We’re spoilt for choice for racing this weekend, with several Kiwis competing on the world stage.
Shane van Gisbergen returns to oval racing after back-to-back wins on Road Courses in the Xfinity Series.
There’s also the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Scott Dixon, Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber competing in the Hypercar class in race-contending machinery.
Off the track, and onto the dirt, Hayden Paddon returns to Sweden for the Royal Rally of Scandinavia, where he’ll face off against competition including Oliver and Petter Solberg in Round 3 of the European Rally Championship.
In Australia, Supercars are back in action with the Darwin Triple Crown, whilst the Kiwis will also be in action in several support classes, including the Porsche Carrera Cup.
Zac Stichbury heads to Thailand for Round 3 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
For viewing times and information, see below!
Shane van Gisbergen: Xfinity Series
- Where? Iowa Speedway
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 8.35 am
- Qualifying: Sunday 4.05 am
- Race: Sunday 7.30 am
- How to watch: ThreeNow (Race only)
Back-to-back wins have not only secured Shane van Gisbergen a place in the Xfinity Series playoffs, but they’ve also elevated him into the top 10 of the championship standings.
An oval outing now awaits the Kiwi in Iowa, with the Hy-Vee Perks 250 covering 250 laps of the short 1.4 km D-shaped oval.
Brendon Hartley, Earl Bamber & Scott Dixon: 24 Hours of Le Mans
- Where?
- NZ Times:
- Hyperpole Shootout: Friday 6.00 am
- Free Practice 4: Friday 8.00 am
- Warm-up: Saturday 10.00 pm
- Race: Sunday 2.00 am -Monday 2.00 am
- How to watch: Paid live stream (WEC App)
Brendon Hartley teams up with Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The three-time winner will start the race from 11th.
Earl Bamber joins Alex Lynn and Alex Palou at Cadillac Racing and has qualified in the top eight. However, the team has a five-place grid penalty to serve following a mid-race incident at Spa.
Scott Dixon partners Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in the IMSA-based Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, which will also contend in Hyperpole qualifying.
Heimgartner, Evans, Stanaway, Payne & Wood: Supercars
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 2.05 pm
- Race 11 Qualifying: Friday 5.05 pm
- Practice 2: Saturday 12.05 pm
- Race 11 Top 10 Shootout: Saturday 2.05 pm
- Race 11: Saturday 5.40 pm
- Race 12 Qualifying: Sunday 12.55 pm
- Race 12 Top 10 Shootout: Sunday 2.05 pm
- Race 12: Sunday 5.40 pm
- How to watch: Sky Sport
The Indigenous round of Supercars features two 48-lap races at Hidden Valley Raceway over the weekend.
Matt Payne enters the Darwin Triple Crown as the top Kiwi in the standings in fifth, with his Penrite Racing teammate Richie Stanaway in ninth.
Andre Heimgartner is 11th, Ryan Wood is 16th, and Jaxon Evans is 20th.
Hayden Paddon: Royal Rally of Scandinavia
- Where? Sweden
- NZ Times:
- SS1: Friday 6.05 am
- SS2-SS9: Friday 5.51 pm
- SS10-SS17: Saturday 5.42 pm
- How to watch: Paid live stream, Free live updates
Reigning European Rally Champion Hayden Paddon teams up with long-serving co-driver in BRC Racing’s Hyundai i20 Rally2.
The duo finished second in the 2023 Royal Rally of Scandinavia en route to their title.
Only Oliver Solberg got the better of the Kiwis, who face the added challenge of not only competing against the local this weekend but also his father, WRC legend Petter Solberg.
Nearly 190km of gravel racing awaits competitors. Paddon sits second in the European Rally Championship standings, 19 points behind Frenchman Mathieu Francechi.
Marco Giltrap & Fabian Coulthard: Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
- Where? Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 12.55 pm
- Race 1: Saturday 4.25 pm
- Race 2: Sunday 11.55 am
- Race 3: Sunday 4.25 pm
- How to watch: Sky Sport
Team Porsche New Zealand’s Marco Giltrap is 12th in the standings ahead of Round 3 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in Darwin. Fabian Coulthard is 13th.
The series will race three times over the weekend, with races one and three timed at 25 minutes and Race 2 the longer 45-minute enduro.
Zac Stichbury: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
- Where? Buriram International Circuit, Thailand
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Friday 9.15 pm
- Race 1: Saturday 3.00 pm
- Race 2: Saturday 7.30 pm
- How to watch: Live Stream (TBC)
Zac Stichbury returns for his second outing of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, having competed in the season-opener in Shanghai.
The Kiwi competes in the Team Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport entry.
