Aussies Securing Podium Finishes on the Global Stage

GT World Challenge Asia – Indonesia

The second leg of the GT World Challenge Asia unfolded at the Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia, with several Australian drivers showcasing their talents.

The New South Wales pairing of Andrew Macpherson and William Porter marked notable progress over the weekend. After qualifying in 16th position for Race One, they finished 29th; however, the duo made a remarkable leap in Race Two, propelling their Porsche 911 GT3 R from the back of the grid to 19th place.

Representing Craft-Bamboo Racing, Australian Jayden Ojeda and his teammate Qi Cao demonstrated impressive form, securing top 10 finishes in both races.

In Race One, Ojeda and Cao maintained their pace, ending in ninth place after a strong showing over 31 laps.

The highlight for the pair came when they achieve pole position for Race Two; however, a pit stop penalty unfortunately saw them drop from a comfortable six-second lead to finish in ninth.

West Australian Jordan Love and his Malaysian teammate Prince Abu Baker Ibrahim delivered consistent performances, placing their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3 R eighth in both races. The Johor Motorsport Racing duo also clinched sixth in Pro-Am, securing valuable championship points.

The upcoming round is set for Chang International Circuit in Thailand on 30 May.

Indy NXT – Indianapolis

Australian driver Lochie Hughes has had a stellar start to the 2025 Firestone Indy NXT Series, achieving his first two career poles and clinching his inaugural race win at Indianapolis.

Hughes secured pole for Race One, transforming it into a victory by finishing ahead of his teammate Dennis Hauger.

In Race Two, the Aussie again grabbed pole but was overtaken early by Hauger, who ultimately secured the win.

Hughes fought back to finish second, achieving his second podium of the weekend.

Fellow Australian Tommy Smith also participated in Indianapolis, ending Race One in 19th before retiring in Race Two.

Next up for the 2025 Firestone Indy NXT Series is a street race in Detroit on 1 June.

IndyCar – Indianapolis

Round five of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series took place at the Sonsio Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where Australian Will Power secured a spot on the podium.

The two-time IndyCar Champion has had a strong start to the 2025 season, finishing as the leading Team Penske driver in three of the last four races.

The Toowoomba native claimed third place in Saturday’s race, with teammate Scott McLaughlin just behind in fourth. This achievement marks Power’s fourth consecutive top-six finish, reflecting his consistent performance this season.

IndyCar will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 25 May for the prestigious 109th Indianapolis 500.

IMSA SportsCar Championship – Monterey

Australian ace Matt Campbell and his teammate Mathieu Jaminet triumphed at Monterey, both sharing second place in the championship standings.

After qualifying in second, Campbell drove the opening stint but faced a challenge when his anti-stall system activated following contact 45 minutes into the race, allowing him to drop from third to fifth. Nevertheless, Campbell bounced back to rejoin the lead battle, ultimately taking victory ahead of Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy.

This marks Campbell’s 13th IMSA win and the first victory for the duo since Virginia International Raceway in 2022.

The next round of the 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship is scheduled for the Detroit Grand Prix on 30 May.

USF2000 – Indianapolis

Eddie Beswick enjoyed a fruitful weekend at Indianapolis, earning points in both USF2000 races.

Starting from 16th in Race One, the Aussie delivered a commendable performance, finishing in ninth place.

Beswick replicated that success in Race Two, again claiming ninth, finishing just 1.4 seconds behind Benchmark Autosport’s Ayrton Houk.

The 2025 USF2000 continues with a Series Test on 13 May at Lexington, Ohio, gearing up for round eight back at Indianapolis.

World Endurance Championship – 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

The Australian father-son duo of Stephen and Brenton Grove delivered a stellar performance in their Mercedes-AMG, climbing from last place on the grid to finish 12th in the LMGT3 class. The pair completed 136 laps, finishing a mere 2.5 seconds behind the #61 Iron Lynx.

Meanwhile, fellow Australian Yasser Shahin, together with Timur Boguslavskiy and Augusto Farfus, qualified 12th but had to retire their BMW M4 early due to a racing incident.

The next round is the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for 14-15 June.

NZ Rally Championship – South Canterbury Rally

Numerous Australian crews participated in the Rally South Canterbury in New Zealand, achieving outstanding results.

Larisa Biggar, co-driving with Caleb Macdonald in a Mitsubishi Evo 6, extended their lead in the 4WD Trophy Challenge after also winning the opening round at the Otago Rally. The duo finished sixth outright at Rally South Canterbury, marking their best result so far.

Fellow Queenslander Neill Woolley, co-driving for Josh Keighley in a Subaru Magnum H6, secured second in the 4WD Trophy Challenge and finished eighth overall.

Stewart Reid, with New Zealander Bella Haggerty, clinched victory in Class F of the Allcomers category in their Ford Escort.

Queenslanders Richard Galley and Claire Buccini finished third in Class C in their BMW 320i.

Aussie co-driver Ben Searcy and New Zealander Emma Gilmour sadly retired their Citroën C3 Rally2 on the penultimate stage.

The next round of the NZRC will be Rally Canterbury in Christchurch on 1 June.