KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 17-20 JULY WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
It’s another busy weekend for Kiwi drivers and riders competing around the world, with New Zealand talent in action across Formula 1, Formula 3, IndyCar, NASCAR, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, AMA Pro Motocross and several Australian categories.
The main focus is in Belgium, where the Formula 1 World Championship heads to the iconic Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix. Liam Lawson will take on one of the most challenging and historic circuits on the calendar as he looks to continue building momentum while in the Top 10 Drivers Championship standings.
Spa also hosts Round 6 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, with Louis Sharp back behind the wheel as he continues his season in one of the world’s most competitive junior categories.
In Asia, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia championship heads to South Korea’s Inje Speedium for Round 4, with Chris van der Drift and Liam Sceats both back in action as they chase strong results in the one-make series.
North America features plenty of Kiwi interest this weekend. The IndyCar Series heads to Nashville Superspeedway for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, where Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong will all be looking for a strong weekend. Shane van Gisbergen also returns to NASCAR Cup Series action for Round 21 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, one of the sport’s most historic tracks.
On two wheels, Cole Davies continues his AMA Pro Motocross campaign at the Spring Creek National in Minnesota, with the Kiwi rider looking to add another strong result to his impressive season.
Closer to home, Sydney Motorsport Park hosts two Australian championships this weekend. James Parker contests Round 3 of Australian IRC Racing, while Fabian Coulthard takes on Round 2 of the Australian Endurance Championship.
From Spa-Francorchamps to Nashville, Inje Speedium to Sydney Motorsport Park and Spring Creek, Kiwi competitors will once again be representing New Zealand across the world in another big weekend of motorsport.
Check out our detailed weekend preview below for everything you need to know, including session times, how to watch, and who’s racing where. ⬇️
Liam Lawson | Formula 1
- Where? Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:30 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 3:00 AM
- Practice 3: Saturday 10:30 PM
- Qualifying: Sunday 2:00 AM
- Race: Monday 1:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Liam Lawson heads to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix after one of his best Formula One weekends of the season at Silverstone, where the Kiwi secured a strong sixth-place finish in the British Grand Prix.
After scoring a point in Saturday’s Sprint, Lawson added another eight points on Sunday, completing his second double-points weekend of the 2026 season. The result matched his best Grand Prix finish of the year and moved him to 39 points in the championship, already beating his 2025 season total.
The Silverstone result continued a strong run for Lawson and Racing Bulls, with the team showing consistent pace in the midfield. Starting 10th, Lawson made an impressive opening-lap move to pass both teammate Arvid Lindblad and Oscar Piastri before driving a controlled race to finish sixth.
This weekend, Lawson heads to the iconic Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, looking to keep that momentum going. Spa’s fast corners and unpredictable weather always make it a challenging weekend, but the Kiwi will be aiming for another strong result before the Formula One summer break.
Louis Sharp | Formula 3
- Where? Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 7:55 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 1:00 AM
- Sprint Race: Saturday 8:00 PM
- Feature Race: Sunday 6:30 PM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Louis Sharp heads to this weekend’s Formula 3 round at the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps after a strong showing at Silverstone, where the Kiwi continued to show his pace with a pair of points finishes.
Sharp finished eighth in Saturday’s Sprint Race after a close battle throughout the 18 laps. Starting 10th, the Kiwi moved forward through the race and held his position under pressure to secure his second points finish of the season.
The Feature Race was another impressive drive from Sharp, who showed strong pace throughout the weekend. Running inside the top group for much of the race, the Kiwi crossed the line eighth before post-race penalties promoted him to fourth, marking his best Formula 3 result of the season.
Sharp now heads to Belgium and the iconic Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps for Round 6 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship. The challenging 7km circuit, known for its fast corners and unpredictable weather, will provide another test as the Kiwi continues his rookie campaign in one of motorsport’s toughest junior categories.
Chris van der Drift and Liam Sceats | Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia
- Where? Inje Speedium, South Korea
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Friday 1:50 PM
- Race 1: Friday 6:45 PM
- Race 2: Saturday 5:40 PM
- How to Watch? Lamborghini Squadra Corse YouTube Channel
Liam Sceats and Chris van der Drift head to this weekend’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia round at Inje Speedium in South Korea after a strong but challenging weekend at Fuji International Speedway.
The Kiwi duo faced difficult conditions in Japan, with both races taking place in heavy rain. Sceats, sharing the car with Gustaw Wisniewski, delivered two consistent podium finishes, finishing third overall and second in the Pro class in Race 1 before again taking third overall and third in class in Race 2.
Van der Drift and co-driver Todd Kingsford also enjoyed a successful weekend, claiming victory in the Pro-Am class in both races. Starting from pole for Race 1, the pair finished second overall, while they recovered from fifth on the grid in Race 2 to finish fourth overall and secure another class win.
Now, Sceats and van der Drift turn their attention to Round 4 of the 2026 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia season at Inje Speedium. The South Korean circuit will provide a new challenge as the Kiwi drivers look to build on their strong results from Fuji and continue their championship campaigns.
Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong | NTT IndyCar Series
- Where? Nashville SuperSpeedway, Tennessee
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Sunday 2:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 7:00 AM
- Final Practice: Sunday 10:00 AM
- Race: Monday 9:30 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Armstrong head to this weekend’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway looking to bounce back after a challenging weekend at the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.
The Kiwi trio endured a difficult race at the road course, with Armstrong leading the way in 14th place, followed by McLaughlin in 16th and Dixon in 17th as they struggled to find the pace needed to challenge inside the top 10.
The focus now shifts to Nashville Superspeedway, where the IndyCar Series returns for an oval race under the lights. The high-speed layout will provide a different challenge for the Kiwi drivers as they look to put the Mid-Ohio result behind them and return to the front of the field.
Dixon, McLaughlin and Armstrong will all be aiming for a strong weekend in Tennessee as the 2026 IndyCar season continues to heat up.
Shane van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Carolina
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 9:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 10:10 AM
- Race: Monday 11:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen heads to this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series round at North Wilkesboro Speedway after one of his strongest oval performances of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Kiwi secured a valuable sixth-place finish at Atlanta, continuing to strengthen his position inside the playoff picture with just six races remaining before the postseason begins. The result moved Van Gisbergen to 14th in the championship standings and provided another important points haul during the final stretch of the regular season.
After qualifying 12th, Van Gisbergen worked his way through a challenging race that was interrupted by a lengthy weather delay and multiple late cautions. The Trackhouse Racing driver showed strong pace throughout the night, running inside the top 10 before moving into contention in the closing laps.
A late restart saw Van Gisbergen line up fifth and put himself in position for another strong result. Despite battling a changing car balance in the final laps, he brought the No. 97 Chevrolet home in sixth after a post-race penalty promoted him one position.
Now, Van Gisbergen heads to the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for Round 21 of the NASCAR Cup Series. The Kiwi will be aiming to carry his recent oval form into another important weekend as the playoff battle continues to heat up.
Cole Davies | AMA Pro Motocross
- Where? Millville, Minnesota
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying 1 Group B: Sunday 12:00 AM
- Qualifying 1 Group A: Sunday 12:20 AM
- Qualifying 2 Group B: Sunday 1:50 AM
- Qualifying 2 Group A: Sunday 2:10 AM
- 250 Consolation Race: Sunday 3:50 AM
- Moto 1: Sunday 5:15 AM
- Moto 2: Sunday 7:30 AM
- How to Watch? Super Motocross Video Pass
Cole Davies heads to this weekend’s Spring Creek National in Minnesota after another strong performance in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Southwick, where the Kiwi extended his lead in the 250 class standings.
Davies finished third overall at the Southwick National in Massachusetts, bouncing back strongly in Moto 2 after a frustrating opening race. The Kiwi delivered a much stronger performance in the second moto, finishing second to secure a podium result and valuable championship points.
The result keeps Davies at the top of the 250 class championship standings heading into Round 6 of the season.
This weekend, Davies returns to action at the Spring Creek National in Minnesota, looking to build on his strong form and continue his push for the championship. With momentum on his side, the Kiwi will be aiming for another consistent performance as the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross season continues.
James Parker | Australian IRC Racing
- Where? Sydney Motorsport Park, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:50 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 3:20 PM
- Qualifying: Friday 5:55 PM
- Sprint Race 1: Friday 8:40 PM
- Enduro 1: Saturday 11:00 AM
- Enduro 2: Saturday 5:40 PM
- Sprint Race 2: Saturday 8:40 PM
- How to Watch? Qualifying and Enduro 2 will be live on YouTube, the rest is not available to viewers in New Zealand.
James Parker heads to Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend for Round 3 of the Australian IRC Racing series as he continues his 2026 campaign.
The Kiwi driver will be looking to make the most of another opportunity on one of Australia’s leading circuits as the championship reaches its third round of the season.
With strong competition expected across the field, Parker will be aiming for a consistent weekend and valuable points as he continues his push in the Australian IRC Racing championship.
Fabian Coulthard | Australian Endurance Championship
- Where? Sydney Motorsport Park, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 10:30 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 2:00 PM
- Practice 3: Saturday 10:45 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 12:00 PM
- Enduro Race: Saturday 2:45 PM
- How to Watch? The Enduro Race is live on YouTube, the rest is not available to viewers in New Zealand.
Fabian Coulthard heads to Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend for Round 2 of the Australian Endurance Championship after a strong start to his 2026 campaign.
The Kiwi enjoyed an impressive opening round, claiming victory in his class while also finishing third overall to begin the season on a high. The result put Coulthard in a strong position heading into the second round of the championship.
This weekend, the experienced New Zealander will be looking to build on that momentum at Sydney Motorsport Park as he aims to add another strong result to his Australian Endurance Championship campaign.
Header Image: Penske Entertainment
