Round 1 of the 2025-2026 NextGen NZ Championship kicks off a blockbuster summer of motorsport in New Zealand this weekend at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.
The Hampton Downs International will be just that – an international event with more than 30 cars, 60 drivers, and more than 100 personnel from Australia to be joined by local talent and teams, as two key GT Championships cross the Tasman to contest the final rounds of their respective championships.
Meanwhile, the 2025/26 seasons for New Zealand’s premier motorsport categories commence with something for everyone from V8 Muscle Cars to GT machinery, one-make racing and more.
It’s the start of a huge summer as the second season of the NextGen NZ Championship commences, before heading into a series of four, back-to-back events in January and early February and then the season finale in March.
This weekend’s event will be held on the fast, flowing and challenging 3.800km Hampton Downs International circuit.
Key Storylines:
- GT World Challenge, GT4 Australia titles to be decided this weekend.
- Kiwi Jaxon Evans leads the GT World Challenge title race in the Arise Racing Ferrari.
- Greg Murphy to return to racing aboard a GT4 Audi R8 with fellow legend, Grant Aitken.
- Supercars stars Ryan Wood, Broc Feeney, and Jayden Ojeda in action.
- More than 100 cars, 130 drivers entered in 7 premier categories, with 20 races scheduled.
- Debut of stand-alone TA2 New Zealand Championship, a return to V8-powered ‘tin tops’ in NZ Motorsport, a decade in the making
- Young stars in the Toyota GR86 Championship are ready to showcase their talent.
- Live broadcast on Sky Sport NZ, Kayo Sports in Australia and YouTube.
There will be plenty of access for fans attending the event this weekend at Hampton Downs, including the below access to the pit lane and the grid – free of charge – and discounted karting at the Hampton Downs karting circuit across the event.
Public Pit Lane Walk:
- Saturday – 11.50am
- Sunday – 12.10pm
Public Grid Walk:
- Saturday – 12.30pm (Monochrome GT4 Australia)
- Sunday 1.10pm – (GT World Challenge)
Signing Sessions (GT World Challenge)
- Saturday – 12pm – 12.20pm
- Sunday – 10:30am – 10:50am
Category Previews:
GT World Challenge Australia:
A 14-strong field of the world’s finest GT machinery will tackle the final round of the GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, with New Zealand driver Jaxon Evans a chance at securing the championship on home soil this weekend.
Headlining the entry list are the two main title contenders, led by Arise Racing GT’s Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte in the WA-based team’s Ferrari 296 GT3 and their Melbourne Performance Centre rivals Broc Feeney and Brad Schumacher.
Just 30 points separate the Ferrari from the Audi R8 LMS EVO II of Feeney and Schumacher – and with 52 on offer over the course of the weekend, an intriguing championship climax is in store.
The field this weekend includes local teams, IMS Racing and Mach1 Engineering, fielding local entries taking on the Aussie best, as well as the New Zealand debut of the stunning Ferrari 296GT3 – of which three will compete this weekend against Audi, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG.
GT4 Australia:
The debut of Monochrome GT4 Australia has drawn an impressive field of 25 cars, with 19 from Australia supported by six local entries this weekend. The final round of the record-breaking 2025 season sees all three class titles still up in the air and the fight likely to go to the final laps on Sunday.
In the Silver class, the two title contenders headlining the field with McLaren Artura GT4 drivers Tom Hayman and Max Geoghegan of Method Motorsport holding a slender seven-point lead over Miedecke Motorsport with Lubrimaxx’s George Miedecke and Rylan Gray (Ford Mustang GT4).
In Silver-Am, all eyes will be on the mouth-watering battle for class honours involving series leader Aaron Seton and Jason Gomersall in the Gomersall Motorsport and fellow Ford Mustang GT4 title contenders Cameron Crick and Dean Campbell, who are split by just 23 points.
In the Am class, leader Jacob Lawrence in the Randall Racing BMW M4 GT4 G82 is in the box seat to go back-to-back courtesy of a comfortable 42-point lead over title rivals Chris Lillis and Nathan Callaghan in the Method Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS.
Toyota GR86 Championship:
There will be fireworks when the Bridgestone GR86 Championship returns to action this weekend as some of New Zealand’s best young talent line up in identical cars for another thrilling season of one-make racing.
The stacked field includes defending champion Hugo Allan, who returns with #1 adorning the side of his iMac engineering entry this weekend in a search for rare back-to-back titles.
There’s a raft of potential contenders, though, including Chris White, Zach Blincoe, Justin Allen, Cooper Barnes, Cormac Murphy and Josh Bethune – among others, already proven contenders for title success.
The field includes 17-year-old Aucklander Lucas McGill, who claimed a $54,000 scholarship from the Tony Quinn Foundation in a shootout earlier this year.
McGill will drive the #25 car for James Marshall Motorsport in the highly anticipated opening round of another hotly contested Toyota season, where stars are born.
GT New Zealand:
Defending champion Rick Armstrong will return to defend his Summerset GT New Zealand Championship this weekend – though he will have to fend off tough competition from key contenders to his throne should he wish to claim back-to-back titles.
Young gun Regan Scoullar steps up into a current-generation 992 Porsche GT3 Cup Car – Armstrong’s title-winning car from last year – this season as he looks to follow in the footsteps of other young Kiwi rising stars using the category to kickstart an international GT career.
Joel Giddy returns with his fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG GT2 to tackle the horde of Porsche GT3 Cup Cars contesting the open class: perennial contenders Sam Fillmore, Luke Manson, Paul Kelly and newcomer Andrew Childe all expected to be in the mix.
The Summerset GT New Zealand Championship will tackle three races this weekend – two sprints followed by a 50-minute enduro encounter, matching the international GT theme of the event at Hampton Downs.
TA2 New Zealand Championship:
The stand-alone debut of the TA2 New Zealand Championship has drawn a field of 16 cars as they race as a Motorsport New Zealand-sanctioned National Championship for the first time this weekend.
The category is hugely popular in the USA and Australia. It features cars with identical Chevrolet V8 engines, four-speed gearboxes and no driving aids whatsoever, ensuring they put on a show every time they hit the track.
It’s the start of a new era for the category as Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro go head to head in a field that blends youth and experience.
While defending champion Peter Ward has confirmed his title defence this year, Rising stars Caleb Byers and Porsche Carrera Cup ace Clay Osborne are likely contenders to the throne, among others.
Porsche NZ Championship:
The ever-popular Porsche Championship perfectly complements the international theme of the Alliance Services Hampton Downs International, with a field of 17 representing a broad spectrum of the iconic German sports car brand.
This weekend marks the second stop on the categories 2025/26 tour, following their opening round last weekend at the Manfield Circuit, where Chris Amon, Nick Cutfield, and Andrew Whittaker split the race wins.
While Daniel Angus, aboard his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, is an early favourite for this weekend’s second round, the variety throughout the field is a highlight, with 11 Porsche Boxter class entries (split between the 2.7 and 2.5 litre categories), a 944 and a Cayman also included in the field.
The Porsche grid races three times this weekend at Hampton Downs.
Central Muscle Cars:
Expect action when the classic Muscle car madness of the NAPA Central Muscle Cars series launches into Hampton Downs this weekend, with some of the heavy hitters of the class locked in for this weekend’s event.
Angus Fogg – recently active in Australia as well as on Kiwi circuits – is back, while Nick Ross’ Dodge Challenger is always a crowd favourite.
The 12-strong grid includes several Ford Mustangs, an HQ Holden, two Chevrolet Camaros, a Holden Torana and a Ford Futura, in a look back to the classic 60s and 70s Muscle car era – with a high-horsepower twist.
The NAPA Central Muscle Cars race three times this weekend at Hampton Downs.
Broadcast Information:
Action on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast live in New Zealand, Australia, and around the world.
- New Zealand: Live on Sky Sport NZ – 12:30pm-5:45pm NZDT Saturday, 8:30am – 5:45pm NZDT Sunday.
- Australia: Live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports: 10:30am – 3:45pm AEDT Saturday, 6:30am – 3:45pm AEDT Sunday.
GT World Challenge Australia and Monochrome GT4 Australia races will also be live on 7plus.
International Audiences: Live streaming via the NextGenNZ YouTube Channel.
Header Image: Tayler Burke
