The Nexen Tyre NZ Mazda Racing North Island Series heads to Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in North Waikato this weekend for Round 4 of the 2024/25 season, promising a dramatic showdown.
A significant shift in title contention, the return of seasoned racers, and a fresh face add layers of excitement and intrigue.
Tauranga’s Rex Edwards, who holds a 40-point lead over Paraparaumu’s Stuart Lawton after three rounds, has withdrawn from the remainder of the season due to car damage sustained in the South Island. This leaves five drivers within 39 points of each other heading into the final three rounds.
Lawton leads with 294 points, just eleven ahead of Auckland’s Karl Gaines (also the leading Masters driver). Gaines holds an eleven-point advantage over fellow Aucklander Callum Pratt, who sits twelve points ahead of Canterbury’s Mac Templeton, with Sam Dashfield (Auckland) a further five points behind.
Templeton’s recent hot streak, including two wins and a new lap record at Round 3 in Hampton Downs, makes him a contender. However, Lawton’s two second-place finishes (hampered by mechanical issues at Round 2) and Gaines’ consistent performance keep them firmly in the mix. Pratt and Dashfield have also secured race wins throughout this intensely competitive season.
Adding to the dynamic, several wildcards enter the fray. Arthur Broughan (Tuamarina) returns to the series, bringing considerable experience from his current eighth-place standing in the GR86 Championship. His previous successes, including a clean sweep at the North Island Mazda Series opener and a pole position at Hampton Downs in the GR86 Championship, highlight his potential. Joining Broughan is 2017/2018 champion Andrew Jackson from Auckland, taking the wheel of Leo Bult’s car.
The field is further expanded by thirteen-year-old Auckland driver Ajay Giddy (turning fourteen the day after the round), another GR86 Championship competitor.
In the Teams Championship, Team Premier Insulation (Pratt and Dashfield) maintains the lead.
The weekend’s racing format includes a fifteen-minute qualifying session on Saturday morning, followed by a ten-lap race. Sunday features a twelve-lap race with the top ten from race one reversed on the grid, concluding with a ten-lap race based on accumulated weekend points.
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
