• Latest
  • Trending

Sam Collins powers to pole in NIERDC One-Hour season opener

March 4, 2023

Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas this weekend

October 23, 2025

Star power builds for NextGen NZ Championship opener

October 23, 2025
2025 NEXTGEN, ROUND 3, HAMPTONDOWNS, NEW ZEALAND.
WORLD COPYRIGHT: TAYLER BURKE
_07A4063.CR3

2025/26 NextGen Championship to be broadcast on Kayo Sports

October 23, 2025

New season of dirt oval action kicks off at Baypark Speedway this weekend

October 23, 2025

Greg Murphy locked in for NextGen NZ opener with NZ stalwart Grant Aitken

October 22, 2025

Van Gisbergen returns to JR Motorsports for 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Campaign

October 22, 2025

Mazda Racing Super Series to get underway this weekend

October 22, 2025

Formula Ford Champions join Formula Racing NZ for the 2025-26 Season

October 22, 2025

V8 Utes season opener set to light up Manfeild

October 21, 2025

Paul Dowie and John Allen triumph in 2025 Targa NZ 30th Anniversary event

October 21, 2025

Three from three gives Kelly the One-Hour South Island Endurance Series Class 4 title

October 21, 2025
Friday, October 24, 2025
VelocityNews
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time updates on Kiwi drivers, events and much more!
Subscribe to New Alerts
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard
No Result
View All Result
VelocityNews
No Result
View All Result

Sam Collins powers to pole in NIERDC One-Hour season opener

by Velocity News
March 4, 2023
in NIERDC
0

Sam Collins (Marc II V8 Mustang) has driven to pole position in this morning’s qualifying session of the North Island Endurance Series season-opening One Hour race at Pukekohe.

The defending champion will have familiar company alongside, Marco Schelp (BMW Z4 GT3) qualifying second and just three tenths of a second off the pace.

John Midgley (Ford Falcon FG V8ST) rounds out the top three, only narrowly pipped by Schelp with Todd Bawden (Ferrari 488 Challenge) close behind in fourth.

Rhys Gould (Hyundai i30N TCR) leads the charge in the Class 4 & 5 battle, a 1min 07.817 putting him right up there with the Class 3 runners ahead.

Sam Collins took a solid pole position for NIERDC’s One Hour season-opener at Pukekohe today. Image: Neville Bailey

It was Schelp and Collins who were first to break the 1min 06sec barrier, a 1min 05.340 after just five minutes of run-time putting Schlep in top spot early.

Collins then went on to better this shortly after, a quick 1min 04.799 showing the Marc II V8 Mustang meant business.

Midgley was another who made ground in the Class 2 & 3 field early, briefly bettering Schleps time before the ex-works BMW quickly moved back into second, only behind Collins.

Schelp and Midgley continued to improve their times as the session progressed, both threatening to break into the 1min 04s with the BMW Z4 GT3 setting a low 1min 05 mid-way through the session.

Christina Orr-West (Mercedes AMG GT4) was another to put some solid track time in during qualifying, making quick progress and moving into the top six.

With some solid times set by the front-runners early on, a number of competitors returned to the lane happy with their times.

This included Collins, Schelp and Midgley who occupied the top three positions. Todd Bawden put in a few extra laps in his new Ferrari 488 Challenge before returning to the lane as the end of the session grew near, qualifying fourth overall ahead of Nick Ross’s quick Nissan Altima L33 TLX.

Several Class 4 & 5 runners who made the most of a quiet track, Dane Fisher (Suzuki Swift) putting in a few extra laps alongside two Ssanyong Utes in the field to make steady gains.

The session finished with Collins holding pole from his early flyer, Schlep taking second over Midgley by the barest of margins.

Gould was fastest of the Class 4 & 5 field, an impressive 1min 07.817sec putting him into top spot of those respective classes.

NIERDC Round 1 One Hour Starting Grid

PositionDriverTimeClass
PoleSam Collins1.04.7992&3
2ndMarco Schelp1.05.1112&3
3rdJohn Midgley1.05.3822&3
4thTodd Bawden1.05.9402&3
5thNick Ross1.06.5472&3
6thChristina Orr-West1.07.4192&3
7thRhys Gould1.07.8174&5
8thShaun Varney1.07.8862&3
9thKris Bostock1.08.6372&3
10thCharles Rollo1.10.7334&5
11thScott Smith1.13.8114&5
12thAdam Worsnop1.21.2014&5
13thRick Cooper1.21.9934&5
14thDane Fisher1.26.7714&5
Tags: John MidgleyMarco SchelpNIERDCNorth Island Endurance SeriesPukekoheSam Collins

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.

No Result
View All Result
  • International
    • Formula 1
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Formula E
    • Esports
    • Super GT
    • Super Formula
    • TCR
    • WEC
    • GT
    • Porsche Carrera Cup
    • BTCC
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • IndyCar
    • Road to Indy
    • NASCAR
    • WRC
    • MotoGP
    • Motorcycle Racing
    • Historic Racing
  • New Zealand
    • Toyota Formula Regional
    • Toyota GR86 Championship
    • Rally
    • Speedway
    • Drifting
    • Formula Ford
    • Formula First
    • TCR NZ
    • TransTasman V8 Series
    • V8 Utes
    • GT New Zealand Championship
    • GTRNZ
    • Central Muscle Cars
    • Pirelli Porsche
    • Mazda Racing Series
    • NZ Endurance Championship
    • NIERDC
    • SIERDC
    • Pro8 South Island Series
    • SsangYong Utes
    • Kartsport
    • NZ Historic Racing
    • NZ General
  • Australia
    • Supercars
    • Super2
    • Australian V8 Touring Car Series
    • Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
    • Porsche Sprint Challenge
    • S5000
    • Australian GT
    • TCR AU
  • Features
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Profile
    • Race Cars
  • Circuit News
  • Velocity TV
  • Performance Cars
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Job Dashboard

© 2022 VelocityNews - Independent New Zealand and International Motorsport news.