Kiwis in motorsport this weekend

Things are picking up again after a quiet few weeks with Kiwis competing in a couple of massive events highlighting the weekend.

Brendon Hartley has the chance to claim the World Endurance Championship Hypercar class at the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Sunday. It’s a winner-take-all race between the Toyota Gazoo Racing #8 and Alpine Elf Team #36 who sit equal on points atop the leaderboard, the higher placed of the two to take title honours.

Nick Cassidy is also included on the entry list for the race, in the LMGTE Am category.

It’s also a Bathurst race weekend, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International seeing the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia field hit the mountain. New Zealander Tim Miles will share a drive with Supercars driver Jack Smith for the 3-Hour enduro.

At that same event, Ryan Wood will be looking to bounce back after some tough luck last round in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, whilst Madeline Stewart will be looking to continue to build towards some deep top 10 results.

Brendon Hartley & Nick Cassidy – World Endurance Championship

• What: 8 Hours of Bahrain
• Where: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain
• When:
  • Qualifying: Saturday 2.50am
  • Race: Sunday 12am-8am
• How to watch: Sky Sport Pop up 1 (600) (Race only)

It’s one shot for glory for Brendon Hartley and teammates Sébastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa as the World Endurance Championship concludes with the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Sunday morning.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing #8 sits atop the Hypercar leaderboard equal on points with the Alpine Elf Team #36 driven by André Negrão, Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere heading into the round.

The equation is simple: The higher placed of the two wins the World Endurance Championship.

Fellow Kiwi Nick Cassidy will also be rejoining the field in the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, partnering Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci in the LMGTE Am class.

It’s been a busy year for the Kiwi, who has only competed in select rounds of the WEC due to other driving commitments, including DTM, Formula E and the Nürburgring Endurance Series.

Tim Miles – Fanatec GT World Challenge

• What: Supercheap Auto Bathurst International
• Where: Mount Panorama, Bathurst, Australia
• When:
  • Qualifying: Saturday 12.05pm
  • Race: Sunday 12.40pm-3.40pm
• How to watch: Live Stream

New Zealand Am driver Tim Miles will partner Supercars driver Jack Smith for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International. The duo will compete in the Pro-Am class in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II as the Fanatec GT World Challenge field take to the mountain.

A number of familiar faces also competing in the 3-hour enduro, including Supercars drivers Tim Slade, Broc Feeney and former driver Jamie Whincup. Shane van Gisbergen will again sit this round out, Feeney his replacement in partnership with Prince Jefri Ibrahim.

Ryan Wood & Madeline Stewart – Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia

• What: Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia
• Where: Mount Panorama, Bathurst, Australia
• When:
  • Qualifying: Friday 1.15pm
  • Race 1: Friday 5.25pm
  • Race 2: Saturday 2.40pm
  • Race 3: Saturday 4.30pm
• How to watch:  YouTube highlights, or live on 7plus (Australia only)

Ryan Wood needs a big weekend at Bathurst to remain in contention of claiming the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge having failed to finish Race 2 at The Bend last time out. That DNF came as the result of a fuel-pump failure and snapped the streak of the young Kiwi finishing in the top two of every race until that point.

His competition atop the leaderboard is none-other than Thomas Sargent, the Australian also having a great few weeks given the news of his promotion to the North America Porsche Carrera Cup with McElrea Racing next year.

Sargent holds a 39 point lead over the Kiwi heading into this event, having claimed six race wins to Wood’s four.

Madeline Stewart will also be aiming to continue her solid run of form in the series, a massive Race 2 at The Bend seeing her finish 5th following a disappointing 13th in Race 1.

She currently sits in seventh in the Pro standings.