Wow- where do we begin?
It’s the biggest weekend of motorsport for Kiwis abroad since the start of the year, with no less than 17 drivers included in this week’s Motorsport Diary.
Super Formula, Supercars, IndyCar, GT World Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, British Formula 4, GT4 America, USF2000, Indy NXT and the European Rally Championship. It’s an extensive list!
Get your diary out and start planning- all the information you need, including times and how to watch, is listed below!
Liam Lawson: Super Formula
- Where? Sugo, Japan
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 5.00 pm
- Race: Sunday 5.15 pm
- How to watch: motorsport.tv (paid stream)
Liam Lawson tops the 2023 Super Formula standings, having won two of the four races to date. The Kiwi has close competition from Ritomo Miyata, who sits only four points behind. It’s expected Tomoki Nojiri will return to action, having missed the last round through injury.
Super Formula will race just once at Sportlands Sugo, a 3.7 km, 12-turn circuit in Murata.
Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin & Marcus Armstrong: IndyCar Grand Prix at Road America
- Where? Road America, Wisconsin
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 8.00 am
- Practice 2: Sunday 2.55 am
- Qualifying: Sunday 5.55 am
- Final warm-up: Monday 2.15 am
- Race: Monday 5.00 am
- How to watch: Sky Sport 5
IndyCar will race 55 laps around the famed 14-turn Road America circuit in Wisconsin, with Scott Dixon, Marcus Armstrong and Scott McLaughlin all in action.
Dixon is the best of the Kiwis in the championship standings, currently fourth but 79 points behind leader Alex Palou. McLaughlin isn’t far behind in seventh, while Armstrong is the best of the rookies in 17th.
Shane van Gisbergen, Andre Heimgartner & Matt Payne: Supercars- Darwin Triple Crown
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 1.00 pm
- Practice 2: Friday 4.25 pm
- Race 13 Qualifying: Saturday 1.45 pm
- Race 13: Saturday 5.10 pm
- Race 14 & 15 Qualifying: Sunday 11.45 am
- Race 14: Sunday 1.55 pm
- Race 15: Sunday 4.35 pm
- How to watch: Sky Sport 5
Some stunning Indigenous liveries will be on display at the Darwin Triple Crown this weekend when Supercars returns to action at Hidden Valley Raceway.
Defending champion Shane van Gisbergen leads the Kiwi charge from fourth in the standings, while Andre Heimgartner is also performing well in seventh. Matt Payne is the best of the rookies in 16th overall.
Hayden Paddon: European Rally Championship- Tet Rally Liepāja
- Where? Latvia
- NZ Times:
- SS1-SS6: Saturday 8.00 pm
- SS7-SS10: Sunday 5.55 pm
- How to Watch: WRC+ (paid subscription), live updates (free)
Hayden Paddon and John Kennard head back to Europe less than one week after winning Rally Barbados to contest Round 4 of the European Rally Championship in Latvia.
Tet Rally Liepāja is a 183.89 km gravel rally that runs over Saturday and Sunday. Paddon leads the European Rally Championship after three rounds.
Callum Hedge, Chris Pither & Fabian Coulthard: Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 12.20 pm
- Race 1: Saturday 4.30 pm
- Race 2: Sunday 12.45 pm
- Race 3: Sunday 4.10 pm
- How to watch: Sky Sport 5
Callum Hedge and Chris Pither are both returning to action in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, while Fabian Coulthard makes a long-awaited return having last competed in the series in the early stages of his career.
Hedge finished third in both races in Melbourne and sits third in the standings after Max Vidau and Jackson Walls shared a win apiece. Pither sits 14th in the standings but is quickly getting up to speed as he learns the one-make series.
Richie Stanaway & Reid Harker: GT World Challenge Asia
- Where? Fuji International Speedway, Japan
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 12.57 pm
- Race 1: Saturday 5.25 pm
- Race 2: Sunday 3.00 pm
- How to watch: GT World YouTube (free)
The GT World Challenge Asia returns to action at Fuji this weekend with Reid Harker and Richie Stanaway as part of a record-breaking field.
Stanaway is partnering Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim in the #888 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, while Harker joins Setiawan Santoso in Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
Hunter McElrea: Indy NXT
- Where? Road America, Wisconsin
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Sunday 6.15 am
- Race: Monday 4.10 am
- How to watch: Indy NXT website (free)
Hunter McElrea sits third in the 2023 Indy NXT Series after finishing fourth in the second race in Detroit last round.
The Kiwi is racing at Road America in support of IndyCar.
Jacob Douglas: USF2000
- Where? Road America, Wisconsin
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 3.45 am
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 6.00 am
- Race 1: Sunday 4.15 am
- Race 2: Sunday 8.45 am
- How to Follow: USF2000 website
Jacob Douglas returns to action in the USF2000 Series, having missed the previous round while a trade negotiation was taking place. The Kiwi has since joined Pabst Racing, who are the same team Hunter McElrea drove for.
USF2000 will race twice at Road America in support of IndyCar.
Louis Sharp: British Formula 4
- Where? Oulton Park
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 9.45 pm
- Race 1: Sunday 1.30 am
- Race 2: Sunday 11.55 pm
- Race 3: Monday 3.35 am
- How to follow: Live commentary/timing
Louis Sharp enters Round 5 of the British Formula 4 Championship at Oulton Park in the championship lead.
The Rodin-Carlin driver will compete in three 20-minute races over the weekend.
Rianna O’Meara-Hunt: GT4 America
- Where? Virginia International Raceway
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Sunday 2.20 am
- Race 1: Sunday 9.15 am
- Race 2: Monday 2.55 am
- How to watch: GT World YouTube (free)
Rianna O’Meara-Hunt heads to Virginia International Raceway for Round 4 of GT4 America this weekend.
The Kiwi will partner Hannah Grisham in Heart of Racing’s #26 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, with the pair currently sitting 14th in the GT4 Am Teams standings.
