 2023 Best Bars Toyota 86 championship following a pressure-cooker evaluation of the drivers both on and off the race track.

The Tony Quinn Foundation has been established to identify, support and sponsor the next generation of talented Kiwis on their journey to the world stage.

Ultimately the goal is to create a global network of Kiwis, supporting Kiwis to the world stage, through contacts, mentoring, funding, training and opportunities.

The finalists are as follows.

Tom Bewley:

Tom Bewley standing with man
Photo: Bruce Jenkins

The youngest of the three finalists is just-turned 15-year-old Tom Bewley, a student at Havelock North High School.

Bewley comes to the shoot-out with an impressive karting resume and is the youngest driver ever to represent New Zealand at the worlds.

He is both the current North Island Junior champion (Rotax) and South Island Junior champion (Vortex).

Cormac Murphy:

Cormac Murphy standing next to motocross bike

Cormac Murphy, also from Havelock North, has won a place in the shoot-out from a very different pathway.

The 18-year-old youngest son of Greg Murphy is hoping to follow older brother Ronan’s success in Toyota 86 racing but has done very little circuit driving, apart from the Level 1 and Level 3 HDNZRA 86 tests and with a couple of track days with his father.

Cormac comes from a competitive background in Motocross.

Willam Exton:

William Exton standing next to Toyota 86

The third finalist is successful Blenheim kart racer Willam Exton, also 18.

Exton has more seat time than the others having driven two rounds of the South Island Endurance Series in a Toyota 86. He leaves in November for the Rotax worlds in Portugal.

On the day:

The finalists will start the day with a familiarisation run on the Hampton Downs circuit before they each do a Qualifying simulation and then a longer ‘race run’.

Off track there will be a commercial component where they will be put through their ‘off track paces’ by TQ Foundation Trustee’s Steve Horne and Josie Spillane.

Just how significant is the HDNZRA Shoot-out?

HDNZRA chief instructor Daniel Gaunt is all too familiar with the pressure-cooker situation of shoot-out competitions and knows it’s essential to perform on the day.

“I’ve been there, contested shoot-outs, won them and lost them,” said Gaunt.

“The prize is a big step towards a racing budget for a season and the reality is to win the prize you simply have to step up and perform on the day over three aspects, driving, understanding the commercial requirements and the ability to relate technical information about the car set-up and performance.”

Over the past 12-months over 70 drivers have gone through the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy which qualifies them to be selected.

While drivers going through the Academy drive a HDNZRA Toyota 86, for the shoot-out the three finalists will steer a fully race-prepared Toyota 86.

The HDNZRA shoot-out winner will be on the grid for the first round of the 2023 Best Bars Toyota 86 championship at the Highlands race circuit, Cromwell in mid-January. The season features six rounds with the opening two based in the South Island.

Last year’s inaugural winner Matthew McCutcheon finished a creditable sixth in the New Zealand championship.

Tags: Cormac MurphyHampton DownsHampton Downs New Zealand Racing AcademyHDNZRATom BewlyToyota 86 ChampionshipWilliam Exton

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.