Rain disrupted two of the three races as Round 3 of the 2025/2026 Mazda Racing Super Series was fought out at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this weekend. At the end of it all, there were three different race winners – rookie Tomas Climo of Hamilton, Callum Pratt of Auckland and Stu Lawton of Paraparaumu.
Lawton took the overall round win from Simon Baker of Kapiti, who also secured Masters honours, with Climo third overall and leading rookie for the round.
There was also a new series leader at the end of a tough weekend, with Lawton taking over from Alex Canty of Auckland, who had led coming into the round, with Callum Pratt and Ajay Giddy of Silverdale tied for third. Giddy leads the Rookie points while Steve Brown is the leader in the Masters (Over 50 category).
Climo won his first race in the category on Saturday afternoon in wet conditions, which saw competitors only get two racing laps after several incidents, including pole sitter James Black of Dunedin going off at the first corner of the race.
While the race was brief, Climo and fourteen-year-old Giddy waged a huge battle at the front, with Climo prevailing over Giddy, with Mac Berkett of Nelson third.
The weather was a little better when the cars took to the track for Race 2 on Sunday morning. The top ten from Saturday’s race result were reversed on the grid, so Aucklanders Elton Wichman and Callum Pratt were at the front, while Giddy and Climo shared the fifth row with Black at the rear.
The first laps were run under safety car, and when the field was let go, the action only lasted a lap before the safety car reappeared.
Pratt led at that stage, followed by Wichman, Bryan Walker of Christchurch, Baker, and Lawton. When racing resumed, there was a two-lap dash to the flag with Pratt holding on ahead of Giddy, who came through the field to second ahead of Wichman, Baker, Lawton, Walker, Berkett, Canty, Black and Climo.
The field finally got drier conditions for the finale, and it was a race full of drama. Giddy withdrew from the race, leaving pole position vacant. Pratt led early until he lost speed with a gearbox problem after three laps, dropping back through the field.
Sam Dashfield of Auckland took over only to retire with a similar problem soon after. That left Lawton to lead Baker to the flag while behind them, a huge battle between Wichman, Canty and Black, who had again come from the back of the grid, was only resolved in Canty’s favour on the final lap.
The weekend’s action was part of the Teretonga Park International, a round of the NextGen New Zealand Championship. The series now moves to Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell next weekend for Round 4.
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For point standings in our various series, go to Season Points / | Mazda Racing Series
Header Image: Geoff Ridder
