- Marcus Armstrong will partner with his father Rick Armstrong in the SIERDC three-hour race this October.
- They will drive a new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car, marking its first outing in Armstrong colours this season.
- Rick Armstrong will use the event as preparation for defending his GT New Zealand Open Class Championship title.
Local motorsport fans are in for a family double-act this October, as Marcus Armstrong swaps IndyCar circuits for Central Otago asphalt.
The Kiwi star is set to line up alongside his father, Rick Armstrong, at the South Island Endurance Championship’s third round at Highlands Motorsport Park, Cromwell, on 17–18 October.
IndyCar hot-shoe, Porsche paddock mate
Fresh from an eighth-place finish in the 2025 IndyCar Championship with Meyer Shank Racing, Marcus is wasting no time getting back in a cockpit. The Armstrong pairing will share driving duties in an all-new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car, freshly liveried for the 2025/26 season.
Rick, founder of Armstrong’s Motorsport and reigning GT New Zealand Open Class Champion, sees the Highlands three-hour as both a rare family outing and a handy warm-up before chasing a third straight GTNZ crown. “Racing alongside Marcus is something truly special. It is not often you get to share the track with your son, let alone one who is racing at the very highest level overseas,” Rick said.
Flat-out family affair
The endurance format promises a test of stamina as much as outright pace. For Marcus, it’s a chance to bring home some IndyCar polish while reconnecting with his earliest motorsport memories. “Some of my earliest racing memories were of Porsche cup cars - watching my Dad race. It will be cool to share the car with him and race in front of a Kiwi crowd. It’s been a good season in IndyCar and although the season has only just finished, I’m itching to get back in a race car,” he said.
Fans get their fix
Spectators won’t just see Marcus at full tilt, as he’ll also be meeting fans across the Highlands weekend, adding an extra drawcard to Cromwell’s mid-October motorsport calendar.
For local enthusiasts, it’s a rare chance to watch one of the country’s top international drivers up close, paired with a national GTNZ champion in the same car.
