KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 15-17 AUGUST WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
It’s a quieter schedule compared to recent weeks, but there’s still plenty at stake for our drivers and riders.
From the night racing at Queensland Raceway, to the short-track bullring of Richmond, Virginia, and the sweeping alpine backdrop of Austria’s Red Bull Ring, Kiwi motorsport talent is on display across three very different arenas this weekend.
In the United States, Shane van Gisbergen lines up for the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season at Richmond Raceway. The 0.75-mile short track is a stark contrast to the road courses where he’s recently made headlines, but with his form on ovals steadily improving, the Trackhouse Racing driver will be aiming to take another step forward this weekend.
Across the Atlantic, Cormac Buchanan returns to Moto3 action at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg for Round 13 of the championship after the summer break. The fast, undulating Austrian circuit has produced some of the series’ most dramatic races in recent years, and the young Kiwi will be looking to convert his growing pace into another strong points finish.
Across the ditch, Tony Quinn and Matt McCutcheon are back behind the wheel of Quinn’s Chevrolet Camaro after a dramatic engine failure saw their endeavour last round cut short. This weekend they return to Queensland Raceway for the EPC Enduro Championship ‘Fight in the Night’ event.
From the night racing of the APC Enduro and NASCAR’s Saturday lights to the high-speed battles in the Styrian hills, Kiwi fans have plenty of reasons to tune in 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. ⬇️
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Richmond Raceway, Virginia
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Saturday 8:30 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 9:40 AM
- Race: Sunday 11:30 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
After qualifying on the front row for both the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series races, the Kiwi’s Saturday ended early when contact with teammate Connor Zilisch sent him into the barriers before a record-breaking multi-car pile-up brought the Xfinity race to a halt.
Less than 24 hours later, van Gisbergen delivered a flawless drive in the Cup Series, charging from 12th in the final stage to claim his fourth consecutive road course victory, a first for any rookie in Cup history.
The dominant win, by an 11-second margin, also marked the first time all three Trackhouse Racing cars finished inside the top 10.
➡️Watkins Glen Cup Series Recap HERE
➡️Watkins Glen Xfinity Series Recap HERE
With his form on ovals steadily improving, van Gisbergen now turns his attention to Richmond Raceway for the penultimate race of the regular season, aiming to carry his Watkins Glen momentum into another strong run.
Cormac Buchanan | Moto3
- Where? Red Bull Ring, Austria
- NZ Times:
- Free Practice 1: Friday 7:00 PM
- Practice: Friday 11:15 PM
- Free Practice 2: Saturday 6:40 PM
- Qualifying 1: Saturday 10:45 PM
- Qualifying 2: Saturday 11:10 PM
- Grand Prix: Sunday 9:00 PM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Cormac Buchanan returns to Moto3 action this weekend at Austria’s Red Bull Ring for Round 13, following both the summer break and his recovery from a deep knee laceration that sidelined him at the Czech Grand Prix.
The Kiwi rookie was forced to withdraw from the previous round after a practice crash left him at high risk of infection, ending his weekend before racing began.
The setback came just one week after he’d achieved his career-best finish in Germany, underlining his growing speed in the fiercely competitive class.
➡️Czech Grand Prix Recap HERE
Now fully recovered, Buchanan is eager to pick up where he left off and carry that pre-injury momentum into the fast, flowing Austrian circuit, a track that has delivered some of Moto3’s most thrilling battles in recent years.
Tony Quinn & Matt McCutcheon | Australian Production Cars
- Where? Queensland Raceway, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 11:35 AM
- Practice 2: Friday 2:35 PM
- Qualifying: Friday 7:10 PM
- Race 1: Saturday 11:45 AM
- Race 2: Saturday 3:40 PM
- Race 3 (Enduro): 7:15 PM
- How to Watch? Super Series YouTube
Tony Quinn and Kiwi co-driver Matt McCutcheon return to Queensland Raceway this weekend for the EPC Enduro Championship’s fan-favourite “Fight in the Night” as part of the Australian Production Cars Series.
The pair impressed at the same circuit earlier this season when they debuted their new Chevrolet Camaro. McCutcheon put the #101 car on pole for Friday’s sprint race, and Quinn fought back from a tricky start to secure a podium behind Lindsay Kearns and Trent Whyte.
Saturday night’s Twilight 300 endurance race looked promising, with Quinn running as high as second, but a catastrophic engine failure ended their night early and denied McCutcheon time behind the wheel.
➡️Round 2 APC Recap HERE
Despite the setback, the weekend highlighted the speed, teamwork, and potential of the Kiwi-Aussie duo. With the Camaro now rebuilt, they’ll be aiming to convert that pace into a strong result under the lights in one of the championship’s most exciting events.
Header Image: Sean Gardner/Getty Images
