It’s another big weekend for our Kiwi contingent overseas as the motorsport season continues to shift up gears for what’s going to be a massive 2023.
The Supercars season-opener in Newcastle is expected to thrill with the new Gen3 machinery put to the test. Ryan Wood and Matthew Mccutcheon will also make their Super2 and Super3 debuts respectively at the same event.
Throw in the opening round doubleheader of Extreme E in Saudi Arabia, the WEC prologue and the Formula Regional Americas opening round then we’re all set for another busy weekend getting our motorsport fix.
Keep scrolling to see who’s in action, how you can watch and what time they’re competing!
Matt Payne, Shane van Gisbergen & Andre Heimgartner: Supercars- Newcastle 500
- Where: Newcastle Street Circuit, NSW, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 1.15pm-2pm
- Practice 2: Friday 3.45pm-4.30pm
- Practice 3: Friday 5.50pm-6.35pm
- Race 1 Qualifying: Saturday 1.15pm
- Race 1 Top 10 Shootout: Saturday 2.35pm
- Race 1: Saturday 5.20pm (95 laps)
- Race 2 Qualifying: Sunday 1.15pm
- Race 2 Top 10 Shootout: Sunday 2.35pm
- Race 2: Sunday 5.20pm (95 laps)
- How to watch: All sessions are live on Sky Sport 5 (055)
It’s finally time for the Gen3 era of Supercars to kick into action as the hit the streets of Newcastle for the Newcastle 500.
The true matchup of the Camaro vs. Mustang rivalry will all be revealed this weekend after Supercars have finally signed off on parity for the field ahead of the race after official pre-season testing seemed to hint the Chevrolets had the advantage.
Three Kiwis will compete in the 2023 campaign with Shane van Gisbergen hotly tipped to perform well off the back of his record breaking year with Red Bull Ampol Racing just last season.
Andre Heimgartner has been on the rise for several years with Brad Jones Racing and will also be hard to look past as a championship contender.
That duo are joined by Grove Racing’s Matt Payne who makes his full-time debut in the series.
Ryan Wood: Super2- Newcastle 500
- Where: Newcastle Street Circuit, NSW, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 12.10pm-1pm
- Practice 2: Friday 2.50pm-3.30pm
- Race 1 Qualifying: Saturday 12.25pm
- Race 1: Saturday 3.50pm (21 laps)
- Race 2 Qualifying: Sunday 12.25pm
- Race 2: Sunday 3.50pm (21 laps)
- How to watch: All sessions are live on Sky Sport 5 (055)
Ryan Wood surrendered his Team Porsche New Zealand seat for the Carrera Cup to instead race for Walkinshaw Andretti United in Super2.
There’s no doubt Wood has the talent to be in the mix up the front, evident from his 2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge campaign where he won six races and topped every single qualifying session.
He’ll compete in two 21 Lap Super2 races on the streets of Newcastle which are sure to test the young drivers due to their punishing nature.
Matthew Mccutcheon: Super3- Newcastle 500
- Where: Newcastle Street Circuit, NSW, Australia
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Friday 12.10pm-1pm
- Practice 2: Friday 2.50pm-3.30pm
- Race 1 Qualifying: Saturday 12.25pm
- Race 1: Saturday 3.50pm (21 laps)
- Race 2 Qualifying: Sunday 12.25pm
- Race 2: Sunday 3.50pm (21 laps)
- How to watch: All sessions are live on Sky Sport 5 (055)
Matthew Mccutcheon is racing for Eggleston Motorsport for the entirety of the 2023 Super3 season. The Super3s will join the Super2s once again this year with a massive grid of 29 cars expected to make the start in Newcastle.
Mccutcheon was an established racer in the New Zealand Formula First, Formula Ford and Toyota 86 Series prior to his switch across the Tasman.
He’ll also be one worth watching over the weekend too and is also expected to be towards the front of the pack.
Emma Gilmour: Extreme E- Desert X Prix
- Where: Neom, Saudi Arabia
- NZ Times:
- Saturday Qualifying Round 1: Saturday 6pm-7.30pm
- Saturday Qualifying Round 2/ Redemption Race/ Grand Final: Sunday 1am-3am
- Sunday Qualifying Round 1: Sunday 6.30pm-8pm
- Sunday Qualifying Round 2/ Redemption Race/ Grand Final: Monday 1am-3am
- How to watch: Live coverage of each days Qualifying Round 2, Redemption Race and Grand Final free-to-air on TVNZ Duke. Delayed coverage of each day’s Qualifying Round 1 at 11.30pm on TVNZ Duke.
The 2023 Extreme E season kicks off with the Desert X Prix in Neom, Saudi Arabia.
Emma Gilmour is returning for Neom McLaren Extreme E where she shares a drive with American rally icon Tanner Foust.
The duo concluded last year in great form to finish seventh in the standings off the back of a second place in the season-ending Uruguay Energy X Prix.
Each race weekend is now a doubleheader, giving double the opportunity for big points and providing viewers with double the action.
Callum Hedge: Formula Regional Americas- NOLA
- Where: NOLA Motorsport Park, Louisiana, USA
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Sunday 5.55am
- Race 1: Sunday 11.15am
- Race 2: Monday 5.55am
- Race 3: Monday 9.45am
- How to watch: Live stream (TBC)
Callum Hedge will make his Formula Regional Americas debut off the back of a phenomenal campaign in New Zealand’s very own Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship where he finished second.
Cars in the American version of that championship are powered by Honda who also provides a stunning prize for the series victor: A full-time Super Formula drive for 2024.
It’s the first round of competition for Hedge following his home successes earlier this year and he’ll be kept busy as he runs Porsche Carrera Cup Australia and Formula Regional Americas double-duties.
Brendon Hartley & Earl Bamber: WEC- Sebring Prologue
- Where: Sebring International Raceway, Florida, USA
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Sunday 2.45am-4.45am
- Practice 2: Sunday 7.30am-10.30am
- Practice 3: Monday 3am-6.30am
- Practice 4: Monday 8.30am-11.30am
- How to watch: Live timings (TBC)
This weekend brings the prologue of the 2023 World Endurance Championship at Sebring International Raceway.
Whilst there won’t be race action per se, it’ll present an opportunity to see how the massive field of Hypercars stack up against each other.
Earl Bamber will compete for Team Cadillac as the enter in the premier class of endurance racing for the first time whilst Brendon Hartley will be in action for Toyota Gazoo Racing and hoping to defend his 2022 title.
The WEC begins at the same venue for the 1000 Miles of Sebring.
This weekend’s prologue won’t be televised but we’re working on finding where live timings will be posted.
