The 2025–26 TA2 NZ Championship (known for commercial reasons as the 2025–26 SP Tools TA2 NZ Championship) was a national motor racing series conducted using TA2-class cars. Whilst TA2 racing had taken place in New Zealand over the previous two years, this season marked the first to be granted championship status by MotorSport New Zealand.[1][2]
The season began at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park on October 31, 2025, and concluded at Taupo International Motorsport Park on 11 April 2026. The championship was originally meant to conclude one day later. However, the risk of Cyclone Vaianu caused the final event to be shortened from the traditional three-race programme to just one. As a result, Caleb Byers was declared the championship winner after a strong, consistent campaign.
Calendar
editThe following circuits are due to host a round of the 2026 championship.[3]
| Round | Circuit | Date | Supporting | Map of circuit locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||||
| 1 | Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Hampton Downs, North Waikato) |
31 October–2 November | GT World Challenge Australia GT4 Australia Series | |
| 2 | Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Hampton Downs, North Waikato) |
22–23 November | ||
| 2026 | ||||
| 3 | Teretonga Park (Invercargill, Southland) |
23–25 January | Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Toyota GR86 Championship | |
| 4 | Highlands Motorsport Park (Cromwell, Southland) |
30 January–1 February | Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Toyota GR86 Championship | |
| 5 | Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon (Feilding, Manawatu) |
27 February–1 March | ||
| 6 | Taupo International Motorsport Park (Taupō, Waikato) |
10–12 April | Supercars Championship | |
.svg)
Teams and drivers
edit| Manufacturer | Car | No. | Driver | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Camaro | 5 |  Andrew Turner[4] |
1, 6 |
| 11 | Mark Pitcher[4] |
All | ||
| 33 | Caleb Byers[4] |
All | ||
| 38 | Lance Gerlach |
2–6 | ||
| 61 | Karl Gaines[4] |
All | ||
| 69 | Peter Ward[4] |
All | ||
| 71 | Jamie McDonald[4] |
All | ||
| 143 | John Roberts |
2, 6 | ||
| Dodge | Challenger | 7 |  Tyler Cheney[5] |
6 |
| 15 | Paul Manuell |
4–6 | ||
| 17 | Will Davison[6] |
4 | ||
| 20 | Dylan Grant[4] |
All | ||
| 24 | Maurice Shapley[4] |
1–2 | ||
| 77 | Elton Wichman[4] |
1–4, 6 | ||
| 93 | Daynom Templeman[4] |
1 | ||
| 98 | Leo Bult[4] |
All | ||
| Ford | Mustang | 15 | Brianna Hughes[4] |
1–2 |
| 28 | Clay Osborne[4] |
1 | ||
| Elton Wichman[4] |
5 | |||
| 74 | Toby Elmiger[4] |
All | ||
| 75 | Rhys Gould[4] |
1–2 | ||
| Jaden Ransley |
3–4 | |||
| 88 | Daniel Udy[4] |
1–2 | ||
| 97 | Roger Beuvink |
6 | ||
- Nathan Herne was initially scheduled to compete in the number 15 Dodge Challenger for the final round in Taupo.
Results and standings
editResults
edit| Rnd | Circuit | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning vehicle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R1 | Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Hampton Downs, North Waikato) |
Dylan Grant |
Caleb Byers |
Clay Osborne |
Ford Mustang |
| R2 | Clay Osborne |
Clay Osborne |
Ford Mustang | |||
| R3 | Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger | |||
| 2 | R1 | Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Hampton Downs, North Waikato) |
Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger |
| R2 | Caleb Byers |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger | |||
| R3 | Caleb Byers |
Toby Elmiger |
Ford Mustang | |||
| 3 | R1 | Teretonga Park (Invercargill, Southland) |
Caleb Byers |
Caleb Byers |
Caleb Byers |
Chevrolet Camaro |
| R2 | Dylan Grant |
Caleb Byers |
Chevrolet Camaro | |||
| R3 | Toby Elmiger |
Toby Elmiger |
Ford Mustang | |||
| 4 | R1 | Highlands Motorsport Park (Cromwell, Southland) |
Caleb Byers |
Jaden Ransley |
Jaden Ransley |
Ford Mustang |
| R2 | Will Davison |
Caleb Byers |
Chevrolet Camaro | |||
| R3 | Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger | |||
| 5 | R1 | Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon (Feilding, Manawatu) |
Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger |
| R2 | Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger | |||
| R3 | Dylan Grant |
Dylan Grant |
Dodge Challenger | |||
| 6 | Taupo International Motorsport Park (Taupō, Waikato) |
Dylan Grant |
Caleb Byers |
Caleb Byers |
Chevrolet Camaro | |
Standings
editPoints system
edit| Position | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th | ||||||
| 75 | 67 | 60 | 54 | 49 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| Pos. | Driver | HAM1 | HAM2 | TER | HIG | MAN | TAU | Pen | Points | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caleb Byers |
3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1169 |
| 2 | Dylan Grant |
2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1148 |
| 3 | Toby Elmiger |
6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1010 |
| 4 | Jamie McDonald |
8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 878 |
| 5 | Peter Ward |
5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | Ret | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 5 | 0 | 787 |
| 6 | Karl Gaines |
7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | Ret | 7 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 588 | |||
| 7 | Elton Wichman |
10 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 0 | 554 |
| 8 | Mark Pitcher |
13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | Ret | 12 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 548 |
| 9 | Lance Gerlach |
9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 524 | |||
| 10 | Leo Built |
9 | 7 | Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | Ret | 0 | 481 |
| 11 | Jaden Ransley |
4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 393 | ||||||||||
| 12 | Rhys Gould |
7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | Ret | 0 | 215 | ||||||||||
| 13 | Will Davison |
3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 195 | |||||||||||||
| 14 | Paul Manuell |
5 | 7 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8 | 12 | 0 | 195 | |||||||||
| 15 | Clay Osborne |
1 | 1 | DSQ | 0 | 166 | |||||||||||||
| 16 | Daniel Udy |
Ret | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 156 | ||||||||||
| 17 | Maurice Shapley |
11 | 12 | 8 | 11 | Ret | DNS | 0 | 148 | ||||||||||
| 18 | Andrew Turner |
12 | 11 | Ret | 7 | 0 | 118 | ||||||||||||
| 19 | Daynom Templeman |
4 | 6 | Ret | 0 | 113 | |||||||||||||
| 20 | John Roberts |
14 | Ret | 10 | 13 | 0 | 93 | ||||||||||||
| 21 | Brianna Hughes |
Ret | 14 | 11 | 12 | Ret | DNS | 0 | 92 | ||||||||||
| 22 | Tyler Cheney |
4 | 0 | 78 | |||||||||||||||
| 23 | Roger Beuvink |
9 | 0 | 44 | |||||||||||||||
| Pos. | Driver | HAM1 | HAM2 | TER | HIG | MAN | TAU | Pen | Points | ||||||||||
References
edit- ↑ "TA2 NZ granted Championship status by MotorSport New Zealand". talkmotorsport.co.nz. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ "TA2 Muscle Cars to bring a new era of V8 racing to New Zealand". Auto Trader NZ. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ "TA2 NZ Championship grid ready to roar". talkmotorsport.co.nz. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Chapman, Simon (28 October 2025). "Entry list for long-awaited new V8 series released". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ↑ O'Brien, Connor (7 April 2026). "Herne reverts to Dodge for foreign foray". V8 Sleuth. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ van Leeuwen, Andrew (18 January 2026). "Will Davison to make NZ TA2 start". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 28 February 2026.