Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas and here this weekend

It’s another jam-packed weekend of motorsport action. Over the next few days, we have an even bigger field of Kiwis to support, both here in New Zealand and abroad.

Continuing with the Formula 1 triple-header, Liam Lawson is preparing with the Racing Bulls team for the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. Team Principal Laurent Mekies believes Lawson can perform better in qualifying. He says the team will opt for more realistic performance-based strategies rather than the erratic risk-based strategy they used at Suzuka.

Also, Formula 3 returns to Bahrain and rising star Louis Sharp will be eyeing redemption after a tough weekend at Round 1 in Melbourne.

Round 5 of the 2025 Formula E World Championship is set to take place in Miami this weekend. Jaguar TCS Racing drivers Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy hope to improve their positions in the current driver standings, Evans sitting in 7th and Cassidy in 14th.

Continuing his debut NASCAR Cup season, Shane Van Gisbergen returns to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. It will be another challenging weekend for Van Gisbergen, as this will be his first Cup Series entry at the tight-knit half-mile track.

Also, INDYCAR is back in the States with the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, where Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, and Marcus Armstrong will fight for the top spot.

Earl Bamber is also competing in Round 4 of the IMSA Sportscar Championship for Cadillac, which runs alongside INDYCAR in Long Beach.

USF Pro 2000 has a triple-header this weekend, with rounds 3, 4, and 5 in New Orleans. Kiwi duo Jacob Douglas and Sebastian Manson will compete and look to move further up the championship board.

The action-packed list continues with Cormac Buchanan competing in Round 4 of the 2025 Moto3 World Championship at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

17-year-old Cole Davies, an upcoming Supercross sensation, is competing in Philadelphia at the 250SX Showdown against 59 other riders after his maiden victory in the class two weeks ago in Seattle.

Kiwi female duo Avalon Lewis and Billee Fuller are preparing for Round 3 of the 2025 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (the first round of the season for their WorldWCR class) at the TT Assen Circuit in the Netherlands.

Rally star Zeal Jones travelled to Japan earlier this week for Round 2 of the Morizo Challenge Cup, which kicks off on Saturday in the coastal city of Karatsu.

Here in New Zealand, we have Round 3 of the 2025 Supercars Championship, the ITM Taupō Super 440. Five Kiwi drivers are in the mix, hoping for a win in front of their home crowd – Andre Heimgartner, Ryan Wood, Matt Payne, Richie Stanaway and Jaxon Evans.

With many Kiwis to get behind, make sure you check out the Viewing times and further information below!

Liam Lawson: Formula 1 World Championship

• Where? Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir.
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Friday/Saturday 11:30 PM
  • Practice 2: Saturday 3:00 AM
  • Practice 3: Sunday 12:30 AM
  • Qualifying: Sunday 4:00 AM
  • Grand Prix: Monday 3:00 AM
• How to Watch: Sky Sports

Liam Lawson returns to the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, a track he’s previously competed on. After a challenging start to the season, Lawson is out there with a point to prove and more determination than ever.

Having shown some pace in practice sessions and out-qualifying Tsunoda in Suzuka, Lawson finished the race in 17th place. The team used an erratic and risky strategy that didn’t pay dividends. He came across the finish line stuck in a DRS train behind his teammate Isack Hadjar, who finished 8th, earning 4 points for the team.

Louis Sharp: Formula 3 World Championship

• Where? Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir.
• NZ Times:
  • Practice: Friday 7:55 PM
  • Qualifying: Saturday 1:00 AM
  • Sprint Race: Saturday 10:15 PM
  • Feature Race: Sunday 9:55 PM
• How to Watch: Sky Sports

Louis Sharp arrives in Bahrain for Round 2 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship this weekend. Sharp comes into Round 2 confident and ready to race after being among the pace-setters at the recent official in-season test at the Bahrain Circuit. He was amongst the fastest of the 30 young F1 hopefuls throughout the three-day test, underlining his true potential in Formula 3.

“It was my first time in Bahrain, but I was really happy with my driving and the balance we got in the car – hopefully, that will transfer to this weekend, and we can bag some good points in both races,” said Sharp.

Sharp aims to bounce back better than ever after a challenging start to his maiden F3 season in Melbourne.

“As we saw in Melbourne, anything can happen in F3,” he reflected.

“I’m confident, though, with the speed we have, that I’ll be up there. I really need a decent qualifying, be in the top ten for both races, and it should be a good weekend from there.”

Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy: Formula E World Championship

• Where? Homestead-Miami Speedway, Florida
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Saturday 8:30 AM
  • Practice 2: Saturday 11:30 PM
  • Qualifying: Sunday 1:40 AM
  • Race: Sunday 6:05 AM
• How to Watch: Sky Sports (Only first pratice and the race)

Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy from Jaguar TDS Racing will be focused entirely this weekend. They are coming off a challenging Round 4 in Jeddah. Evans received contact on the first lap of the race and dropped a lap down after pit repairs. That was on top of a five-second penalty for the contact, ultimately turning his race into a practice/test session. He had an impressive comeback in Race 2. However, a brake-by-wire failure forced him to retire after he charged forward from P15 to P8.

Cassidy started strongly in Race 1 but encountered technical difficulties, which affected his performance in the second half of the race. He finished P11, just outside of earning any championship points. Cassidy had a fast pace and used a great strategy in Race 2 after qualifying P17. This strategy saw him move up into the Top 3 for a portion of the race before dropping down and finishing P7 as his competitors opted for a late-second use of their attack mode.

After a brief hiatus, the Kiwi duo will be eager to return to the cars and hope for a solid redemption.

Shane Van Gisbergen: NASCAR Cup Series

• Where? Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee.
• NZ Times:
  • Practice: Sunday 6:00 AM
  • Qualifying: Sunday 7:05 AM
  • Race: Monday 7:00 AM
• How to Watch: ThreeNow (race only)

Shane Van Gisbergen returns to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, continuing his debut season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Although he hasn’t had a Cup start at Bristol, he finished 18th in the Xfinity Series last year, so he has some track experience.

Van Gisbergen achieved his season-best oval finish last weekend at Darlington Raceway, finishing 20th after starting at the rear of the pack in 36th. The Kiwi still struggled with his Trackhouse Racing No.88 Chevrolet, which has been giving him grief all season so far. The car understeered mid-corners, oversteered on corner exits, and struggled with its overall balance.

“We were moving forward. We learned a lot, and it was quite fun. And then, in the middle of the race, we really lost the handling of the car.

“It’s been a trend we’ve been having the last few weeks, so I need to understand what I’m doing, and we also need to understand what we can do better on the car side.”

Bristol Motor Speedway is a tight-knit half-mile oval known for being unforgiving. Only time will tell how Van Gisbergen will stack up against the other seasoned drivers. Let’s hope Trackhouse Racing can start achieving better results, as our Kiwi isn’t the only one struggling with their cars in the team.

Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, Marcus Armstrong: Indycar Series

• Where? Long Beach Street Circuit, California
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Saturday 10:05 AM
  • Practice 2: Sunday 3:30 AM
  • Qualifying: Sunday 6:30 AM
  • Grand Prix: Monday 8:30 AM
• How to Watch: Sky Sports

Coming back after a win at Long Beach in 2024, Scott Dixon will be hungry for a back-to-back victory at the 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Scott McLaughlin will be another hungry Kiwi for a different reason: redemption. A few weeks ago, he had a disappointing start at the Thermal Club race, falling victim to contact on the formation lap from Devlin DeFrancesco, causing him to spin out. He then failed to complete the race, retiring the car just before the race finished.

Marcus Armstrong was the top Kiwi driver at the Thermal Club, finishing in 7th place ahead of Dixon, who finished 10th. He will be eager to maintain his strong performance coming into Long Beach.

Dixon heads into the weekend as the top Kiwi in the 2025 Championship standings, in third place with 61 points. McLaughlin is in 10th with 41 points, ahead of Armstrong in 15th with 33 points.

Earl Bamber: IMSA Sportscar Championship

• Where? Long Beach Street Circuit, California
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Saturday 4:00 AM
  • Practice 2: Saturday 8:00 AM
  • Qualifying: Saturday 12:10 PM
  • Grand Prix: Sunday 9:00 AM
• How to Watch: IMSA Official Youtube or IMSA.tv

Earl Bamber prepares for Round 3 of the IMSA Sportscar Championship at the Long Beach Street Circuit in California. Bamber sits 6th in the 2025 Championship standings after two rounds on 546 points.

Bamber competes in the GTP class for Cadillac with British co-driver Jack Aitken, piloting the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R.

Although Acura is the race weekend entitlement partner, Cadillac has made Long Beach victory lane feel like home. Since 2017, Cadillac has won six of the last seven top-class prototype races at Long Beach, losing only in 2023.

Jacob Douglas, Sebastian Manson: USF Pro 2000

• Where? NOLA Motorsport Park, New Orleans
• NZ Times:
  • Practice: Saturday 3:55 AM
  • Qualifying 1: Saturday 8:05 AM
  • Qualifying 2: Sunday 3:50 AM
  • Race 1: Sunday 8:40 AM
  • Race 2: Monday 5:35 AM
  • Race 3: Monday 9:30 AM
• How to Watch: USF Pro Championship Youtube

Jacob Douglas and Sebastian Manson are gearing up for a high-intensity weekend as the USF Pro 2000 Championship heads to NOLA Motorsports Park for Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of the 2025 season.

The series held its official pre-season test at the Louisiana-based circuit in February, giving teams a solid foundation to work from as on-track action begins. With valuable data already in hand, drivers are expected to come out of the gate strong when practice sessions get underway.

Following a competitive season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Douglas currently holds 9th in the championship standings, thanks in part to a hard-fought podium in Race 2. Manson sits 15th in the standings as he continues to gain momentum in the highly competitive 22-car field

With three races on deck this weekend, both drivers face a demanding schedule and a tightly contested grid, promising an action-packed few days at NOLA.

Zeal Jones: Morizo Challenge Cup

• Where? Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Japan.
• NZ Times:
  • Ceremonial Start: Saturday 12:00 PM
  • Saturday Stages: SS1 (5.15km) 1:00 PM / SS2 (14.45km) 1:20 PM / SS3 (5.56km) 2:00 PM / SS4 (5.15km) 4:35 PM / SS5 (14.45km) 4:55 PM / SS6 (5.56km) 5:35 PM
  • Sunday Stages: SS7 (12.30km) 11:05 AM / SS8 (0.67km) 11:40 AM / SS9 (14.53km) 12:00 PM / SS10 (12.30km) 2:50 PM / SS11 (0.67km) 3:25 PM / SS12 (14.53km) 3:45 PM
• How to Watch: Toyota Gazoo Racing Official Youtube

Round 2 of the Morizo Challenge Cup kicks off this weekend. Zeal Jones travelled to Japan earlier this week to prepare for the event, which will involve 324km across multiple stages.

Jones showed remarkable speed in Round 1, placing third overall. He will enter his second race this weekend despite being a first-time All Japan Rally Championship participant. All attention will be on how he will tackle the special stage, which has a different character from the previous rally.

Cormac Buchanan: Moto3 World Championship

• Where? Lusail International Circuit, Qatar
• NZ Times:
  • Free Practice 1: Friday 11:00 PM
  • Practice: Saturday 3:15 AM
  • Free Practice 2: Saturday 10:30 PM
  • Qualifying 1: Sunday 2:50 AM
  • Qualifying 2: Sunday 3:15 AM
  • Race: Monday 2:00 AM
• How to Watch: ThreeNow

New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan achieved a significant milestone in his emerging Moto3 career. He managed to secure his first top-10 finish in the World Championship at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas two weeks ago.

“Such a great feeling to get my first top 10 in the World Championship here in COTA. Coming into the weekend, we knew this track is one of the most difficult to learn. But my team and I worked hard to arrive at the race in the best way possible,” said Buchanan.

He heads into this weekend hopeful of continuing his strong performance in his debut season in the series.

Cole Davies: AMA Supercross Championship

• Where? Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
• NZ Times:
  • Practice: Sunday 12:10 AM
  • Qualifying 1: Sunday 1:50 AM
  • Qualifying 2: Sunday 3:30 AM
  • Heat: Sunday 7:06 AM
  • Last Chance Qualifier: Sunday 8:22 AM
  • Main Race: Sunday 8:53 AM
• How to Watch: Super Motocross Video Pass (paid subscription)

With remarkable skill and determination, 17-year-old New Zealand native Cole Davies clinched his first-ever overall victory in the 250SX class at the Seattle round of the 2025 Monster Energy Supercross Championship two weeks ago.

“I feel like this one has been long overdue. I’m stoked to get this one done,” said Davies.

He will be on a high following his maiden victory and will be eager to follow suit in Philadelphia in the 250 East/West Showdown event. He now sits 3rd in the 250 SX West Championship standings on 129 points, behind USA rider Julien Beaumer on 135 points and championship leader and USA rider Haiden Deegan on 149 points.

Avalon Lewis and Billee Fuller: FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship

• Where? TT Assen Circuit,  Netherlands
• NZ Times:
  • Free Practice: Friday 10:15 PM
  • Superpole: Saturday 2:55 AM
  • WUP 1: Saturday 7:30 PM
  • Race 1: Saturday 9:50 PM
  • WUP 2: Sunday 7:20 PM
  • Race 2: Sunday 9:50 PM
• How to Watch: Sky Sports (Only Superpole and races)

Kiwi female duo Avalon Lewis and Billee Fuller, who ride for Carl Cox Motorsports, are preparing for Round 3 of the 2025 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (the first round of the season for their WorldWCR class) at the TT Assen Circuit in the Netherlands.

Andre Heimgartner, Ryan Wood, Matt Payne, Richie Stanaway and Jaxon Evans: Supercars Championship

• Where? Taupō International Motorsport Park, New Zealand
• NZ Times:
  • Check out our full 2025 Supercars Taupō Super 440 race preview and schedule here
• How to Watch: Sky Sports

The excitement for this weekend is building as the entire fleet of 24 Supercars, along with their essential equipment, has arrived at Taupō International Motorsport Park.

The traditional Track to Town‘ event kicked off the festivities on Thursday, April 10, bringing the excitement directly to the heart of Taupō.

New Zealand’s own Andre Heimgartner is a standout contender this weekend, having narrowly missed clinching the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy last year. His familiarity with the Taupō circuit and determination make him a firm favourite. Additionally, keep an eye on fellow Kiwi drivers who are sure to leverage their home advantage to vie for top honours.

Jaxon Evans is riding a wave of momentum heading into this weekend’s ITM Taupō Super 440. Partnering with Elliott Schutte, Evans clinched a thrilling victory in the GT World Challenge Australia season opener at Phillip Island last weekend.

Header Image: Travis Hinkle / Penske Entertainment