The Nexen Tyre New Zealand Mazda Racing Series returns to action this weekend with Round 2 of the North Island Championship featuring in the inaugural round of the NextGen New Zealand Championship at Taupo International Motorsport Park.
South Islander Arthur Broughan made a successful raid at the opening round of the North Island Series at Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon last month, racing to a clean sweep but he will now concentrate on the Toyota GR 86 Championship for the remainder of the season.
That leaves Stuart Lawton effectively as the series leader as they come to Taupō. Lawton was second in each of the three races at the opening round giving him a good margin over the next best placed driver Rex Edwards, the 2022/2023 champion who made a successful return after a season off.
Aucklanders Lance Gerlach and Karl Gaines were rewarded for fast, consistent performances at Manfeild to be next in the points coming into this weekend.
Others who stood out at the opening round were Aucklanders Leo Bult and Callum Pratt plus another South Islander, Mac Templeton of Prebbleton.
Also quick were Sam Dashfield, Steve Brown and Mark Oudney, while Paige Macey was impressive on her series debut.
Stiaan Kriel, who was third in last year’s North Island Series, returns for a one-off appearance at this round and is sure to mix it at the front. Kriel is now living in Australia but sold a brand new car before leaving the country and returns to give it a shakedown run for the new owner this weekend.
Rejoining the series at Taupō are James Parker and Jesse Gould, while new faces include Steven Gaskell, who has previously raced in the 2K Cup/OK Cup.
It is a strong line up of 23 cars for this, the first NextGen NZ Championship event. The Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing Series served up some of the best racing of last summer and all the ingredients are there for more fireworks this season.
Series competitors will have three fifteen-minute practice sessions on Friday before a fifteen-minute qualifying session on Saturday morning to establish grid positions for Race 1 over ten laps that afternoon.
On Sunday morning competitors face a twelve-lap top ten reverse grid race based on Saturday’s race results followed by their finale over ten laps on Sunday afternoon with a grid based on points to that stage of the round.
