KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 14-17 AUGUST WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
There is plenty of Kiwi interest on the international motorsport calendar this weekend, with New Zealand drivers competing in the United States, Canada and Australia.
The headline event is the Formula E season finale in London, with a double-header bringing Rounds 16 and 17 of the championship. Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy will both be back on track for the final two races of the season as they look to finish their campaigns on a strong note, with Evans in contention for the championship title.
In the United States, Shane van Gisbergen returns to NASCAR Cup Series action at Richmond Raceway for Round 24 of the championship. With just three races remaining before the playoffs begin, SVG will be looking for another strong result as the regular season heads towards its conclusion.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will also be racing at Richmond as part of the doubleheader weekend, with Van Gisbergen making another appearance with Spire Motorsports
The NTT IndyCar Series heads to Canada for the Ontario Indy on the Streets of Markham in Toronto, where Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong will all be in action.
Also competing on the Streets of Markham is Sebastian Manson, who returns to USF Pro 2000 for Rounds 13 and 14 as the championship continues its North American campaign.
In Australia, Queensland Raceway hosts the AASA Race Series – Fight in the Night and the Australian Endurance Championship. Fabian Coulthard and Matt McCutcheon will be among the Kiwi drivers competing, while Tony Quinn will also be back behind the wheel at the circuit he owns.
With Formula E reaching its season finale and the NASCAR and IndyCar championships moving towards their final stages, there is plenty for Kiwi motorsport fans to follow this weekend.
Check out our detailed weekend preview below for everything you need to know, including session times, how to watch, and who’s racing where. ⬇️
Mitch Evans & Nick Cassidy | Formula E
- Where? Excel Circuit, London
- NZ Times:
- Round 15:
- Free Practice 1: Saturday 3:00 AM
- Free Practice 2: Saturday 7:30 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 9:40 PM
- Race: Sunday 2:05 AM
- Round 16:
- Free Practice 3: Sunday 7:30 PM
- Qualifying: Sunday 9:40 PM
- Race: Monday 2:05 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Mitch Evans heads into the final weekend of the Formula E season just two points off the championship lead as the title is decided across the London E-Prix double-header.
Evans sits second on 144 points behind Jake Dennis on 146, with Pascal Wehrlein only three points further back. With 58 points available this weekend, the Kiwi remains firmly in contention for his first Formula E world title.
Evans endured a mixed weekend in Tokyo, recovering from 16th to finish fourth in Saturday’s race before being caught up in a multi-car incident and failing to score on Sunday.
Fellow Kiwi Nick Cassidy arrives in London off the back of an impressive Tokyo weekend, claiming third and second to score back-to-back podiums. Cassidy sits seventh in the championship on 104 points and will be looking to finish the season strongly.
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series
- Where? Richmond Raceway, Virginia
- NZ Times:
- Craftsman Truck Series:
- Practice: Saturday 5:00 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 6:05 AM
- Race: Saturday 11:30 AM
- Cup Series:
- Practice: Saturday 7:30 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 8:40 AM
- Race: Sunday 11:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen heads to Richmond Raceway this weekend sitting just above the cut-off for the NASCAR Cup Series Chase Finals.
The Kiwi is 15th in the championship on 544 points, with only the top 16 drivers advancing to the Chase Finals. With three regular-season races remaining after Richmond, SVG will be looking to build his points haul and strengthen his position inside the cut-off.
Van Gisbergen will be keen to bounce back after a difficult weekend at Iowa Speedway, where he finished 30th in the Cup Series after struggling throughout the event.
He will compete in the Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing, while also taking on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports as part of the Richmond double-header.
Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong | NTT Indycar Series
- Where? Streets of Markham, Toronto
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 7:00 AM
- Practice 2: Sunday 2:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 6:25 AM
- Race: Monday 4:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong head to Toronto this weekend for the Ontario Indy on the Streets of Markham, with all three Kiwis looking to put a difficult Portland weekend behind them.
McLaughlin was the best of the trio at Portland, finishing seventh after running inside the top 10 for much of the race. Dixon struggled for pace and strategy throughout, eventually coming home 14th.
Armstrong’s weekend ended early after another engine failure forced him to retire, marking his third engine failure in four races.
The Kiwi trio will now tackle the Streets of Markham for the latest round of the NTT IndyCar Series, with McLaughlin and Dixon looking to continue their championship campaigns and Armstrong hoping for a trouble-free weekend.
Sebastian Manson | USF Pro 2000
- Where? Streets of Markham, Toronto
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 2:00 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 5:00 AM
- Race 1: Sunday 5:05 AM
- Race 2: Monday 2:25 AM
- How to Watch? USF Pro Championships YouTube Channel
Sebastian Manson heads to Toronto this weekend for Rounds 13 and 14 of the USF Pro 2000 season, looking to bounce back from a difficult weekend at Portland.
Manson’s Portland weekend was hampered by issues in both races, with the Kiwi forced into the pit lane on the opening lap of Race 1 before finishing ninth, a lap down on the leaders.
Race 2 proved another frustrating outing, with Manson classified 12th as he again struggled to fight for the results he had been hoping for.
The Kiwi will now take on the new Streets of Markham circuit in Toronto for another double-header, with two races providing an opportunity to put the Portland weekend behind him and return to the sharp end of the field.
Fabian Coulthard, Matt McCutcheon and Tony Quinn | Australian Endurance Championship
- Where? Queensland Raceway, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:55 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 1:45 PM
- Practice 3: Friday 4:30 PM
- Qualifying: Saturday 3:00 PM
- Enduro Race: Saturday 8:05 PM
- How to Watch? AASA Race Series YouTube Channel (Race only)
Fabian Coulthard, Matt McCutcheon and Tony Quinn head to Queensland Raceway this weekend for the AASA Race Series Fight in the Night and the latest round of the Australian Endurance Championship.
Coulthard and McCutcheon will be among the Kiwi drivers competing at the Queensland circuit, while Quinn will also be behind the wheel at the track he owns.
The Fight in the Night will provide plenty of endurance racing action, with the event taking place under lights at Queensland Raceway.
For the Kiwi trio, the weekend provides another opportunity to battle for strong results across the Australian Endurance Championship.
Header Image: Spire Motorsports/Craftsman Truck Series
