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The 70th running of NZ's oldest motor race. Zack Scoular won from pole-sitter Jin Nakamura at Highlands Motorsport Park, closing out the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
The New Zealand Grand Prix is the country's oldest and most prestigious motor race, first run at Ardmore in 1954. The 2026 edition — officially the NAPA 70th New Zealand Grand Prix — was held on 1 February at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, using Formula Regional open-wheel cars and serving as the season finale of the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.
Jin Nakamura took pole position with a 1:28.339 lap, but it was New Zealander Zack Scoular who won the 27-lap, 114.8km race, also setting the race's fastest lap (1:29.104) along the way. Nakamura held on for second, with fellow Hitech TGR driver Kanato Le completing the podium in third.
The result didn't decide the season title: American driver Ugo Ugochukwu claimed the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy championship, becoming the first American to win the series.
This was the third time the New Zealand Grand Prix has been held at Highlands Motorsport Park. The race is organised by the New Zealand International Grand Prix Association (NZIGP), a MotorSport New Zealand-affiliated club formed in 1954 specifically to run the Grand Prix — the same club that later built Pukekohe Park Raceway.
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