Giddy hits top form in Manfeild qualifying
Ajay Giddy – the youngest driver in this year’s Bridgestone GR86 Championship – proved once again he has the pace to win with a massive qualifying performance that saw him secure pole position for Sunday’s feature race in qualifying at Manfeild this morning.
Drivers put the best lap times in early in the session and it took Ajay just three to clock his best time of the session - a blistering 1 minute 16.865 seconds.
That was good enough to pip Arthur Broughan by just nine one hundredths of a second, with reigning champion Hugo Allan maintaining his Friday practice form with a fine third place – the only other driver to go under the 1 minute 17 second benchmark.
Josh Bethune led the charge in fourth while Chris White – championship leader – was satisfied to settle for fifth, one place ahead of his nearest rival in the championship Zach Blincoe.
Circuit expert Justin Allen – pace setter on Friday – couldn’t quite match that form in qualifying and had to settle for seventh on the feature race grid, with Cooper Barnes, top rookie Lee Zeltwanger and Harry Townshend rounding out the top ten.
Second fastest times define the grid for the weekend’s first race later this Saturday afternoon and it was Broughan who took pole position for that with his best a 1 minute 17.081 lap. That man Allan was up there again, taking the other front row spot for the first race.
White will start third and Bethune fourth, while Allen’s second fastest time of qually was good for fifth on the Race 1 grid. Lee Zeltwanger was next up ahead of Giddy, an eye-catching Mac Templeton and then Harry Townshend.
Blincoe left himself plenty of work to do in his battle with White – lining up on the grid in tenth for the first race.
2025-2026 Bridgestone GR86 Championship – Round 5 Manfeild - Race 1 Grid
|
1 |
222 |
Arthur BROUGHAN |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
2 |
1 |
Hugo ALLAN |
NZ |
iMac Engineering |
|
3 |
88 |
Chris WHITE |
NZ |
Neale Motorsport |
|
4 |
32 |
Josh BETHUNE |
NZ |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
5 |
99 |
Justin ALLEN |
NZ |
Syndicate Motorsport |
|
6 |
22 |
Lee ZELTWANGER |
NZ |
CareVets Racing |
|
7 |
10 |
Ajay GIDDY |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
8 |
92 |
Mac TEMPLETON |
NZ |
Neale Motorsport |
|
9 |
73 |
Harry TOWNSHEND |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
10 |
90 |
Zach BLINCOE |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
11 |
186 |
Cooper BARNES |
AUS |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
12 |
50 |
Nathan GRAMMER |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
13 |
43 |
Cameron HILL |
NZ |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
14 |
25 |
Lucas MCGILL |
NZ |
James Marshall Motorsport |
2025-2026 Bridgestone GR86 Championship – Round 5 Manfeild - Race 3 Feature Grid
|
1 |
10 |
Ajay GIDDY |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
2 |
222 |
Arthur BROUGHAN |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
3 |
1 |
Hugo ALLAN |
NZ |
iMac Engineering |
|
4 |
32 |
Josh BETHUNE |
NZ |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
5 |
88 |
Chris WHITE |
NZ |
Neale Motorsport |
|
6 |
90 |
Zach BLINCOE |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
7 |
99 |
Justin ALLEN |
NZ |
Syndicate Motorsport |
|
8 |
186 |
Cooper BARNES |
AUS |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
9 |
22 |
Lee ZELTWANGER |
NZ |
CareVets Racing |
|
10 |
73 |
Harry TOWNSHEND |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
11 |
92 |
Mac TEMPLETON |
NZ |
Neale Motorsport |
|
12 |
50 |
Nathan GRAMMER |
NZ |
Mackenzie Motorsport |
|
13 |
43 |
Cameron HILL |
NZ |
Right Karts by M2 Competition |
|
14 |
25 |
Lucas MCGILL |
NZ |
James Marshall Motorsport |