KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 24-28 SEPTEMBER WEEKEND PREVIEW đ
Kiwi drivers and riders are spread across the globe for another massive weekend of international motorsport, with action spanning Formula 1, NASCAR, endurance racing, single-seaters, GT competition and SuperMotocross.
Liam Lawson leads the New Zealand interest at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, returning to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad after his recent stint with Red Bull. The challenging Baku street circuit provides the latest test in Lawsonâs 2026 Formula 1 campaign.
In the United States, Shane van Gisbergen continues his NASCAR Cup Series season at Kansas Speedway, tackling the 1.5-mile oval as the championship heads into its closing stages.
Japan hosts one of the weekend’s biggest endurance races, with Nick Cassidy, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber lining up for the FIA World Endurance Championshipâs 6 Hours of Fuji.
Brendon Leitch is also back in European GT action at Monza for Round 7 of the International GT Open. The Monza GT Open 500 differs from the championshipâs usual format, serving as the only endurance race of the season.
Across the Tasman, the AU4 Australian Championship reaches its season finale at Queensland Raceway, where Jackson Culver, William Beck and Marco Manson give New Zealand a three-driver presence for the fifth and final round.
Kiwi interest is also strong at Barber Motorsports Park, with Ryan Yardley pulling double duty across GT4 America and GT World Challenge America. Yardley will contest Rounds 10 and 11 of the GT4 season alongside Round 6 of GT World Challenge America.
Sebastian Manson, meanwhile, heads into the final weekend of the USF Pro 2000 season, with Rounds 16, 17 and 18 bringing the championship to a close.
The endurance theme continues in China, where Jaxon Evans lines up at Shanghai International Circuit for the Shanghai 8 Hour.
On two wheels, Cole Davies rounds out a packed weekend of Kiwi action as the SMX World Championship reaches its final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena.
With New Zealanders competing across 10 categories worldwide, there is plenty to watch throughout another busy weekend of international motorsport.
Check out our detailed weekend preview below for everything you need to know, including session times, how to watch, and whoâs racing where. âŹïž
Liam Lawson | Formula 1
- Where? Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Thursday 8:30 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 12:00 AM
- Practice 3: Friday 8:30 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 12:00 AM
- Grand Prix: Saturday 11:00 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Liam Lawson returns to Racing Bulls alongside Arvid Lindblad this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following his three-race stint with Red Bull in place of the injured Isack Hadjar.
The Kiwi heads back to the team with plenty of momentum after finishing sixth in Madrid, his best result for Red Bull. That followed seventh at Zandvoort, giving Lawson two top-seven finishes during his temporary promotion.
Lawson now turns his attention to the challenging Baku street circuit, where he will look to quickly readjust to the Racing Bulls car and continue adding to his 59-point season tally.
With his Red Bull stint now behind him, another strong weekend in Azerbaijan would continue what has already been an impressive 2026 campaign for the 24-year-old.
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Kansas Speedway, US.
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 3:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 4:10 AM
- Race: Monday 8:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen continues his NASCAR Cup Series campaign at Kansas Speedway this weekend, taking on the 1.5-mile oval as the season heads towards its closing stages.
The Kiwi arrives in Kansas looking to bounce back from a challenging outing at Bristol Motor Speedway, where handling struggles and several penalties left him fighting further down the order.
Despite falling three laps behind during the 500-lap race, van Gisbergen battled through to finish 20th in his #97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
Kansas now presents another opportunity for van Gisbergen to build his experience on NASCARâs intermediate ovals and put together a stronger weekend.
Nick Cassidy, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber | FIA World Endurance Championship
- Where? Fuji International Speedway, Japan
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 1:15 PM
- Practice 2: Friday 5:30 PM
- Practice 3: Saturday 12:30 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 5:40 PM
- Hyperpole: Saturday 6:00 PM
- Race: Sunday 3:00 PM
- How to Watch? FIAWEC+
Three New Zealanders are set for FIA World Endurance Championship action this weekend, with Nick Cassidy, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber taking on the 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan.
Bamber arrives at Fuji carrying strong momentum after finishing second last time out at Circuit of the Americas, while Hartley secured eighth place.
Cassidy endured a tougher outing in the previous round, finishing 16th, and will be looking to bounce back as the championship heads to Fuji Speedway.
With three Kiwis represented in the Hypercar field, there will be plenty of New Zealand interest across the six-hour race.
Brendon Leitch | International GT Open
- Where? Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Italy
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 9:20 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 1:50 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 9:20 PM
- Qualifying 2: Sunday 12:45 AM
- Race: Sunday 11:30 PM
- How to Watch? International GT Open YouTube Channel
Brendon Leitch is back in European GT action this weekend for Round 7 of the International GT Open at Monza, which hosts the championshipâs only endurance race of the season.
The Kiwi heads straight to Italy after competing in GT World Challenge Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend, where he recorded a DNF in Race 1 before bouncing back with a second-place podium finish in Race 2.
Leitch now switches his attention to the Monza GT Open 500 as another busy stretch of his 2026 international racing campaign continues.
Jackson Culver, William Beck and Marco Manson | Australian AU4 Championship
- Where? Queensland Raceway, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 10:00 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 3:00 PM
- Practice 3: Saturday 10:30 AM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 12:25 PM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 12:45 PM
- Race 1: Saturday 3:00 PM
- Race 2: Sunday 11:00 AM
- Race 3: Sunday 2:30 PM
- How to Watch? Blend Line TV YouTube Channel
Three Kiwi drivers head to Queensland Raceway this weekend for the fifth and final round of the AU4 Australian Championship, with Jackson Culver and Marco Manson both in contention for titles.
Culver enters the finale with a narrow one-point lead in the Gen 1 standings after winning the previous round in Adelaide, setting up a tight championship showdown.
Manson also holds the advantage in the newer Gen 2 category, carrying a 16-point lead into the weekend as he chases the overall AU4 crown.
Fellow New Zealander William Beck adds to the Kiwi contingent, sitting fourth in the Gen 2 standings on 39 points, with the possibility of a strong New Zealand finish to the season at Queensland Raceway.
Ryan Yardley | GT4 America & GT World Challenge America
- Where? Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama
- NZ Times:
- GT4 America:
- Practice 1: Friday 8:10 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 11:45 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 4:05 AM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 4:25 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 7:30 AM
- Race 2: Sunday 6:35 AM
- GT World Challenge America:
- Practice 1: Saturday 8:45 AM
- Practice 2: Sunday 3:15 AM
- Practice 3: Sunday 7:50 AM
- Qualifying 1: Monday 1:30 AM
- Qualifying 2: Monday 1:50 AM
- Race: Monday 5:30 AM
- How to Watch? GT World YouTube
Ryan Yardley is set for another busy weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, pulling double duty across GT4 America and GT World Challenge America.
The Kiwi heads into Rounds 10 and 11 of GT4 America after a strong showing at Road America, where he and Damir Hot charged through the field in Race 1 before claiming third in class in a wet and disrupted Race 2.
Yardley also finished third in class alongside Dave Musial Jr in GT World Challenge America, a result which saw the pair take a narrow three-point championship lead.
They now head to Barber for Round 6 looking to protect that advantage as the championship battle continues.
Sebastian Manson | USF Pro 2000
- Where? Road America, Wisconsin
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 1:00 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 4:00 AM
- Race 1: Saturday 8:20 AM
- Race 2: Sunday 5:00 AM
- Race 3: Sunday 10:10 AM
- How to Watch? USF Pro Championships YouTube Channel
Sebastian Manson heads into the final weekend of the USF Pro 2000 season, with Rounds 16, 17 and 18 bringing his 2026 campaign to a close.
The Kiwi will be looking to bounce back after a DNF at Milwaukee last time out, which followed a solid weekend on the streets of Markham.
Manson finished seventh in the opening Markham race before improving to fourth in Race 2, narrowly missing out on the podium.
With three races remaining, the season finale gives Manson one final opportunity to finish his campaign on a high.
Jaxon Evans | Shanghai 8 Hour
- Where? Shanghai International Circuit, China
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 1:00 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 3:40 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 7:30 PM
- Race: Sunday 2:25 PM
- How to Watch? Shanghai8H YouTube Channel
Jaxon Evans heads to China this weekend for the Shanghai 8 Hour at Shanghai International Circuit, continuing a busy stretch of international GT racing for the Kiwi.
Evans will join Phantom Global Racing in the #79 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO, sharing the car with Flynt Schuring, Li Ning and Chris Chia for the eight-hour endurance race.
The Shanghai appearance comes directly after Evans competed in GT World Challenge Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend, before another quick turnaround takes him into the latest endurance challenge of his 2026 campaign.
Cole Davies | SMX World Championship
- Where? Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, Missouri
- NZ Times:
- 250 Qualifying 1: Sunday 12:50 AM
- 250 Qualifying 2: Sunday 3:25 AM
- Moto 1: Sunday 12:10 PM
- Moto 2: Sunday 1:55 PM
- How to Watch? SMX Videopass
Cole Davies heads to Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Missouri this weekend for the SMX World Championship Final, looking to finish his impressive 2026 campaign on a high.
The Kiwi endured a difficult second playoff round in Los Angeles, recovering from a crash to finish fourth in the opening 250SMX moto before a heavy crash while running second forced him out of Moto 2.
Davies is expected to return for the triple-points finale, where he will look to bounce back from his Los Angeles disappointment and end a season that has already delivered the 250SX East and 250 Pro Motocross titles with another strong performance.
Header Image: Steven Tee/LAT Images via Red Bull Content Pool
