KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 29 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
From the Southern banks of Darlington to the streets of Nashville and the seaside sweep of Zandvoort, Kiwi motorsport stars are braced for a season-defining weekend across three of the world’s biggest stages.
In South Carolina, Shane van Gisbergen begins his maiden NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs campaign at the legendary Darlington Raceway – a track known as “The Lady in Black” and famed for punishing mistakes. With his rookie season already exceeding expectations, SVG now faces the ultimate test: surviving three cut-throat playoff rounds to keep his championship hopes alive.
Up the road in Tennessee, it’s crunch time for the NTT IndyCar Series, with the Music City Grand Prix marking the 2025 season finale. Remarkably, all three Kiwis head into the season finale inside the top ten of the championship standings. With Alex Palou already crowned champion, the focus for the Kiwis is on closing out the year on a high at Nashville Superspeedway.
Also in Nashville, Callum Hedge closes out his impressive IndyNXT season with Abel Motorsports. The young Kiwi has been a consistent front-runner in 2025 and will be gunning for one last big result to cement his place among IndyCar’s stars of tomorrow.
Across the Atlantic, Formula 1 roars back into life after its summer break at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix. All eyes will be on Liam Lawson as he resumes his rookie campaign with Racing Bulls. With the grid refreshed and the second half of the season underway, the 23-year-old Kiwi is looking to build momentum on one of the most challenging and atmospheric circuits in Europe.
Whether it’s NASCAR’s playoff intensity, IndyCar’s season showdown, or Formula 1’s seaside spectacle, Kiwi fans have plenty of reasons to buckle up 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? Darlington Raceway, South Carolina
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 1:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 2:10 AM
- Race: Monday 10:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen capped off the NASCAR Cup Series regular season with a composed run at Daytona, surviving the chaos to finish 16th and, more importantly, secure a playoff spot in his first full-time campaign.
Starting 16th, the Kiwi was shuffled back early but steadily worked forward, even leading laps for the first time at Daytona in his Cup career as he swapped the top spot with teammate Ross Chastain in Stage 2.
Though tyre wear, car issues and lifting to avoid a wreck dropped him back, SVG again showed patience and adaptability before bringing his Trackhouse Camaro home inside the top 20.
With Riley Herbst missing the cut, van Gisbergen advances as the only Rookie in the 2025 playoff field. This milestone also secures him Rookie of the Year honours.
The focus now shifts to Darlington Raceway and the opening round of the playoffs. Nicknamed “The Lady in Black” and “The Track Too Tough to Tame,” the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval is one of NASCAR’s greatest tests.
For van Gisbergen, it’s a reset, the learning curve is behind him, and the championship fight begins with the Cook Out Southern 500.
Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon & Marcus Armstrong | NTT IndyCar Series
- Where? Nashville Superspeedway, Tennessee
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 2:30 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 6:00 AM
- Final Practice: Sunday 8:30 AM
- Race: Monday 6:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
New Zealand’s IndyCar trio all left Milwaukee with top-10 results, setting them up firmly for this weekend’s season finale at Nashville Superspeedway.
Scott McLaughlin led the charge with a hard-fought third place, his first podium since May and a much-needed boost to close out the season. After qualifying fourth and running up front all afternoon, he fended off Alexander Rossi in the closing stages to secure the result.
Scott Dixon and Marcus Armstrong both endured up-and-down races but battled through to ninth and tenth, respectively, ensuring all three Kiwis finished inside the top 10.
Dixon’s consistency has him third in the standings on 433 points, Armstrong’s breakthrough campaign sees him seventh on 352, and McLaughlin sits tenth on 320.
➡️IndyCar Milwaukee Mile Full Recap
Now attention turns to Nashville and the Music City Grand Prix, where the curtain will fall on the 2025 season. While Alex Palou has already wrapped up the championship, the fight inside the top 10 remains tight, and all three Kiwis will be determined to end their year on a high under the lights at the Superspeedway.
Callum Hedge | IndyNXT
- Where? Nashville Superspeedway, Tennessee
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 1:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 4:30 AM
- Race: Monday 3:30 AM
- How to Watch? IndyCar Live
Callum Hedge continued his strong 2025 Indy NXT campaign with another front-running performance at the Milwaukee Mile, finishing fourth and keeping his push toward a Top 5 championship finish alive.
Starting from the second row, Hedge ran consistently with the leaders, trading laps in the top four and holding off late pressure to cross the line just two seconds shy of the podium.
The result keeps Hedge seventh in the championship, now only 10 points behind sixth-placed Josh Pierson, with one round remaining. His pace, composure, and ability to handle the unique challenges of oval racing have been evident all season, and Milwaukee was another demonstration of his steady improvement.
➡️Indy NXT Milwaukee Mile Full Recap
Attention now turns to the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, where Hedge will aim to finish the year on a high. With the Top 5 still within reach, the Kiwi is focused on maintaining his momentum and converting his consistent performances into a strong championship result under the lights in Tennessee.
Liam Lawson | Formula 1
- Where? Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 10:30 PM
- Practice 2: Saturday 2:00 AM
- Practice 3: Saturday 9:30 PM
- Qualifying: Sunday 1:00 AM
- Grand Prix: Monday 1:00 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports / F1 TV
Liam Lawson returns to Formula 1 this weekend for the Dutch Grand Prix, the first race following the summer break, eager to build on a strong run of form.
The 23-year-old Kiwi closed out the Hungarian Grand Prix with an impressive eighth-place finish, his third top-ten result in four races, holding off Red Bull-backed rivals, including Max Verstappen, for multiple laps.
Starting ninth in Hungary, Lawson executed a composed, one-stop strategy, demonstrating both speed and tyre management while scoring valuable points for Racing Bulls.
➡️F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Full Recap
His consistency has been a hallmark of the season, with points scored in every race he’s qualified inside the top ten. Heading into Zandvoort, Lawson sits just a couple of points behind Isack Hadjar in the championship standings, keeping him firmly in contention in the midfield battles.
The Dutch Grand Prix promises a challenging test with Zandvoort’s high-speed corners, elevation changes, and narrow run-off areas demanding precision and confidence.
Lawson will be looking to continue his points streak and convert his post-summer momentum into another strong performance as the second half of the 2025 season kicks off.
Full Weekend Schedule:
| Date/Time | Category | Event |
| Friday 10:30 PM | Formula 1 | Practice 1 |
| Saturday 2:00 AM | Formula 1 | Practice 2 |
| Saturday 9:30 PM | Formula 1 | Practice 3 |
| Sunday 1:00 AM | Formula 1 | Qualifying |
| Sunday 1:00 AM | Indy NXT | Practice |
| Sunday 1:00 AM | NASCAR Cup Series | Practice |
| Sunday 2:10 AM | NASCAR Cup Series | Qualifying |
| Sunday 2:30 AM | IndyCar | Practice |
| Sunday 4:30 AM | Indy NXT | Qualifying |
| Sunday 6:00 AM | IndyCar | Qualifying |
| Sunday 8:30 AM | IndyCar | Final Practice |
| Monday 1:00 AM | Formula 1 | Grand Prix |
| Monday 3:30 AM | Indy NXT | Race |
| Monday 6:00 AM | IndyCar | Race |
| Monday 10:00 AM | NASCAR Cup Series | Race |
Header Image: Zak Mauger/LAT Images via Red Bull Content Pool
