The battle for points at the sharp end of the successful GR86 race championship is intense.
With 24 full-series entries for 2024-2025, the six-round series is one of the New Zealand motorsport scene’s success stories. It now runs the new (current-model) GR86 race car.
A similar series in Australia has 28 entries and runs over five rounds, using the previous version of the 86.
At the fourth round, Josh Bethune clawed his way back into championship contention with two wins from two starts at Highlands Motorsport Park.
In the opening race, Hugo Allan led from lights to flag to take his first win on the road this season in the Bridgestone GR86
Championship and move to second place in the title chase.
Starting from pole position, he and championship leader Hayden Bakkerus were side-by-side until the first corner and part of the way through it, but it was Allan who emerged in front.
“It’s nice to take that first proper win, it’s such a complicated racetrack that it’s nice to know we have some good speed here,” said Allan afterwards, the winning margin over Bakkerus just two seconds.
“You have to get everything right and we seem to be doing that at the moment. It is very satisfying to be back where we belong, especially after a bad round at Teretonga. It’s fair to say though, I always look forward to a round at Highlands.
“Hayden wasn’t going to back out at the start, and neither was I. It was cool heading into turn one. We bumped doors a bit but it was very fair racing.”
Bakkerus had a good enough race in second place and maintained his championship lead, while Chris White was third.
Bethune then took control, winning the second and third GR86 races. Starting from pole position in the final race, he made a clean getaway and led into the first turn with championship leader Hayden Bakkerus and Hugo Allan close behind.
Bethune quickly established a crucial early lead but was unable to break away from the chasing pack behind him.
As the race progressed, the leading five of Josh, Hayden, Hugo, Cooper Barnes and Chris White pulled away from the pack. Bethune stayed in control and raced away to win.
In the process he leapfrogged Justin Allen for fourth in the championship points table, just a point behind third- placed Chris White.
“It’s been a good day, and it’s great to bounce back after Teretonga. I have to pay credit to the boys; the competition has been great and it’s been a ripper day.”
His two wins weren’t enough to prevent Hayden Bakkerus winning the round and increasing his championship lead marginally over Allan in second.
international circuit was upgraded for the A1GP series and is a challenging drive in a TRS single-seater or GR86.
An 830-metre downhill main straight is one of the fastest in the series but the Turn 9/10 complex entering the start-finish straight is tight and slow.
With elevation changes of 4-5 metres, the fast infield sections can be expected to be a challenge. The main straight is 17 metres wide before the final complex, meaning there are multiple viable lines into turn one.
There are three races for the GR86 field during this final weekend.
