Scott Dixon's IndyCar title hopes as one of 4 drivers with a mathematical chance
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Hitech Confirm Team For New Zealand
Hitech – one of the best-known international single-seater motorsport teams – has today confirmed it will field a three-car team in the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy. The team will enter as Hitech TGR, embarking on a long-term commitment to the New Zealand-based championship. It becomes the sixth team competing in the FR Oceania Trophy alongside Giles Motorsport, Kiwi Motorsport, M2 Competition, mtec Motorsport and recently confirmed HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed for 2026. Hitech's first full campaign was a three-car entry in the 2016 FIA Formula 3 European championship, and they have since expanded into FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3, GB3, British Formula 4, Formula Winter Series and F1 Academy. The team has also competed in the Formula Regional European, Asian, and Middle East series, and in 2019 Hitech was selected by the FIA to operate the full grid of cars in the former W Series, which utilised similar chassis to those used in New Zealand. The team's record of success across the single-seater categories is impressive and former drivers include George Russell, Alex Palou, Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, Marcus Armstrong, Dennis Hauger, Sebastian Montoya, Jack Doohan and Juri Vips. The team currently sits third in the FIA F2 Teams' Standings with Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic, and is leading the British F4 Championship for a second successive season. Hitech has previously entrusted a number of its drivers to the New Zealand championship to further their development. Consolidating its commitment to the series was a natural step for the team as it continues to extend its presence in key international junior single-seater categories and series. "We are excited to be joining the Castrol Toyota FR Oceania Trophy with an official three-car Hitech entry from the 2026 season,' confirmed Hitech GB3 Team Manager Phil Blow, who will head up the New Zealand effort. 'In recent years, we have sent Hitech drivers to the series for off-season mileage and to gain further experience, but as the championship continues to go from strength to strength, the time is right for us to have a fully-fledged Hitech team in New Zealand. 'As ever, we look forward to the competition, and to providing three young drivers in the region with the opportunity to gain a foothold on the junior single-seater ladder and begin their progression.' The news follows confirmation recently that US outfit HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed will join the 2026 championship and follows a raft of changes to the series to make it easier for Northern hemisphere teams and drivers to take part in the entire championship and not face date clashes with testing for other series. 'This is the sixth team for the 2026 championship and is another with an exceptionally high profile and track record in international motorsport, so this is only good news for the championship," commented TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand motorsport manager Nicolas Caillol. 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy Rd1 - 9-11 January - Hampton Downs International Motorsport Park Rd2 - 16-18 January - Taupo International Motorsport Park Rd3 - 23-25 January - Teretonga Raceway, Invercargill
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Scott Dixon's IndyCar title hopes as one of 4 drivers with a mathematical chance
This weekend's IndyCar race at Laguna Seca is the fifth race in four weeks of a hectic mid-season. Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou has dominated the majority of the season so far, but Pato O'Ward has hit form of late and has cut into Palou's points lead. There are four
Otago Daily Times
21-07-2025
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O'Ward keeps hopes alive
Pato O'Ward. PHOTO: Kristin Enzor-USA TODAY NETWORK Mexican Pato O'Ward eked out his second IndyCar win in three weeks in Toronto yesterday, keeping alive his underdog chances to win the season championship. Alex Palou rode a dominant start to the season to a 129-point lead in the points race. After the Spaniard finished 12th yesterday, O'Ward has sliced that deficit to 99 with four races to go. O'Ward started in 10th but led 30 of 90 laps in his No5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and beat Dutchman Rinus VeeKay by 0.4843sec. Kyffin Simpson, of the Cayman Islands, was third, his first podium finish in two IndyCar seasons. "I knew I had a great car under me to race with and the guys nailed it on the strategy," O'Ward said in his post-race interview. That strategy was for O'Ward to start the race on his alternate set of tires before moving to his primary tires early on lap 3. "I was feeling so good on the [primary] tires all weekend, really. We were just struggling to get the alternates to work in qualifying. Sadly, that's the one you need to transfer," O'Ward said. Palou, conversely, started on his primary tires from the No2 position. The seven-time winner this year led 37 laps but faded down the stretch. Scott Dixon was the best of the three New Zealand drivers, finishing 10th. Marcus Armstrong briefly ran second before finishing 14th, while Scott McLaughlin's race ended shortly after an early pit stop when a wheel detached and he slammed into the wall. — APL/Field Level Media
