Allan Aiming To Extend Lead But Faces Tough Challengers

Consistency is the key to a good campaign in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship and with one round gone and drivers and teams revved up and ready to go at Hampton Downs for round two this weekend, Hugo Allan is proving the point.

Allan – an experienced campaigner in the previous generation Toyota 86 Championship – bagged a race win and two other top three finishes and that saw the CareVets Racing driver take a handy points lead ahead of new promoter NextGen’s next big event this weekend.

The long break between the first round at Taupo and this weekend has only sharpened Hugo’s resolve to mount a top-notch championship challenge.

“It’s been a good start for sure, but I want to win on the road and to be challenging for a top spot wherever and whenever I can,” he said, referencing his inherited race win after rival Josh Bethune was excluded following a mistake in wearing non regulation socks for Taupo’s third race.

“The team gave me a great car at Taupo and I know I can go well with it at Hampton Downs so that will be the objective for me at least this weekend, to stay out of any trouble, be fast and be there in every race. If I can do that and do it well then I will have a strong weekend regardless of how everyone else performs, but I’m in no doubt of the quality of the field in this first year of the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.”

Bethune could perhaps count himself as the unluckiest driver at the first round. Fast enough to win races, he crept at the start of Race 1 and earned himself a penalty and won the final race on the road before he was penalised for the race attire. He sits just outside the top ten in the points with lots of work to do now, even with just one round complete.

With clearly no performance advantage gained from having the wrong socks on, Bethune can at least be satisfied he is heading into the second round with the pace and the team behind him to win.

Hayden Bakkerus impressed hugely at Taupo too, and is another with the speed and experience to mount a major title assault, while Emerson Vincent delivered another strong weekend to win a race, take the lead in the Rookie standings and sit third overall in the points.

Elsewhere, Justin Allen has plenty of pace out of his new car and the experienced series veteran should go well this weekend at a track he knows well. Just behind him and going as well as ever is veteran John Penny who leads the Master class while Arthur Broughan, fast Aussie Cooper Barnes and rising Kiwi stars Chris White, Mason Potter and Zach Blincoe are all hot on the heels of the leading runners.

Twenty six cars race this weekend around the 3.8km track. Weekend action begins with testing on Friday ahead of qualifying and the first race on Saturday. That’s one more than Round 1 with Australian 86 competitor Lachlan Evennett joining Action Motorsport for four rounds.

2024-2025 Bridgestone GR86 Championship – Points after Round 1

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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