OK Cup kicks off 2025 season with thrilling races at Hampton Downs

The new season of OK Cup racing is underway. Twenty-seven cars were on the grid, including several new drivers, in a very strong start to the season at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in North Waikato last Sunday.

Qualifying took place in tricky conditions on a wet track with Daniel Douglas of Papakura firing the opening shots of the season, taking pole by a very healthy margin in his Honda Integra. David Verryt of Hamilton in another Integra was second quickest, .451 of a second behind, with Bruce Simmonds of Auckland third in a Toyota Celica.

Two thirty-three-minute races followed, the first in drying conditions, providing plenty of challenges for drivers.

The contest featured an epic race-long battle between the Hondas of Verryt, who held the lead all the way from Douglas, with Hayden Buckingham of the Bay of Plenty setting some blistering times in his Honda Accord to get through and seize second place near the end of the race.

At the flag, OK Cup/2K Cup veteran Verryt held off Buckingham to win by .703 of a second, with Douglas third, ahead of Tauranga driver James Whitlock in his BMW E36 Wagon.

Conditions were the complete opposite for the second race, with a dry track that turned wet as the laps counted down. Aucklanders Logan Moore and Hugh Parris battled hard for the lead throughout the race, with Moore (Toyota Levin) just pipping Parris (Citroen Saxo VTS) at the line.

Whitlock put in a stunning drive, starting from thirtieth on the grid and carving through the field to finish third. Marcus Hertzke of Silverdale, the quickest of the Daihatsu’s, caused a Virtual Safety Car after going off track at the exit of Turn 1 during the race.

Antal Sabo of Auckland was a guest driver at the round, driving a yellow, Minion-themed Mazda MX-5. A world-class sim racer, Sabo punched above his weight and won Class A for the round.

Other class winners for the round were Parris in Class B, Ken Tyler of Kerikeri (Toyota MR2) in Class C, Verryt in Class D, Jerome Jacobs of Auckland in Daihatsu and Brandon Weld of Te Puke (BMW 325i) in Rebel.

One of the most exciting facets of the new season is that while everyone else is raising their prices, OK Cup are flipping the script – they are dropping theirs! Thanks to new series sponsor Trilect, round entry fees have dropped considerably this season, making the OK Cup one of the most affordable forms of grassroots motorsport in New Zealand.

Affordable entry fees and costs, an emphasis on safety with Motorsport New Zealand rules applied to driving standards, and a real collegiality and camaraderie throughout the grid make the OK Cup a great place to be.

More information on the OK Cup can be found on their website or on their Facebook page.

Class Results from Round 1:

Header Image: Tamati Te Oka