Ayrton Hodson has wasted no time getting up to speed at the 2025 Kings of the West Invitational, kicking off his weekend at Wanneroo Raceway in Perth with a strong third-place finish in Race 1 of the TA2 Trans Am weekend.
The Kiwi teenager signalled his intentions early on Friday, clocking the fourth-fastest time in practice with a lap of 0:59.0202, just over a second shy of pacesetter Nathan Herne.
He carried that momentum into qualifying, improving to a 0:59.2294 to claim third on the grid behind Super2 driver Jarrod Hughes and Trans Am powerhouse Herne, setting the stage for an exciting weekend battle.
Race 1 got underway with Hodson’s #32 Mustang locked in a fierce Turn 1 scrap with Clint Rayner’s #76 Camaro. The Kiwi came out on top, holding position in third as the field roared into the opening laps.
Out front, Herne and Hughes quickly separated themselves, engaging in a high-speed duel for the lead while Hodson ran a composed race in their wake.
While the leaders went toe-to-toe, Hodson managed his pace smartly, sitting 2.4 seconds behind but steadily building a buffer over the chasing Rayner. By the halfway point, the gap to fourth had stretched to over three seconds as Hodson kept the pressure on from a distance.
The battle for first came to a head with seven minutes remaining when Hughes launched a bold move down the main straight, snatching the lead from Herne. The pair went side-by-side through the opening corners, but Hughes held firm and began to pull clear, eventually winning by 1.7 seconds.
Behind them, Hodson maintained his rhythm, crossing the line in third and securing a well-earned podium, six seconds off the lead and comfortably ahead of the rest of the field. Rayner and Jackson Callo completed the top five, while Jason Pryde retired after a double off-track excursion.
With three races still to come, two on Saturday at 12:35 PM and 4:05 PM NZT and a final sprint on Sunday at 2:20 PM NZT, Hodson is in a strong position to build on his early success. With confidence growing and pace to match the front-runners, the Kiwi will be one to watch as the Kings of the West weekend continues.
Header Image: Speed Shots Photography
