Bridgestone GR86 Battle Set To Resume At Hampton Downs

The impressive Hayden Bakkerus is playing the classic Toyota 86 Championship strategy well and leads the chase for the title with a win and multiple podiums and high placings over the 12 races to date. It’s a strategy that always pays dividends in such a competitive field and continues to do so this season.

Hayden actually extended his championship lead over the course of three action-packed races at the previous NZ Grand Prix weekend races at Highlands Motorsport Park.

Bakkerus holds a narrow points lead over Hugo Allan, who has had to put in some big race performances in the past couple of rounds to make up for low qualifying positions. His race pace has been phenomenal and that’s why he sits second in the points table, but this weekend he’ll definitely be looking to improve in qualifying and race to win rather than race to make up as many places as he can. For spectators though, it’s certainly been good to watch and proof that that he can certainly race.

Top rookie Chris White is another who has made a strong impression thus far in the championship and another that has delivered the level of consistency required to be a title challenger. He sits third in the points but his challenge is far from over and he can be expected to be at or near the front again this weekend.

Josh Bethune won the last two races and emerged as a late challenger for the title with arguably the strongest weekend any driver has delivered during the course of the season. Bethune and his new Right Karts by M2 Competition team have certainly found the sweet spot with their GR86 and Bethune himself is driving very well. He is sure to be one of the pacesetters this weekend around a circuit he knows like the back of his hand.

Justin Allen always goes well at Hampton Downs and will be there or thereabouts again this weekend, despite having just completed a significant rebuild on his familiar NAPA Autoparts car after sustaining some pretty substantial damage in the second race at Highlands. He kept his championship challenge alive thanks to the loan of Thomas Mallard’s CRÈME Insurance car for the final race of the weekend, taking some valuable points. He’s not out of it yet.

So many drivers have shown pace, and occasional flashes of brilliance so far in the championship that it is impossible – once again – to single out individuals who may add their name to the growing list of race winners this season. That list of winners currently sits at no fewer than nine after 12 races and could well hit the double figure mark this weekend. Twelve different drivers have climbed the podium so far as well, another eye-catching statistic in a fascinating first year of the championship.

Perhaps those most likely to add their names to the winners list are Zach Blincoe and Cormac Murphy. Both have shown pace setting form in recent rounds in testing and qualifying and it could be this weekend that everything clicks for them in the races themselves.

Cooper Barnes, Arthur Broughan, Jett Murray, Cameron Hill, Harry Townshend and Emerson Vincent have all done enough to suggest they could easily make any place on the podium this weekend too.

Friday testing will be followed by qualifying and the first race on Saturday with two races on Sunday. Sunday’s feature race grid is based on fastest times recorded in Race 1 and Race 2 so pace in both is going to be vital in putting together a strong overall performance.

2024-2025 Bridgestone GR86 Championship – Championship points after four rounds

2024-2025 Bridgestone GR86 Championship

Round 01: 22-24 November 2024, Taupo International Motorsport Park

Round 02: 17-19 January 2025, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (International Layout)

Round 03: 31 Jan – 2 February 2025, Teretonga Park, Invercargill

Round 04: 7 – 9 February 2025, Highlands Motorsport Park, 69th New Zealand Grand Prix

Round 05: 21-23 March 2025, Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (National Layout)

Round 06: 11-13 April 2025, Taupo International Motorsport Park - Supercars

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