KIWIS RACING ABROAD | 29 MAY – 1 JUNE WEEKEND PREVIEW 🏁
It’s a slightly quieter weekend on the international motorsport scene for Kiwi competitors, but there is still plenty of action taking place across the globe with New Zealand drivers and riders competing in NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, Moto3, and the World Rally Championship.
In the United States, Shane van Gisbergen returns to NASCAR Cup Series action as the championship heads to Nashville Superspeedway for Round 14 of the season. The Kiwi star will be looking to continue building momentum on the concrete oval as he tackles another demanding weekend in America’s premier stock car category.
Also in the United States, the streets of Detroit host a massive weekend of top-level motorsport action. Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, and Marcus Armstrong will all line up for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix as the NTT IndyCar Series continues its 2026 campaign on the challenging downtown street circuit.
Elsewhere in America, rising Kiwi motocross star Cole Davies begins his 2026 Pro Motocross Championship campaign this weekend at Fox Raceway in Pala, California, as the highly anticipated outdoor season gets underway.
Sharing the Detroit spotlight, Earl Bamber will contest the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, with the Kiwi driver continuing his season aboard the Cadillac Whelen GTP entry in the top class of endurance racing.
Over in Europe, Cormac Buchanan continues his rookie Moto3 World Championship campaign at the iconic Mugello Circuit for the Grand Prix of Italy. The young Kiwi rider will take on one of motorcycle racing’s most famous and demanding venues as the series reaches Round 7 of the season.
Meanwhile, in Asia, Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard return to the World Rally Championship for Rally Japan. The experienced Kiwi pairing will tackle the challenging tarmac roads of Japan as they once again go up against the world’s best rally crews.
From Nashville, Detroit, and Pala to Mugello and Japan, Kiwi competitors will once again represent New Zealand across another busy weekend of international 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. ⬇️
Shane Van Gisbergen | NASCAR Cup Series
- Where? Nashville SuperSpeedway, Tennessee
- NZ Times:
- Practice: Sunday 8:30 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 9:40 AM
- Race: Monday 11:00 AM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Shane van Gisbergen heads to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend full of confidence after producing one of his strongest oval performances yet in NASCAR’s prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Kiwi spent much of NASCAR’s longest race running inside the top 10 and proved he could fight with the category’s best oval racers. Van Gisbergen collected stage points in all three stages and even led the race late in the final stage after a bold restart move around Ty Gibbs.
Despite rain ultimately ending the race early and leaving him classified 11th, the result did not reflect just how competitive the Trackhouse Racing driver had been throughout the night.
➡️Coca-Cola 600 Full Recap HERE
The focus shifts to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend, where Van Gisbergen will look to carry that momentum into another important oval challenge as his confidence continues to grow in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon & Marcus Armstrong | NTT IndyCar Series
- Where? Streets of Detroit, Michigan
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 7:00 AM
- Practice 2: Sunday 1:00 AM
- Qualifying: Sunday 5:00 AM
- Race: Monday 4:30 AM
- How to Watch? Sky Sports
Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong, and Scott Dixon head to the streets of Detroit this weekend looking to build on a dramatic and highly competitive Indianapolis 500 campaign at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
All three Kiwi drivers were firmly in the mix throughout the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500, with McLaughlin emerging as the leading New Zealander after a superb drive to third place. The Team Penske driver spent much of the race near the front and even led during the closing stages as strategy, changing weather, and multiple cautions created a frantic fight to the finish.
Marcus Armstrong also delivered one of his strongest Indy 500 performances yet, quietly working his way into contention before briefly leading on the final restart. The Kiwi ultimately crossed the line fifth after being right in the battle for victory in the closing laps of the iconic event.
Meanwhile, six-time series champion Scott Dixon once again showed his trademark fuel-saving brilliance and racecraft, leading multiple laps and remaining a contender throughout much of the race before strategy and late-race traffic dropped him down the order.
➡️Indy 500 Full Recap HERE
Now, the focus quickly shifts from the high-speed oval of Indianapolis to the tight and demanding Detroit street circuit, where the Kiwi trio will aim to carry their strong Indy 500 form into another crucial weekend in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Earl Bamber | IMSA SportsCar Championship
- Where? Streets of Detroit, Michigan
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 12:00 AM
- Practice 2: Saturday 3:30 AM
- Qualifying: Saturday 8:50 AM
- Practice 3: Sunday 3:10 AM
- Race: Sunday 8:10 AM
- How to Watch? IMSA Official YouTube
Earl Bamber heads to the Detroit Sports Car Classic this weekend looking to continue his superb run of form in the IMSA SportsCar Championship after another standout performance at Laguna Seca.
The Kiwi driver came agonisingly close to victory last time out, controlling much of the race alongside teammate Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R before losing the lead only in the closing laps after a late charge from Laurin Heinrich.
Despite narrowly missing out on the win, Bamber once again showcased his speed, consistency, and race management throughout the event, further strengthening his growing championship campaign in the GTP class.
The second-place finish also maintained an impressive streak for Bamber and Cadillac, with the pair standing on the podium at every round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship so far.
➡️Laguna Seca Full Recap HERE
Now, attention turns to the tight and challenging streets of Detroit, where Bamber will be aiming to turn that remarkable consistency into victory and continue his push toward the IMSA championship lead.
Cole Davies | AMA Pro Motocross
- Where? Fox Raceway, Pala, California
- NZ Times:
- 250 Qualifying 1 Group B: Sunday 12:00 AM
- 250 Qualifying 1 Group A: Sunday 12:20 AM
- 250 Qualifying 2 Group B: Sunday 1:50 AM
- 250 Qualifying 2 Group A: Sunday 2:10 AM
- 250 Consolation Race: Sunday 3:35 AM
- 250 Moto 1: Sunday 5:15 AM
- 250 Moto 2: Sunday 7:30 AM
- How to Watch? Super Motocross Video Pass
Fresh off securing the 2026 AMA Supercross 250SX East Championship, Kiwi motocross star Cole Davies now turns his attention to the opening round of the Pro Motocross Championship this weekend at Fox Raceway in Pala, California.
Davies claimed the Supercross title in style at the end of April with a dominant victory in brutal rain-soaked conditions at Lincoln Financial Field. The young New Zealander handled the muddy and unpredictable circuit superbly, taking control of the race early before charging to a commanding win and sealing the championship with one round to spare.
The title marked a major milestone in Davies’ rapidly rising career and further cemented his status as one of New Zealand’s brightest international motorsport prospects.
Now, a new challenge begins as the outdoor motocross season gets underway at Fox Raceway, with Davies looking to carry his championship-winning confidence and momentum into the opening round of the 2026 Pro Motocross campaign.
Cormac Buchanan | Moto3
- Where? Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, Italy
- 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
- Race: Sunday 9:00 PM
- How to Watch? ThreeNow
Kiwi Moto3 rider Cormac Buchanan heads to the iconic Mugello Circuit this weekend, determined to bounce back after a frustrating and unlucky outing at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
The Southland teenager endured a difficult weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but showed encouraging signs heading into the race after making progress with his pace during practice. Buchanan then produced one of his best starts of the season when the lights went out, storming past more than ten riders in the opening metres.
However, his race unravelled almost immediately after contact from another rider forced him into the gravel at the opening corners, dropping him out of contention before the race had properly settled.
Despite the setback, Buchanan remained positive afterwards, continuing to gather valuable data while reinforcing his determination to keep pushing forward during his rookie Moto3 World Championship campaign with Code Motorsports.
The young Kiwi now arrives at Mugello eager for a cleaner weekend at one of the fastest and most famous circuits in world motorcycle racing, with the Italian venue providing another opportunity to showcase the speed and progress he has continued to build throughout the season.
Hayden Paddon & John Kennard | WRC
- Where? Aichi and Gifu prefectures, Chūbu, Japan
- NZ Times:
- Shakedown: Thursday 11:01 AM
- SS1: Friday 11:03 AM
- SS2: Friday 11:46 AM
- SS3: Friday 1:09 PM
- SS4: Friday 4:57 PM
- SS5: Friday 5:40 PM
- SS6: Friday 7:03 PM
- SS7: Saturday 10:41 AM
- SS8: Saturday 11:54 AM
- SS9: Saturday 12:35 PM
- SS10: Saturday 4:05 PM
- SS11: Saturday 5:38 PM
- SS12: Saturday 6:56 PM
- SS13: Saturday 8:15 PM
- SS14: Saturday 8:38 PM
- SS15: Sunday 11:14 AM
- SS16: Sunday 12:05 PM
- SS17: Sunday 1:13 PM
- SS18: Sunday 1:32 PM
- SS19: Sunday 3:30 PM
- SS20 Power Stage: Sunday 5:15 PM
- How to Watch? Rally TV
Kiwi rally stars Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard return to World Rally Championship action this weekend at Rally Japan following their impressive podium finish at Rally Croatia earlier this season.
Competing with Hyundai Motorsport, the experienced New Zealand pairing delivered a smart and composed drive in Croatia, staying out of trouble across the demanding tarmac stages before capitalising on late drama to secure third place — their first WRC podium result together since 2018.
The result marked another major milestone in the pair’s long-standing partnership and highlighted the growing confidence Paddon and Kennard have continued to build with the Hyundai Rally1 machinery despite their limited WRC schedule.
➡️Rally Croatia Full Recap HERE
Rally Japan now presents another major challenge for the Kiwi pairing, with the event’s narrow and technical tarmac roads expected to test both precision and patience. After their breakthrough result in Croatia, Paddon and Kennard will be eager to show their pace once again as they continue their return to the world championship stage with Hyundai Motorsport.
Header Image: NASCAR Cup Series/Getty Images
