Young New Zealand racer Matt Day will line up at Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend (13–15 November) for the opening round of the 2026/27 GT New Zealand Championship, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT4 prepared by James Marshall Motorsport.
Day returns to GT4 following a remarkable debut at Highlands Motorsport Park earlier this year, where he claimed a race victory and finished third overall for the weekend. Now 17, he is looking to turn that early promise into consistent results across a full championship season.
His rise through the ranks has been rapid but grounded in close, competitive racing. After early experience in a Mazda MX-5, Day won the 2024 Nexen Tyre E46 Scholarship in the BMW Race Driver Series. He went on to finish in the top five overall and runner-up in the rookie standings, before gaining further experience in Toyota 86 competition.
In 2025, Day also claimed the South Island Three-Hour Endurance Series title, sharing a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 with experienced international racer Brendon Leitch.
“The BMW series taught me a huge amount about racecraft, and racing alongside Brendon gave me another level of experience,” says Day.
“Winning on my GT4 debut was a great start, but a full championship is a different challenge. The goal is to be competitive from the opening round and keep building through the season.”
Day will again have the backing of Dayle ITM, which has supported his progression through BMW, Toyota and GT racing, alongside the James Marshall Motorsport team.
“I’m fortunate to have such good people around me. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the Mercedes at Taupō and seeing where we stand against a strong GT4 field,” says Day.
The opening round takes place at Taupō International Motorsport Park from 13–15 November 2026.
Header Photo: Supplied
