Mazda Pro8 New Zealand

15/03/2026

Final Championship points
&
Final Round points.

Well done to all our competitors and well done to Corban Sprague Motorsport for winning 5/5 rounds
4/5 Pole positions
and claiming the Title 🥳

13/03/2026

Our seasons all wrapped up. Huge congratulations to all our competitors and a special big congrats to Corban Sprague Motorsport championship winner and trans Tasman drive prize recipient with RX8 Cup Series Australia.
Huge thanks to all our sponsors
Kumho Tyres NZ
DBA - Disc Brakes Australia
HM Auto Electrical
Silvester V8 Performance
DBA New Zealand
base

Timaru’s Corban Sprague has won the 2025/26 Mazda Pro8 New Zealand series title after the final fifth round in Christchurch over the weekend.

13/03/2026

⭐ Mazda Pro8 Star of the Round, Luke Casey⭐

What a weekend from Luke.

After battling mechanical issues earlier in the meeting, things unfortunately went from bad to worse when his car sustained damage that ultimately brought his own weekend to an early end. For many, that would have been the moment to pack up and head home.

But not Luke.

After already loading his car onto the trailer, Casey pulled it back off again to remove parts and help another competitor get their car back on track and finish their weekend.

That’s the kind of sportsmanship and camaraderie that makes this category so special. It’s not just about the racing, it’s about the people, the support in the pits, and the willingness to help each other when it counts.

Casey, you’re an absolute star. ⭐
This is exactly what the Mazda Pro8 family is all about. 👏

Photo credit goes to Tony Knights from Tony’s Motorsports.

13/03/2026

Some great images from our final round

13/03/2026

08/03/2026

What a season it’s been for the Mazda Pro8 Series! 🔥🏁

From the very first green flag to the final chequered at Ruapuna, the racing this year has been nothing short of incredible. The battles throughout the field were unbelievably tight, with drivers pushing each other harder every round and margins often coming down to tenths, sometimes even thousandths of a second.

These cars might be built from humble RX-8 roots, but the racing they produce punches well above its weight. Lap after lap we saw door-to-door action, brave moves under brakes, and drivers refusing to give an inch. It’s exactly the kind of raw, honest motorsport that makes this series so special.

A massive credit goes to every driver, crew member, and supporter who made this season what it was. The level of competition has stepped up again, and it’s clear the Pro8 field just keeps getting stronger.

To the fans who came out trackside and followed along — thank you. Your support keeps grassroots motorsport alive and thriving.

If this season proved anything, it’s that the Mazda Pro8 Series delivers some of the closest, most exciting racing you’ll see anywhere in New Zealand.

Bring on next season. 💪🏁

BT Photography
DBA - Disc Brakes Australia
Kumho Tyres NZ
HM Auto Electrical
Silvester V8 Performance
Euromarque Motorsport Park
DBA New Zealand
Chemwash Christchurch Limited

07/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CxtE4fo2u/?mibextid=wwXIfr

"I read on the internet it was more aerodynamic going backwards"
Catch the Pro 8 NZ class full of RX8's at the Super Weekend - Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna Raceway
This weekend, 6-8 March
https://www.ruapuna.co.nz/event/super-weekend/

📸 Mad Angles Photpgraphy

06/03/2026

🔥 NEW LAP RECORD 🔥

Take a bow Corban Sprague Motorsport.

In qualifying today Corban laid down an absolutely monster lap of 1:32.730, smashing into territory we’ve never seen before at Ruapuna in a Pro8.

This isn’t just quick… this is record breaking pace. 💨

To put it into perspective, these cars are already punching well above their weight, but Corban has just taken it to another level, proving once again what these machines (and drivers) are capable of.

1:32.730. Let that sink in.
A time that rewrites the benchmark for the class.

Huge respect to the man, the legend for an incredible lap. 👏

Now the question is… can anyone catch him in the races?

02/03/2026

This is it. The FINAL round of the 2026 Pro8 NZ season and we’re sending it at Euromarque Motorsport Park Ruapuna Raceway for the Super Weekend of Motorsport. 💥

Championship battles are on a knife edge. Pride is on the line. And no one is holding anything back.

To turn the heat up even further, we’ve got Australian RX8 Cup Series champion Stiaan Kriel joining the grid this weekend. 🇦🇺🏆

You’ve seen what he’s done across the ditch, now he’s lining up against the best of Pro8 NZ. New rivalries. Fresh benchmark. Same screaming rotary action.

Expect:
🔥 Door-to-door racing
🔥 High-revving RX-8 battles
🔥 Championship pressure
🔥 Nothing left in the tank

If you’ve been meaning to get trackside this season, this is the one. Bring the family, bring your mates, and come be part of a proper grassroots motorsport showdown in Christchurch.

Let’s pack the stands and finish this season the only way we know how… flat out. 🚀

The Mazda Pro8 New Zealand series acknowledges the support from Kumho Tyres NZ, DBA - Disc Brakes Australia DBA New Zealand HM Auto Electrical Silvester V8 Performance, Sign Base.

09/02/2026

Three Time Champion Stiaan Kriel Set for Tran Tasman Showdown at Euromarque Motorsport Park Ruapuna.

International racing talent will be front and centre at the Euromarque Super Weekend of Motorsport at Ruapuna in early March, as three time champion Stiaan Kriel lines up against New Zealand’s top Mazda Pro8 drivers in a highly anticipated Trans-Tasman battle.

The reigning RX8 Cup Series Australian Champion, Kriel has revived the Trans-Tasman Driver Prize, made possible through the strengthened relationship between Mazda Pro8 and RX-8 Cup Australia, bringing elite competition from both sides of the Tasman back onto the same grid.

Kriel began racing on and off in South Africa, balancing fulltime work and limited funding, yet still claimed two national level championships.

In March 2023, Kriel immigrated to New Zealand, joining the Nexen Series in the North Island. Despite missing the opening round and battling mechanical setbacks throughout the season, he still secured an impressive third overall for the year.

18 months on, Kriel relocated to Australia, committing to a full season in the RX-8 Cup for the first time. Completing every round of the championship, he went on to claim his first Australian RX-8 Cup title for the 25 season, bringing his career total to three championships across multiple countries.

Now returning back to New Zealand as the reigning Australian champion, Kriel will step up into the Mazda Pro8 Championship at Euromarque Motorsport park Ruapuna with no testing, no prior seat time, and driving a completely different specification car.

“I’m really looking forward to experiencing the Pro8 car,” said Kriel.
“No testing and straight into it with a foreign car is exactly the kind of challenge I enjoy. To do it at Ruapuna, against the best Pro8 drivers in New Zealand, and as part of the Euromarque Super Weekend, makes it even better.”

Kriel’s appearance adds another layer of excitement to what is shaping up as a must watch weekend of motorsport, with packed grids, high level competition, and the return of a true Trans Tasman rivalry.

With international champions, National champions, elite local talent, and multiple categories on track, the Euromarque Super Weekend of Motorsport promises flat-out racing, fierce competition, and unforgettable action when it kicks off at Ruapuna Raceway in early March 6,7,8 2026.

DBA New Zealand
DBA - Disc Brakes Australia
Kumho Tyres NZ
Silvester V8 Performance
HM Auto Electrical

09/02/2026

Kumho Tyres NZ Mazda Pro8 Round 4.
This makes up our 4th different podium for the season.
What a catagory to be racing in.
Massive well done to
Corban Sprague Motorsport 🥇
Hamish Evans 🥈
Sam Knight Motorsport 🥉

Huge achievement by all these boys.
Another rocketing performance by Corban Sprague to be just one round away from securing the 25-26 pro 8 championship and the trans Tasman drive prize.