A packed NZIGP program at Hampton Downs delivered two days of competitive racing, close lap times, bruising battles and standout performances across the V8 Utes field.
Across the weekend, both Phill Ross and Brad Kroef claimed victories, with Brad’s Sunday charge ultimately earning him the round win and the series lead.
Day 1 – Greg Kroef starts on pole, but Phill Ross finishes with a race one win.
The weekend began under cool but sunny conditions for Saturday morning’s Qualifying, and the Kroefs were instantly on form.
Greg Kroef set the fastest time of 1.14.663 in his Ford FG ute, his best qualifying effort in some time, while his brother Brad was just 26 hundredths of a second behind.
The first Holden was rookie Mitch Sparrow, only 0.4 seconds behind Brad with a 1.15.083, while Phill Ross slotted into fourth with a 1.15.485.
With the rest of the field tightly packed within 1.3 seconds, and reigning title holder Glen Collinson absent due to family commitments, the stage was set for a hotly contested weekend.
Under blazing mid-afternoon sun, 12 NZV8 Utes launched into Race One, with the NZ Sixes departing five seconds behind.
From fourth on the grid, Phill Ross made his presence known immediately. He quickly swept past Sparrow, then Brad and finally Greg Kroef to snatch the lead by Lap 2.
By Lap 5, the front-runners began lapping the 6-cylinder Commodores and Falcons, creating a spectacular multi-class mix of Fords and Holdens fighting for track position.
Phill had edged out to a 1.5-second lead over Brad Kroef, while last month’s round winner, Daniel Ludlum, climbed into fourth and hunted down Greg. Sparrow, after starting third, slipped to fifth but remained glued to Ludlum’s tailgate.
Further back, Geoff Spencer battled hard to hold onto eighth ahead of newcomer Cam Vernon, who had climbed impressively from 12th on the grid. Later in the race, Tyler Ward made contact with Jeremy Hunt and limped to the pits for a tyre change.
By Lap 8, Phill Ross’s charge faltered as brake fade crept in. He ran wide at the hairpin, allowing Brad Kroef to pounce and erase Phill’s 2-second lead.
The two ran side by side in a fierce doorhandle-to-doorhandle fight. Ross, however, held on under immense pressure to take the chequered flag, also setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1.15.831.
With a reverse-grid Race Two scheduled for Sunday morning, a cooler track and a shuffled order promised another thrilling showdown.
Day 2 – Brad Kroef rises to the top at Hampton Downs
Sunday delivered even closer racing. Brad Kroef emerged victorious in Race Two, securing enough points to win the round and take over the series lead, though the result was far from easy.
With the reverse-grid format placing Saturday winner Phill Ross and Brad Kroef on the back row, it was Stu Monteith and Tyler Ward who led the opening lap.
But Brad wasted no time slicing through the field. By Lap 2, he was up to sixth; by Lap 3, fourth; and by Lap 5, he took over the lead. It was a polished and calculated drive from the two-time V8 Utes champion.
Behind him, chaos brewed as the tight racing produced a string of incidents. Phill Ross slid onto the grass and took hits upon rejoining.
Cam Vernon suffered a side impact, Mitch Sparrow also copped a heavy hit, Daniel Ludlam picked up damage, Tyler Ward spun, and Stu Monteith was collected in the unfolding drama.
Jeremy Hunt spun and stalled at Turn 8, narrowly avoiding the oncoming NZ Six racers.
Despite the mayhem, Sparrow set the fastest lap of the race with a 1.15.889 on Lap 4, while Ross continued his fightback and climbed to fourth by Lap 6.
At the front, Brad Kroef controlled proceedings and pulled clear, eventually stretching the margin to almost five seconds over Daniel Ludlam at the flag. Ross stormed home to finish third after starting from the back.
Post-race scenes in the pits showed the extent of the intense racing, with several utes bearing the scars of battle.
Unfortunately, an incident in another category earlier in the afternoon forced the NZIGP event to end prematurely, resulting in the cancellation of the final scheduled V8 Utes race.
The entire V8 Utes community extends its thoughts to the impacted driver and wishes him a speedy recovery.
Despite the curtailed program, the weekend provided some of the closest and most competitive V8 Utes racing in recent memory.
Rookies and newcomers proved they could mix it with seasoned veterans, and the balance of competitiveness across the field sets the scene for a fiercely contested season ahead.
The V8 Utes now head into their summer break, repairing their battle-scarred machinery before returning for Round Three at Hampton Downs on March 14–15, 2026.
Header Image: Dillon Photography
