Jonny Reid and Sam Fillmore claimed a dramatic victory for in the second round of the North Island Endurance Series 3-Hour Endurance Championship at Hampton Downs, overcoming early setbacks and a lap deficit to win after a nail-biting final-hour battle with Ryan Wood in an Audi vs Audi battle.
Dark skies loomed as the field lined up under threatening clouds, raising the spectre of rain over the 3-hour enduro.
Pole position belonged to the #24 Action Motorsport Lamborghini Gallardo of Tayler Bryant, John Penny and Shaun Varney, while Fillmore and Reid started alongside in the #27 International Motorsport Audi R8.
Steve Brooks and Wood lined up third in their #888 Audi R8, and Glen Brazier and Andrew Waite completed the second row in the #34 Lamborghini Huracan.
Class 1 pole went to Paul Southam and Robert Steele in the #26 Porsche 992, while Simon Gilbertson and John McIntyre led the way in Class 2 in their #18 Porsche 991.
At the drop of the green flag, it was Varney who charged into the lead in the #24 Lamborghini. Behind him, Brooks quickly got the jump into second, ahead of Fillmore in third and Brazier holding off Class 1 leader Southam in a tight scrap for fourth.
Fillmore was the fastest man on track early on, but it was Brooks who took the lead on Lap 4, passing Varney and then stretching out a gap with a string of quick laps, including a new race-best of 1:03.162. Ten minutes in, Fillmore made his move into second, overtaking Varney as he hunted Brooks.
But the complexion of the race suddenly changed.
On Lap 17, the safety car was deployed due to Fillmore going off track while battling with Brooks for position. He was able to rejoin, albeit a lap down.
The new order after the safety car and a couple of pit stops saw Varney first, Brooks second, and Southam in third.
Brooks quickly reasserted himself, retaking the lead on Lap 21 as he and Varney resumed their intense battle out front. The pair were glued together through the first half-hour, running nose-to-tail while Brazier began to fall back from the leading duo.
Fillmore, despite being a lap down, was flying, setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:02.544 as he tried to claw his way back into contention.
Further down the order, Southam continued to lead Class 1, while Gilbertson held firm in Class 2.
The opening pit stops shuffled the deck. Brooks came in on Lap 55 for fuel and tyres but opted not to change drivers.
One lap later, Varney pitted to hand the #24 Lamborghini over to Penny, but their stop was over 45 seconds slower than Brooks’. That dropped them down the order, compounding their earlier delay.
Brazier briefly inherited the race lead before his own stop, where the team opted for fuel and tyres but no driver change, a lightning-fast 35-second stop.
Fillmore pitted on Lap 65, taking only two new tyres on the loaded side and a splash of fuel in a bold strategy gamble. The quick 25-second stop brought him back out on the lead lap, just ahead of Brooks. The fight was back on.
By Lap 73, Fillmore had climbed to third. Southam, who had been a contender in Class 1, began to fall back and would later be forced to retire due to mechanical issues.
On Lap 76, disaster struck the #24 Lamborghini as Penny ground to a halt before the Porsche Dipper with a mechanical failure, bringing out the safety car again.
The timing couldn’t have been better for Fillmore, who was now firmly back in contention after making up a lap under yellow.
A flurry of pit stops followed; Southam/Steele, Gilbertson/McIntyre, and Sam Cotterill/Max Vidau all dove in for fresh tyres, fuel, and driver changes.
Unfortunately, the Southam/Steele Porsche soon returned to the garage and later retired from the race.
When the race resumed, Brooks led from Fillmore and Lawson, now at the wheel of the #89 Lamborghini Huracan. Fillmore wasted no time; he passed Brooks and stormed into the lead as his comeback was now complete.
With just over an hour to go, the final round of pit stops commenced. Glen Brazier handed over to Andrew Waite, Steve Brooks to Ryan Wood, Sam Fillmore to Jonny Reid, and Kane Lawson to Ronan Murphy.
It set the stage for a thrilling conclusion.
Reid rejoined with a 7-second advantage over Wood, but the young gun wasn’t backing down. Both drivers immediately lit up the timing screens: Reid clocked a 1:01.730, the fastest lap of the race, while Wood responded with a 1:01.895.
The margin steadily shrunk — 10.1 seconds… 8.2… 7… then 5.3… and with 22 minutes remaining, it was down to just 1.8 seconds. On Lap 146, the gap was a mere 0.399s. It was a full-on duel.
Behind them, Murphy held third, a lap off the leaders, ahead of Waite, McIntyre, and Max Vidau, who was forced to pit for a late top-up of fuel.
Despite relentless pressure from Wood, Jonny Reid held firm. Both drivers traded identical lap times (1:02.333) in an incredible display of pace and consistency. With five minutes to go, the gap was half a second. On the final lap, it was just 0.851s.
At the chequered flag, it was Sam Fillmore and Jonny Reid who emerged victorious in the #27 Audi R8, a remarkable comeback after being a lap down early in the race.
Second went to Steve Brooks and Ryan Wood, who came heartbreakingly close after a flawless recovery and strategy execution. Third went to Lawson, Knighton and Murphy, who delivered a solid and clean race to finish a lap behind the leaders.
Brazier and Waite finished fourth despite a drive-through penalty for pit lane speeding. Class 2 honours went to Simon Gilbertson and John McIntyre, who rounded out the top five overall, while Sam Cotterill and Max Vidau claimed Class 1 victory in sixth.
It was a day of relentless pace, strategic twists, and high drama, and a showcase of top-tier endurance racing under stormy Waikato skies.
Final Results – Top 6 Overall
- Jonny Reid / Sam Fillmore – Audi R8 (GT)
- Steve Brooks / Ryan Wood – Audi R8 (GT) +0.851s
- Kane Lawson / Hayden Knighton / Ronan Murphy – Lamborghini Huracan (GT) +1 lap
- Glen Brazier / Andrew Waite – Lamborghini Huracan (GT) +1 lap
- Simon Gilbertson / John McIntyre – Porsche 991 (Class 2) +2 laps
- Sam Cotterill / Max Vidau – Porsche 992 (Class 1) +3 laps
Header Image: Matt Smith
