The Toyota GR86 Championship delivered an electrifying performance on Sunday at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park during the NextGen NZ Grand Finale, held from March 21 to 23, 2025. As the season’s penultimate round, the event was marked by intense competition and showcased the exceptional talent within the series.
Josh Bethune continued his impressive form by securing pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session. His initial flying lap of 1:14.080 set the benchmark, with Justin Allen trailing by a mere four-hundredths of a second. Championship leader Hayden Bakkerus qualified seventh, while Chris White, who had shown strong pace in earlier sessions, started from ninth.
Race 1 kicked off with a lightning-fast reaction from Hugo Allan, but his early advantage was short-lived as he lost momentum, tumbling to sixth by the time the pack roared out of Turn 1. Meanwhile, Justin Allen wasted no time making his move, diving past Bethune to snatch the race lead in the opening corner. Bethune, unwilling to settle, launched a fierce counterattack on Lap 2, reclaiming the top spot with authority.
The drama unfolded further back as Thomas Mallard and Cameron Hill tangled, heading into Turn 2. Hill’s car snapped out of control, slamming into the outside barrier in a heart-stopping moment. Despite the heavy hit, he managed to continue, ultimately crossing the line in 20th, while Mallard finished just ahead in 18th.
Bethune looked set to command the race until disaster struck in the closing laps—an attempted gear change left him grasping for a shift that wasn’t there. That split-second misfortune opened the door for Allen, who had been hounding Bethune throughout the race.
Seizing his moment, Allen surged into the lead and never looked back, charging across the line to take victory. His triumph marked a historic milestone, making him the only driver in this year’s Toyota GR86 Championship to claim three wins so far.
Race 2 of the weekend delivered high-intensity action from the start, with Jett Murray seizing the lead by Turn 3. However, early drama struck as Mason Potter and Zach Blincoe went off into the gravel at Turn 4, prompting a safety car intervention.
Once racing resumed on lap 5, Murray found himself under immense pressure from Chris White, who was hot on his heels. Meanwhile, the championship battle intensified behind them, as Hugo Allan and Hayden Bakkerus fought for fourth place, while Josh Bethune and Race 1 winner Justin Allen engaged in a tense fight for sixth.
On lap 7, Murray continued to lead with a razor-thin 0.157-second gap as Bethune clocked the fastest lap of the race. The battle between Allan and Bakkerus heated up even further, with Allan giving a slight tap to Bakkerus’s rear bumper coming out of Turn 4. The two fought side-by-side for an entire lap, with Bethune ultimately prevailing and moving ahead of Allan, who narrowly defended against an aggressive challenge from Justin Allen.
The race took another dramatic turn on lap 9 when Chris White surged into the lead, overtaking Murray. Arthur Broughan followed suit, dropping Murray down to third. However, Broughan’s efforts were later marred by a five-second penalty for a safety car infringement.
As the battle for position raged on, Bethune and Bakkerus went wheel-to-wheel into Turn 1 on lap 10, with Bethune emerging ahead, leaving Bakkerus to contend with Allan once again. Their rivalry continued into Turn 4, with Justin Allen also in the mix, applying relentless pressure on Allan’s rear bumper.
Further back, rookie Mac Templeton executed a flawless pass on Cooper Barners to claim ninth place, showcasing his racing skill. Meanwhile, Jack Westbury delivered a calculated and clean drive to hold onto seventh place, while Cormac Murray suffered an unfortunate retirement, pulling into the pits just before the final lap.
As the checkered flag waved, Chris White clinched a well-earned victory, crossing the line ahead of Jett Murray in second place and Josh Bethune in third. Arthur Broughan, despite his strong performance, was relegated to ninth due to his penalty.
“We had some real good battling there at the start, but luckily enough, we were able to get midway through the race after the safety car. But it’s awesome to be able to win today after yesterday when we blew a gearbox during the race, so it really killed it for us. We’ve been having a few bits of bad luck throughout the season. Hence, it’s awesome to be able to back it up this weekend and get it in the reverse top 10.” said White in victory lane.
Hugo Allan secured fourth place, with Hayden Bakkerus finishing fifth—narrowing the championship gap between the two to just 26 points. With the title fight tightening, the final races promise even more intense action and thrilling battles on the track.
Race 3 delivered non-stop action from the moment the lights went out, with Cooper Barnes seizing the lead at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Josh Bethune wasted no time making moves, slipping past Chris White as Hugo Allan climbed to fifth—though Jett Murray was glued to his rear bumper, hungry for position.
As the field settled, Barnes stretched his lead with Bethune in hot pursuit and Justin Allen holding onto third. Further back, Jack Westbury and Cormac Murphy found themselves in a heart-stopping three-wide scrap, only to be forced wide at the Dipper. The pair went rallying through the gravel before rejoining the track, their cars spewing dust and debris in their wake.
Up front, Barnes and Bethune were in a league of their own, extending their gap to 1.6 seconds, then pushing past 2.1 seconds by Lap 5. Allen fought to keep them in sight while reigning Mazda Pro8 champion Chris White sat in fourth, eyeing a podium finish.
Meanwhile, Allan and championship contender Bakkerus found themselves in challenging positions—Allan in fifth, Bakkerus down in ninth—both losing critical points in their title fight.
Lap 6 saw Bethune make his move, outbraking Barnes into Turn 1 to snatch the lead. At the same time, White and Allan engaged in an intense wheel-to-wheel battle, with White coming out on top. But Allan wasn’t done—three laps later, he executed a daring pass to reclaim his position, a move worth a crucial five points in his championship quest against Bakkerus, who remained stuck behind impressive rookie Mac Templeton in ninth.
With just three laps to go, Bethune held a close 0.6-second lead over Barnes, while Allan was a man on a mission, slashing his deficit to third-place Allen from 2.4 seconds to just 1.8 in a single lap. As the checkered flag waved, Bethune emerged victorious, fending off Barnes for a well-earned win. Allen crossed the line in third, with Allan and White rounding out the top five.
It was Bethune’s 8th podium of the season. Stephen McIvor spoke to him about that and the race in victory lane.
“Yeah, like you say, we’ve had a lot of podiums, and we’ve had a fair few taken off us, but yeah, this one feels good to finally get the weekend done, dusted, and all put together,” said Bethune.
McIvor asked, “How much difference does it make being out the front and also being pushed by your teammate?”
“Honestly, Cooper and I have had a great year. We’ve pushed each other along the whole way, and yeah, it’s been great to see his development, and obviously, it’s pushed me along a lot.” Bethune replied.
Rookie sensation Mac Templeton impressed in seventh, finishing ahead of championship leader Bakkerus—a crucial blow in the title race.
The final round of the Bridgestone GR86 Championship is scheduled for April 11-13, 2025, at Taupo International Motorsport Park, coinciding with the Supercars event. This event promises to be a spectacular finale, with championship titles on the line and drivers poised to deliver their best performances.
Header Image: Jessica Barnes/Blissful Photography
