Starting off the year as we mean to continue with NZs biggest sim racing series + more.

NZ Sim Racing

• NZ Toyota 86 E-Cup (NZTEC) begins in January. Get your entries in for NZs biggest iRacing competition, back after success in ‘25. The prizes are even bigger this time around with the winner getting to drive the real 86 with entry into the CareVets scholarship day (where they could go on to win a full season in the Toyota 86 series).
  Full details and entry form.
  Watch the races live on NZ Sim Racing TV (from Feb 4th).

• Date set for Enduro for Mental Health 2026. After a successful event raising $5,170 in ‘25 the charity sim racing event is again back in ‘26. Save the date, June 13th.
  More details will be shared in their discord.

News

• Forza Motorsport is dead, Gran Turismo won on console. Microsoft is officially ending support for Forza Motorsport. Incredibly the Logitech McLaren G Challenge is still using Forza Motorsport, with $100,000 worth of prizes up for grabs once again.
  Meanwhile Gran Turismo has 2 million monthly active drivers, a stat no doubt boosted so high by the recent release of the Spec III update. For comparison iRacing had just under 500 thousand drivers across the whole year.

• iRacing special events schedule for 2026.

Extras

• Scott Dixon knighted. The new years honours list also featured 3x NZ track owner Tony Quinn, and Brian Rex Davies after more than 50 years as a Clerk of the Course.
  Read more.

• CTFROT kicks off Jan 10th. NZ premier open wheel series, Formula Regional Oceania Trophy, will race over 4 weekends in a row. Last year Arvid Lindblad won the series and is now racing in Formula 1 in 2026. This year features lots of drivers worth watching:

  • Ryan Wood: Aussie Supercars Driver

  • Kalle Rovenpera: WRC World Champion

  • Zack Scoular: The kiwi who got banned from iRacing 😆 & last seasons CTFROC runner up

  • Louis Sharp: Young kiwi and past British F4 and GB3 champion

  • Fionn McLaughlin: Current British F4 champion

  • Sebastian Manson: Kiwi with 2 CTFROC race wins last season

  • Freddie Slater: Current Formula Regional Europe champion

  Watch the races live on youtube or Sky Sport.

• Hectic shoutout in Traxion Newsletter. Thanks to Tom and Traxion for sharing Hectic News on their newsletter, Traxion Control. If you’re not already subscribed over there it’s definitely worth checking it out for all the latest updates in racing games.
  Subscribe here.