Two days of motor racing action kicked off the new season at Teretonga Park in Invercargill over the weekend.
Saturday featured three South Island Endurance Series races, two 1-hour and one 3-hour. It was the final round of the series, and Invercargill driver Jordan Michels sealed the Class 1 South Island 1-Hour title for the third year in a row, while Glen Brazier of Invercargill, with co-driver Andrew Waite, took the 3-Hour title.
Steve Brooks of Christchurch and Willie Exton of Renwick won the 3-Hour race in their Audi R8 to become the 2026 New Zealand Endurance Champions. The duo beat Aucklanders Sam Fillmore and Jonny Reid in another Audi, with Scott O’Donnell of Invercargill and Chris White of Canterbury third in their Porsche 991.
Brazier and co-driver Waite of Auckland finished fourth in their Lamborghini Huracan, earning them the South Island Endurance Series 3 Hour title and the GT Class title.
Michels won the Class 1, 2, 3 One-Hour race in his Marc Mustang, earning him the Class 1 South Island title. Steve Brooks finished second, with Hugo Allan of Auckland in a Porsche 992. Wei Zhou and Josh Bethune of Auckland were third.
Warren Black of Oamaru won the Class 4/5 one-hour race in his Audi RS3 LMS. Black, the 2024 winner, held off the Scott O’Donnell/Chris White Hyundai i30N to win, with Mike Hall of Queenstown third in his Volkswagen Golf.
On Sunday, the Pre 78 Classic Saloons held their Queenstown Road Race Revival, with four races counting towards the Queenstown Road Race Revival Trophy; Eric Swinbourn of Central Otago scored enough points across the four races to win.
Max Perkins of Cromwell won two races in his Camaro, including the Flying Farewell, which earned him the Skyline Flying Farewell Trophy. Peter Scobie of Dunedin (Mini) and Swinbourn (Suzuki SC100) also took a win apiece.
The Club Saloons were also on track, with Steve Ross of Dunedin in his TraNZam Jaguar winning two of the three Group A races, and Pierre Neame of Winton taking the other in his Ford Mustang. Brent Dawson of Invercargill was also prominent in his Nissan Skyline.
In Group B, Ross Jones of Dunedin in a Mazda Axela won the first race after Paul Ritchie of Queenstown retired with the flag in sight, while Warren Kett of Invercargill took the other two in a Mazda RX7. Invercargill drivers Dave Robertson (Buckler Ace) and Todd Blackmun (Honda Integra) were also to the fore.
Jones also won the Flying Farewell with Bradley Dawson second and Jeremy Skeggs third.
Anthony Kay of Invercargill in a Honda Civic also showed good speed in the Club Saloon races.
Four Regularity Trials were a new addition to Sunday’s programme, with cars of all types trying to lap the circuit as consistently as possible.
The next motor race meeting at Teretonga Park is a two-day event over the weekend of 5/6 December.
Header Image: SIERDC/Richard Opie
