Motorsport Diary: Kiwis racing overseas this weekend

The wait is finally over. The Olympics are done, and racing resumes around the world.

It’s a big weekend overseas, with no less than 16 Kiwis applying their trade on international circuits.

In the United States, Shane van Gisbergen takes to Michigan International Speedway for the first time in the Xfinity Series. In IndyCar, Scott Dixon, Marcus Armstrong and Scott McLaughlin are racing the World Wide Technology oval in Illinois, while Callum Hedge joins the Kiwi trio to compete in Indy NXT.

In Europe, Toyota 86 stars William Exton and Tom Bewley join forces in ADAC GT4 Germany at the Nurburgring, while Hayden Paddon looks to cement his lead in the European Rally Championship at Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

Closer to home, a five-strong Kiwi lineup is competing in Supercars and are joined in Tasmania by Brock Gilchrist, Clay Osborne and Ayrton Hodson in the Porsche Sprint Challenge.

Chris van der Drift in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia at Fuji rounds out a busy weekend.

All the viewing times and information you need is below.

Enjoy!

Shane van Gisbergen: Xfinity Series

• Where? Michigan International Speedway
• NZ Times:
  • Qualifying: Saturday 8.10 am
  • Race: Sunday 7.30 am
• How to watch: Three Now (Race only)

Three road course wins in 2024 have already secured van Gisbergen’s place in the Xfinity Series playoffs, and there’s no denying the three-time Supercars champion is becoming a force on the oval.

Van Gisbergen makes his debut appearance at Michigan International Speedway, a 2-mile (3.2 km) D-shaped oval, and enters the round, sitting 13th in the standings.

Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin & Marcus Armstrong: IndyCar

• Where? World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Saturday 4.45 am
  • Qualifying: Saturday 8.20 am
  • Practice 2: Saturday 11.45 am
  • Race: Sunday 10.00 am
• How to watch: Sky Sport

A return to oval racing in IndyCar puts the pressure on Championship leader Alex Palou, who enters the round with a 49-point advantage over the field.

Scott Dixon, who has won twice at the venue, including in 2023, sits third in the standings, 53 points behind Palou.

Scott McLaughlin, who took his maiden oval win in Iowa, is a further 30 points behind in sixth, while Marcus Armstrong is only 28 points outside the top ten in 14th.

Heimgartner, Payne, Stanaway, Evans & Wood: Supercars

• Where? Symmons Plains, Tasmania
• NZ Times:
  • Practice 1: Friday 4.20 pm
  • Practice 2: Saturday 1.05 pm
  • Qualifying 1: Saturday 3.00 pm
  • Race 1: Saturday 6.10 pm
  • Practice 3: Sunday 12.20 pm
  • Qualifying 2: Sunday 2.50 pm
  • Race 2: Sunday 5.05 pm
• How to watch: Sky Sport

Matt Payne enters the Tasmania Supersprint as the top-ranked Kiwi, sitting fifth in the standings and only 37 points behind fourth-placed Cam Waters. He is, however, 323 points behind leader Will Brown.

Two victories in Sydney have seen Chaz Mostert climb to second in the standings and reduce Brown’s margin to 105 points.

Andre Heimgartner sits on the cusp of the top ten in 12th, one place to the good of departing Penrite Racing driver Richie Stanaway.

Ryan Wood, who has signed a multi-year extension with WAU, is 17th, while Jaxon Evans is 21st.

Both of this weekend’s races are 55 laps.

Hayden Paddon: Barum Czech Rally Zlín

• Where? Czech Republic
• NZ Times:
  • SSS1: Saturday 7.15 am
  • SS2-SS9: From 6.58 pm on Saturday
  • SS10-SS15: From 6.23 pm on Sunday
• How to watch: Paid live stream (rally.tv) or Free live updates

Hayden Paddon enters this weekend’s Barum Czech Rally Zlin with a seven-point advantage over Mathieu Franceschi in the European Rally Championship standings.

The 15-stage tarmac rally covers 201.79 kilometres of timed running, and a mixed weather forecast could potentially cause problems.

Callum Hedge: Indy NXT

• Where? World Wide Technology Raceway, Madison, Illinois
• NZ Times:
  • Qualifying: Saturday 10.45 am
  • Race: Sunday 7.55 am
• How to watch: Paid live stream (IndyCar Live)

Callum Hedge will compete for the second-ever time on an oval when he takes to the track at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Hedge impressed on his oval debut in Iowa, finishing fourth, and enters this weekend’s round in fourth, 185 points behind runaway leader Louis Foster.

Tom Bewley & William Exton: ADAC GT4 Germany

• Where? Nurburgring, Germany
• NZ Times:
  • Qualifying: Saturday 6.35 pm
  • Race 1: Sunday 1.15 am
  • Race 2: Monday 1.15 am
• How to watch: Free live stream

Toyota 86 stars Tom Bewley and William Exton will compete in this weekend’s ADAC GT4 Germany round at the Nurburgring as a reward for their 2023/24 performances over the New Zealand summer.

Bewley and Exton will share a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO for two one-hour races.

Chris van der Drift: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia

• Where? Fuji, Japan
• NZ Times:
  • Race 1: Saturday 4.35 pm
  • Race 2: Sunday 4.20 pm
• How to watch: Free live stream (YouTube)

Reigning Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia champion Chris van der Drift returns to the series for the second time in 2024 to drive the Lamborghini Auckland Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2.

Van der Drift won both races last round at Inje. Absolute Racing, which runs the car, leads the Team’s Championship with five wins from six starts, with Marco Giltrap and Clay Osborne combining for the other three.

Brock Gilchrist, Clay Osborne & Ayrton Hodson: Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia

• Where? Symmons Plains, Tasmania
• NZ Times:
  • Qualifying: Friday 3.35 pm
  • Race 1: Saturday 12.30 pm
  • Race 2: Saturday 4.40 pm
  • Race 3: Sunday 2.10 pm
• How to watch: Sky Sport (Races only)

The title fight between Oscar Targett and Brock Gilchrist heats up this weekend in Tasmania. The Australian holds an 85-point advantage over the Kiwi.

Clay Osborne is third in the standings, 178 points off the lead.

Ayrton Hodson, who took his debut podium last round in Queensland, is seventh in the standings and well within reach of the top five.

Races 1 & 3 are 25-minute sprints, while Race 2 is the 45-minute Jim Richards Enduro. Gilchrist leads the Jim Richards Endurance Cup standings with an 18-point buffer over Targett.