After a wet and wild encounter at Teretonga for round two last weekend, the GT New Zealand Championship now heads to the Highlands Motorsport Park circuit at Cromwell for round three, and the second leg of the South Island double Header this weekend.
Following Teretonga, Rick Armstrong took the lead of the Championship with 456.5 points, from Luke Manson on 424.5 and Nigel Cromie on 424 – all in Porsche 992 machinery. Joel Giddy, in a Mercedes AMG GT2, slipped from first in the championship coming into round two, and is now fourth on 419.5.
Glen Chappel took the lead of GT4 with 480.5 points from Grant Aitken on 466.5, with Alan Sargeant on 325.5.
This weekend in the Open Class field, seven Porsche 992 Cup Cars make the journey south, in the hands of Rick Armstrong, followed by Sam Fillmore, Luke Manson, Paul Kelly, Andrew Childe, Regan Scoullar and Nigel Cromie.
James Parker returns in his IRC GT machine, and Joel Giddy lines up in the sole Mercedes AMG GT2 machine.
This weekend, three Toyota Supra GT4 EVOs headline the GT4 field. Notably, the 2024/2025 GT4 Champion William Exton is making a return, sharing the Toyota Supra GT4 EVO with Allan Sargeant.
Exton had one of the race battles of the season last year at Highlands, when driving his McLaren Artura GT4, he battled Ayrton Hodson in the Toyota Supra GT4. Exton came out second best in that encounter, but it is rumoured that the RaceLab team, who run the Toyota Supras, have already sent Exton the onboard footage from his battle with Hodson last season.
Exton’s arrival could see a clash of the young guns with rising star Lachlan Evennett partnering again with Glen Chappel, following their round win at Teretonga.
Tony Quinn will pilot the third Supra.
Grant Aitken has elected to swap his Audi R8 GT4, which he raced last weekend, and will instead step into his Porsche Cayman GT4.
Up-and-coming youngster Matt Day joins the championship at Highlands next weekend, fielding a Mercedes AMG GT4.
The husband-and-wife duo of Kerry and Tanya Jones were entered in their respective Ginetta GT4s, but they had to withdraw following mechanical issues at Taupo two weeks ago.
The racing at Highlands will again see two 30-minute races and a single 50-minute feature race held over the weekend.
Header Image: Supplied
