Scoles bags elusive first win

Nieko Scoles finally grabbed his first win in the 2026 Toyota 86 Trophy Series, becoming the fourth driver in five races to win so far with victory in the weekend’s second race at the Taupo International Motorsport Park today.

With the drivers switching to Taupo’s longer – more familiar – track for Sunday’s action it meant another practice session to acclimatize and another qualifying session to determine the grid.

Round one race winner Nathan Grammer made the most of challenging wet conditions to go fastest ahead of Scoles and crucially, the two top guns from Saturday – Toby Elmiger and Taylor Mitchell – could only manage seventh and eighth on the grid respectively.

At the lights – in conditions that were still challenging with the track drenched – it was Scoles who made the best getaway and slotted into a lead at the first turn from which he never looked back.

Grammer made a poor start and fell back into the pack. He recovered impressively quickly though and was back up to third by the end of the first lap. Nathan fought his way back past Boswell early on to take second but ultimately couldn’t fend off Riley in the yellow TR86, who went through on lap seven.

At the flag, on a drying track, Boswell finished just over two and half seconds behind the race winner. His own moment on the top step of the podium is overdue - but he was happy enough with his best result so far in the Trophy Series with second place. Boswell came home second and Grammer a frustrated third.  Grammer was penalized post-race for contact and dropped back to seventh.

Elmiger did much better in the race, working his way up from his lowly grid position to a fighting fourth at the flag – just two and a half seconds off a podium spot and four seconds ahead of Mitch Vye.

Vye held off a charging Mitchell to take fifth and his best result so far, while Josh Hill, Mark Mallard – who rose as high as fourth on the first lap - and Marcel Bartley completed the runners.

The third and final race of the weekend takes place later this afternoon.

2026 Toyota 86 Trophy Series – Round 2 Taupo Motorsport Park – Race 2