A busy weekend overseas sees no less than 14 Kiwis taking to the track, with 12-hour endurance races at Sebring and Sepang the most represented.
Scott Dixon, Tom Blomqvist, Brendon Hartley, Hunter McElrea and Earl Bamber will get behind the wheel in the second IMSA Enduro of 2024 in Florida, while Ryan Yardley and Madeline Stewart begin their North American Porsche Carrera Cup season in support of the same event.
The 12 Hours of Sepang sees Matt Payne and Ryan Wood get some additional seat time ahead of next weekend’s Melbourne SuperSprint. Jono Lester, Heremana Malmezac, and Francois Beziac line up in an all-Kiwi entry for the same race.
Formula E is also back in action, with Nick Cassidy looking to extend his championship lead in Brazil. Mitch Evans will be looking to replicate last season’s winning form on the Sao Paulo Street Circuit.
There’s plenty to see and do all weekend, and easy viewing options are available for everything.
For all you need to know, see below!
Nick Cassidy & Mitch Evans: Formula E Sao Paulo E-Prix
- Where? Sao Paulo Street Circuit, Brazil
- NZ Times:
- Practice 1: Saturday 8.25 am
- Practice 2: Saturday 11.25 pm
- Qualifying: Sunday 1.30 am
- Race: Sunday 5.00 am
- How to watch? Sky Sport 5 (055)
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans finally return to action in Formula E after an extended break between rounds due to the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix.
Cassidy has built a remarkable 19-point advantage over Pascal Wehrlein at the top of the standings. He has finished on the podium in each of the three races this season, including taking a race win in Saudi Arabia.
Evans is fifth in the championship, scoring points in each round this year, and was the winner of the 2023 Sao Paulo E-Prix, topping his new teammate in a historic Kiwi 1-2.
Dixon, Hartley, Blomqvist, McElrea & Bamber: IMSA Sebring 12 Hours
- Where? Sebring International Raceway, Florida, USA
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Saturday 3.55 am
- Race: Sunday 2.40 am-2.40 pm
- How to watch: Sky Sport Popup 1 (600) (Race only)
The second IMSA enduro of 2024 will feature five Kiwis, three of whom will compete in the GTP Hypercar class.
Scott Dixon joins Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in Cadillac Racing’s #1 V-Series.R.
Tom Blomqvist has Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken for company in the #31 Whelan Cadillac Racing V-Series.R, and Brendon Hartley links up with Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06.
Hunter McElra returns to TDS Racing in the #11 TDS Racing entry with Steven Thomas and Mikkel Jensen, while Earl Bamber partners Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Wood, Payne, Malmezac, Lester & Beziac: 12 Hours of Sepang
- Where? Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
- NZ Times:
- Qualifying: Friday 8.00 pm
- Race: Saturday 3.00 pm- Sunday 3.00 am
- How to watch: Free live stream (YouTube)
Five Kiwis, including Supercars stars Ryan Wood and Matt Payne, will take to the track this weekend in Malaysia.
New Zealand team Prime Speed Sport will run Chancellor FHK Racing’s brand-new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo for the race. The team will field an all-Kiwi lineup of Jono Lester, Heremana Malmezac, and Francois Beziac.
Payne will join Grove Racing owners Stephen and Brenton Grove in their Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Wood partners Adrian Henry D’Silva and 2022 Porsche Sprint Trophy Thailand champion Tanart Sathienthirakul in a Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) for EBM Giga Racing.
Ryan Yardley & Madeline Stewart: Porsche Carrera Cup USA
- Where? Sebring International Raceway, Florida, USA
- NZ Times:
- Race 1: Friday 9.50 am
- Race 2: Saturday 12.15 pm
- How to watch: Free live stream (Porsche Carrera Cup US)
The 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup USA season begins at Sebring this weekend, with Madeline Stewart and Ryan Yardley flying the New Zealand flag amongst the 40-strong field.
Yardley, who secured his maiden podium at CoTA last year, has shown fast pace through two practice sessions with TOPP Racing, finishing third each time.
Madeline Stewart makes the leap from Porsche Sprint Challenge Americas to Carrera Cup racing in 2024 with JDX Racing. She was 16th in first practice and 25th in practice 2.
Header Image: Jaguar TCS Racing
