Scoular’s Grand Prix joy

Kiwi racer Zack Scoular won this year’s New Zealand Grand Prix and American Ugo Ugochukwu clinched the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy after a thrilling weekend of action at Highlands Motorsport Park.

Scoular’s success in the 70th running of the Grand Prix, one better than his second place in the 2025 edition, means he is the 33rd New Zealander to win the race.

The mtec Motorsport driver says the team had plenty of speed throughout the final weekend of the Formula Regional Oceania championship and believed they could win the prestigious race.

“The start was fantastic and that really set us up for the rest of the race,” adds Scoular, pictured above.

“To win the New Zealand Grand Prix, well, what can I say? It’s absolutely amazing to know my name will be added to those on that trophy and for me the best possible way to end my single-seater career as I head off to a new chapter in LMP3 this year.”

Also in celebratory mode was Ugochukwu. He finished ninth in the Grand Prix on February 1 and that was enough to give him the series trophy ahead of Britain’s Freddie Slater, who had to settle for fourth in the finale.

New Zealand’s Louis Sharp was third overall in the competition after ending his campaign with a sixth-place finish.

Two Japanese drivers racing for Hitech completed the NZ Grand Prix podium, with Jin Nakamura in second place and Kanato Le taking out the third spot.

Final showdown

Heading into the last race of the four-round championship, it was a two-way battle for the Oceania title between M2 Competition’s Ugochukwu and Slater.

Some 26 points separated the pair before the race began but Ugochukwu’s mission was made harder as he lined up 13th on the grid after being disqualified from Saturday’s second qualifying session when a wishbone cover was left off during a rebuild of his front left suspension.

However, Slater needed a top-three finish in the Grand Prix to overhaul the American and his eventual fourth meant Ugochukwu, pictured below, wrapped up the title despite only placing ninth.

The results meant M2 Competition took out the teams’ championship title ahead of mtec Motorsport and Hitech, Sharp won the Trans-Tasman Trophy for New Zealand and Australian drivers, and Kiwi racer Ryan Wood was rookie of the year.

Weekend action

There were four races held at Highlands from January 30 to February 1, starting with the rescheduled race three from the weather-affected third round at Teretonga Park.

Slater claimed the first chequered flag of the weekend, and his third victory of the season, after leading from pole position to the finish as he sought to maintain his run of winning every championship he had ever competed in. Ugochukwu was second and Sharp finished third.

The American bounced back and showed his title credentials by winning the only race on January 31 and crossing the line ahead of Nakamura in second. 

Sharp was third again for his fifth podium across the competition’s 15 races.

Japan’s Le won Sunday’s first race, his sole victory of the campaign, and the Kiwi pair of James Wharton and James Sceats also nabbed their best results of the series after finishing second and third respectively.

Formula Regional Oceania Trophy final standings

1. Ugo Ugochukwu, 326 points
2. Freddie Slater, 310pts
3. Louis Sharp, 295pts
4. Jin Nakamura, 293pts
5. Ryan Wood, 276pts
6. Kanato Le, 272pts
7. Zack Scoular, 203pts
8. James Wharton, 167pts
9. Yuanpu Cui, 157pts
10. Yevan David, 152pts