GP pole for Nakamura as he thrives and Ugochukwu survives

Hitech’s Jin Nakamura proved the class act in Grand Prix qualifying today at Highlands Motorsport Park for the final round of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.

Ryan Wood gave it everything for second on the grid for his first NZ GP, while Ugo Ugochukwu survived a moment of high drama and an urgent repair to take a critical third on the grid. Nakamura also topped the first session and that meant pole position for Race 1 later today as well as number one spot for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

“We have a big chance for the team with two pole positions. I had so much pressure for each session but I enjoyed it a lot,” said Hitech’s top gun afterwards.

Ugochukwu was simply relieved. “I thought it might be over after I had the problem with the wheel but once I got through the second session I knew we could focus on Q3, so I am happy with the result.”

The first segment of qualifying would not only form the grid for race 1, but would also eliminate five drivers from the second phase of the three phase Grand Prix qualifying. So there was plenty at stake as the 19 drivers headed out in perfect conditions – minus, sadly, Kalle Rovanperä who was still too sick to drive.

All went for new tyres for the first 15 minute session with the general consensus that those tyres would be sued for the second session before another set went on for the final shoot-out. Drivers spent the first two to three laps building up tyre temperature before making their first big effort and that came for all with less than ten minutes to go on what is the longest circuit on the CTFROT calendar.

New Rookie Champion Ryan Wood was first to show with a 1 minute 29.7, before Louis Sharp followed him around two tenths quicker. Jin Nakamura then went quickest but there was bad news early on for championship leader Ugochukwu as his first effort was deleted for exceeding track limits.

Next time around Sharp went quickest nest time around, as Freddie Slater went second quickest. As the times continued to tumble Nakamura went back to the top before Ugochukwu made up for his early error to go fastest – the top five cars covered by less than a tenth. At the back Zack Scoular, who had been quick early in the session, was a notable name in the bottom five who would not progress to the second session. Scoular responded by going third fastest with less than five minutes to go – with nine one hundredths separating the top six, a remarkable statistic.

Liam Sceats looked comfortable in seventh as the first session drew to a close but there was still more to come. Nakamura went quickest and under pressure, Ugochukwu lost another fast lap on track limits before he pressed the brake and had a partial suspension breakage with seconds left of the session, more than likely due to damage from pushing kerb use to the absolute limit. He went through with second fastest time but left M2 Competition just seven minutes to effect repairs before the next phase of Grand Prix qualifying.

Nakamura ended up fastest and would therefore start Race 1 on pole position ahead of Ugochukwu, Sharp, Scoular, Wood, Slater, Sceats, Wharton, Ernesto Rivera, and Nolan Allaer after a great last ditch effort by the American to claw his way out of the bottom five. And at the back, Fionn McLaughlin, Cooper Shipman, Ricardo Baptista, Jack Taylor and Trevor LaTourette were eliminated and would start the first race and the Grand Prix in 14^th-19^th respectively.

The session got underway with Ugochukwu’s FT60 literally buried in M2 Competition mechanics. The team did an amazing job and put the wheel back in with just over six minutes remaining.

Nakamura meanwhile had gone fastest again, and with six to go he was ahead of Wharton, Le, Slater, Rivera, Cui and the rest. Wood’s first flyer was lost to a track limits deletion.  

Ugochukwu’s first fast lap back put him tenth – not enough to progress – as Wood went second. Le then went quickest quickly followed by Slater – with arguably the best lap of the weekend to go quickest by four tenths. That made him a safe bet to make Q3 but it was really anyone’s guess who would take the final seven spots for Q3 behind the Brit.

Kanato Le finished second ahead of the flying Scoular and team mate Wood. Sceats made it through the cut throat session and a sensational final lap by Ugochukwu rewarded his mechanics with fifth best time and a place in Q3.  It was Ugo’s most important and most impressive lap so far in the championship and kept him firmly in the frame.

Eliminated from Q3 and lining up 9^th on the grid to 14^th would be Rivera, Manson, Wharton, Allaer, Cui and David.

A final 12 minutes of Q3 would wrap up a mesmerising and ultra-close track session and all eyes were on Slater to see if he could improve on his fantastic Q2 performance.

All eight cars left went out on new rubber as predicted by veteran racer Andrew Waite in the commentary box and the fast times started to come with just under seven minutes to go. Sceats was first to show, the 2024 winner first under 1 minute 30.

Nakamura then put in the best second sector of the race meeting to drop a 1 minute 28.339 for Hitech and go quickest. Slater went second two tenths behind but that was beaten by Wood. Nakamura put a purple sector up next time around d, but couldn’t better his time, though his lap was still second best.

The remaining seven edged closer inside the final three minutes and Ugochukwu went third behind Wood. Scoular was next to bag a quick lap, going from eighth to fourth. Wood clocked a lap one tenth down on Nakamura, but Jin’s lap for Hitech was safe.

Jin had pole position for the 70^th New Zealand Grand Prix, alongside Trophy sensation Wood. A massive and vital recovery drive gave Ugochukwu third – ahead of Scoular in fourth, Kanato Le in fifth and vitally for Ugochukwu – Slater in sixth. Luis Sharp would start seventh alongside Sceats on row four.

2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy – Qualifying Segment 1 and Race 1

Cars 33, 14, 41, 50, 8 eliminated from Q2

2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy – Qualifying Segment 2

Cars 24, 22, 13, 52, 5, 21 eliminated from Q3

2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy – Qualifying Segment 3

2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy – NZ Grand Prix Grid