Just like that, we’re right back into it, with another blockbuster weekend of motorsport on the cards.
A strong Kiwi contingent will be in action in North America, with IndyCar, Indy NXT, and the Xfinity Series in action.
In Australia, the Shannons SpeedSeries event sees Kiwis in action in three classes at The Bend, including a four-strong contingent in the GT World Challenge.
Louis Sharp and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt will also continue their respective European campaigns this weekend.
For something special, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring is one of the most unique events on the motorsport calendar. The 130-strong grid of nearly 500 drivers sees Kiwis Wayne Moore and Guy Stewart competing.
If you get the opportunity, the start of this race is well worth the watch, with a large crowd permitted to line the track and greet competitors on the formation lap.
There’s plenty to watch and follow, and viewing times and information can be found below. Enjoy!
Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin & Marcus Armstrong: IndyCar
Less than one week after a thrilling Indy 500, IndyCar is back in action, and the 1.645-mile, nine-turn street circuit in Detroit couldn’t present more of a contract to the high-speed IMS oval.
Having finished third in the 500, Scott Dixon sits second in the Driver’s Championship, 20 points behind teammate Alex Palou.
Scott McLaughlin’s pole position and sixth-place finish at Indianapolis moved him to sixth in the standings despite being disqualified from the podium in the season-opener.
Marcus Armstrong is 15th in the standings, with his Indy 500 curtailed by electrical problems early in proceedings.
Shane van Gisbergen: Xfinity Series
A road course outing at Portland International Raceway awaits Shane van Gisbergen following a run of oval rounds.
The Kiwi sits 15th in the Xfinity Series standings after 12 races.
Jaxon Evans, Brendon Leitch, Tim Miles & Steve Brooks: GT World Challenge Australia
Brendon Leitch and Tim Miles will team up in an Audi R8 LMS Evo II for Round 2 of the GT World Challenge at The Bend. They sit second in the standings, having won last time out at Phillip Island.
Jaxon Evans joins Elliott Schutte at Arise Racing GT for the event, sharing a Ferrari 196 GT3.
Steve Brooks will partner Nick McBride in an Audi R8 LMS Evo II for Team Melbourne Performance Centre.
Each race is one hour long, with a mandatory driver change.
Louis Sharp: GB3 Championship
Rodin Motorsports’s Louis Sharp begins a triple-header of GB3 Championship rounds on iconic Grand Prix circuits this weekend at Spa.
The Kiwi teenager leads the championship by nine points over Rodin teammate Ugo Ugochukwu.
Callum Hedge: Indy NXT
Callum Hedge enters this weekend’s Indy NXT round buoyed by strong results at the Indianapolis Road Course, including a fourth-place finish in the opener.
The Kiwi sits ninth in the standings, 97 points adrift of leader Jacob Abel.
Brock Gilchrist, Clay Osborne & Ayrton Hodson: Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia
Brock Gilchrist enters Round 2 of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia in a tie for the championship lead following a consistent showing in Round 1 at Phillip Island.
Clay Osborne is sixth overall, having finished on the podium twice at Phillip Island. Ayrton Hodson is eleventh, overcoming a Race 1 DNF for top ten finishes in races two and three.
Rianna O’Meara-Hunt: GT Cup Championship
Tony Quinn Foundation-backed Rianna O’Meara-Hunt joins Jodie Sloss at Forsetti Motorsport to share an Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
The team races four times over the weekend, with each driver doing a solo sprint race in addition to two longer races that feature a driver change.
The team are third in the GTH Championship standings and tenth overall.
Jackson Rooney: GT4 Australia
Jackson Rooney will make his international racing debut this weekend at The Bend when he partners Tony Quinn in GT4 Australia.
The duo will share the Game Over Mercedes-AMG GT4 for two one-hour races.
Wayne Moore & Guy Stewart: 24 Hours of Nurburgring
A massive 130-car grid will line up for a 24-hour outing at Nurburgring. The annual event runs on a combination of the Nordschleife and Grand Prix circuits, with a lap length of over 25km.
Two Kiwis will be involved in the 2024 edition, running in BMW 330is in the VT2 class.
Christchurch’s Guy Stewart joins Alberto Carobbio and Ugo Vicenzi at SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, while Paekakariki’s Wayne Moore races with Niklas Ehrhardt, Thomas Ehrhardt and James Breakell at Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing.
