• Latest
  • Trending

Lawson laps under Highlands record ahead of NZ Endurance Championships

November 5, 2020

Hamlin wins from pole at Gateway as Van Gisbergen’s playoff battle takes another hit

September 8, 2025

Verstappen triumphs at Monza as Lawson endures gruelling Italian Grand Prix

September 8, 2025

Liam Lawson frustrated after Q1 exit leaves him 19th on Italian GP grid at Monza

September 7, 2025

Norris tops Monza FP3 as Leclerc pushes Ferrari, Lawson sidelined by floor damage

September 6, 2025
2025 SRO AUSTRALIA, SHANNONS SPEEDSERIES ROUND 4.
SANDOWN, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
WORLD COPYRIGHT: RACE PROJECT: RP_12715.CR3

Evans and Schutte extend Championship lead as Wood and Brooks take fourth at The Bend

September 6, 2025
MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 05: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 battle for track position during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 05, 2025 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Sam Bloxham/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202509050705 // Usage for editorial use only //

Liam Lawson faces tough day despite vast track experience at Monza, as McLaren and Ferrari lead FP2

September 6, 2025

Bewley and Robb show speed and resilience in action-packed Porsche Sprint Challenge weekend at The Bend

September 6, 2025

Ferrari shine at Monza, Hamilton fastest, Lawson 13th in FP1

September 6, 2025

Bewley takes Pro Class victory as Robb fights hard in Porsche Sprint Challenge Race 1 at The Bend

September 5, 2025

Christchurch Dad’s artwork chosen for Liam Lawson’s F1 helmet

September 5, 2025

Angus Fogg Mustang returns to Australia for double-header

September 5, 2025
Monday, September 8, 2025
VelocityNews
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time updates on Kiwi drivers, events and much more!
Subscribe to New Alerts
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Lawson laps under Highlands record ahead of NZ Endurance Championships

by Zane Shackleton
November 5, 2020
in New Zealand, News, SIERDC
0

The battle is on for national supremacy; and Liam Lawson has already cemented his mark, lapping under the lap record at Highlands Motorsport Park in just his first day in a saloon race car.

The aspiring Formula 1 driver spent several hours behind the wheel of the Track Tec Racing Audi R8 yesterday at the Cromwell circuit, getting to grips in what in his debut voyage into tin-top racing.

But despite the hurdle of never experiencing the R8 before, Lawson laid all doubt to rest by setting an unofficial lap record. The youngster was behind the wheel for over three hours lapping the 4.1km circuit

Track Tec Racing is remaining coy on the exact times Lawson was setting and were unable to comment on the test session. However, should Lawson be able to lap consistently at his reported record-breaking pace then he should be a real threat for securing the national endurance three-hour title.

The 18-year-old did reiterate his excitement for his debut GT race, however.

“I am super excited to have the opportunity to race such a cool car at my favourite race track in the world,” he said.

“Some of my [single-seater] teammates over the years have raced GT3 cars and told me how cool they are. I’m so looking forward to it.”

Lawson’s teammate, Scott O’Donnell, was behind the wheel of the newest-spec R8 at the final round of the South Island endurance series in Timaru.

Partnered with international GT ace Andrew Waite, the pair were able to finish third overall, fending off a determined Brendon Leitch in the older-generation Dayle ITM R8 in the race’s closing stages. With an advantage of over 50bhp, the current-gen R8s will again likely have the performance over their older rivals.

Defending New Zealand three-hour endurance champions Jonny Reid and Neil Foster will likely emerge as Lawson’s and O’Donnell’s biggest threats.

Reid and Foster are fresh off a win at Timaru, and the high-downforce nature of Highlands Motorsport should make the Audi contingent the favourites ahead of the hotly contested battle for victory.

The fourth Audi in the field will be the International Motorsport entry of Andrew Fawcett and Sam Fillmore. They finished second overall in the North Island series.

Other entries in the top GT E class include the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 of Alex Riberas and Darren Kelly. Given Riberas’ FIA gold driver rating and Kelly’s rapid adaption to the GT racing scene, the reigning South Island endurance champion will also be in within a possible shot of clinching the national title.

Representing the North Island as the incumbent series champions are Glenn Smith and John de Veth in the SBT Motorsport McLaren 650s GT3.

Four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy will team up with Dwayne Carter in the new-generation Mercedes AMG GT3.

John McIntyre and car-owner Simon Gilbertson will be out to make amends for a dogged South Island campaign which saw plenty of promise in their GT Chevrolet Camaro dashed by ill-fated reliability and on-track incidents.

This year’s three-hour endurance championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 5 this Saturday with the race set to get underway from 1 pm.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

error:
No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.