The 2025 South Island Endurance Series titles will be decided at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell on Saturday. The three-round season comes to a conclusion with the One-Hour Classes 1-3, One Hour Classes 4 and 5 and the Three Hour races to determine overall and Class winners.
The key to winning is first to finish and the One-Hour Classes 1-3 title has now been thrown wide open with Hugh Gardiner, the winner of the first two rounds having not entered. It may well come down to a fight between Jordan Michels (Marc II Mustang), Paul Kelly (Porsche GT3 Cup 992), Steve Brooks/Bill Riding (Porsche GT3 Cup 992) and Jaden Ransley (Ford Falcon SuperTourer), all within ten-points of each other.
The winner is likely to take the Class 1 title although Ransley is in a fight for Class 2 with Vin Schelp (Porsche GT3 Cup S). In Class 3, Steve Scoles (Ginetta G56) and Pel Arnott (Hyundai i30N TCR) are tied in first place with Michael Bushell/George McFarlane (Porsche GT3 Cup 996) and Scott O’Donnell (Hyundai i30N TCR) all within striking distance.
Dan Kelly (BMW E46) has been head-and-shoulders faster than the rest of the On-Hour Class 4 & 5 field while Duncan Cundal-Curry (BMW M1) and Chris Wall (Honda Civic) are tied equal in second place. Wall leads Class 5 with a 14-point advantage over Donovan Isted (Honda Civic).
Matt Day (Lamborghini GT3 Evo – main photo) has been the ‘find’ of the series and has as 12-point lead over Steve Brooks/Bill Riding (Audi R8 GT3) in the Three-Hour overall competition. The 16-year-old again teams up with Lamborghini Super Trofeo champion Brendon Leitch, the pair having won the last round at Teretonga Park in Invercargill.
Aussie ace Brad Schumacher is making the jump across the Tasman to pilot the Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi with Steve Brooks while making a one-off appearance at the round is IndyCar driver Marcus Armstrong who teams up with his father Rick in a Porsche 992 GT3.
Overall Points (Top ten) – Three-Hour
Position, Driver/s, Car, Class, Points
1/ M Day,Lamborghini GT3 Evo, GT 177
2/ S Brooks/B Riding, Audi R8 GT3, GT, 166
3= A Childe/T Alexander, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 158
3= P Kelly/K Ngatoa, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 158
5= M Dippie/A Dippie, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 146
5= S Cotterill/M Vidau, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 146
7/ B Moore/A Giles, Volkswagon Golf TCR, 3, 127
8= G Brazier/A Waite, Lamborghini GT3 Evo, GT, 110
8= K Lawson/H Knighton/R Murphy, Lamborghini GT3 Evo, GT, 110
10/ L Manson/J Penrose, Audi R8 GT3, GT, 106
Overall Points – 2025 SIERDC 1hr Class 1,2&3 Endurance Series after 2/3 rounds
Position, Driver/s, Car, Class, Points
1/ Hugh Gardiner, Porsche 991.2, 1, 190
2/ Steve Brooks/Bill Riding, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 172
3/ Jordan Michels, Marc II Mustang, 1, 169
4/ Paul Kelly, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 168
5/ Jaden Ransley, Ford Falcon Supertourer, 2, 162
6/ Vin Schelp, Porsche GT3 Cup S, 2, 146
7/ Martin Dippie/Allan Dippie, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 143
8/ Garry Derrick, Porsche 991.2, 1, 132
9= Steve Scoles, Ginetta G56, 3, 120
9= Pel Arnott, Hyundai I30N TCR, 3, 120
11/ Michael Bushell/George McFarlane, Porsche GT3 Cup 996, 3, 114
12/ Scott O’Donnell, Hyundai I30N TCR, 3, 106
13/ Russell McKenzie, Porsche Cayman GT4RS, 3, 98
14/ John Beck, Porsche 991.1, 2, 94
15= Nigel Cromie, Porsche GT3 Cup 992, 1, 79
15= David Rogers, McLaren 570S GT4, 3, 79
Overall Points – 2025 SIERDC One-Hour Class 4&5 Endurance Series after 2/3 round (Top 10)
Position, Driver/s, Car, Class, Points
1/ Dan Kelly, BMW M3 E46, 4, 190
2= Chris Wall, Honda Civic Type R, 5, 172
2= Duncan Cundall-Curry, BMW M1 GTR E87, 4, 172
4/ Donovan Isted, Honda Civic, 5, 158
5/ James Mitchell, Honda Civic, 5, 152
6/ Andrew Bartlett, Honda Integra, 5, 143
7/ Conley Webley, BMW Z4 M Coupe, 4, 110
8/ P Booth/D Booth, BMW 318TI, 5, 96
9/ Toby Elmiger, Toyota 86, 5, 87
10/ Mal Walters, Mazda RX8, 4, 82
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