Alice Buckley delivered an impressive performance in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship season opener at Taupo, securing a top-five finish in the final race and showcasing her talent across a competitive weekend.
Alice Buckley made a remarkable return to New Zealand's Bridgestone GR86 Championship, securing a top-five finish in a highly competitive season opener at Taupo International Motorsport Park. After qualifying in the top ten, she battled all weekend for front-running positions.
The talented 17-year-old Australian, who had already shown her skills in last year’s Toyota 86 Championship, joined the grid for the newly rebranded Bridgestone GR86 series. Announced as a one-off appearance, Buckley competed as part of the Race Lab Academy team, driving one of their four entries.
Since her standout performance in New Zealand last year, Buckley has been racing in the Australian GR86 Cup, then finished sixth in class at the Bathurst Six Hour.
She had previously made her mark internationally as a finalist in the 2022 FIA Girls On Track – Rising Stars program, which placed her against some of the most promising young female drivers in the world. Following this opportunity, Buckley tested Formula 4 machinery in Europe before returning to Australia for a strong developmental season that included historic victories in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Scholarship Series.
Buckley’s progression was evident in last year’s New Zealand Toyota 86 Championship: she became a regular top-ten qualifier and finisher during the second half of the season, with her best result being a second-place finish at the Taupo Supercar Championship finale.
Her efforts secured her ninth in the championship standings. Hoping to build on this momentum, Buckley returned for the championship's new era, which featured a 25-car grid and one of the strongest fields in its history.
Alice was one of two female drivers on the grid at Taupo, alongside Kiwi veteran Christina Orr-West, a former Toyota Racing Series competitor with extensive experience in national and international racing.
After pre-season testing, Buckley started her weekend strongly by qualifying P10 with a lap time of 1:40.924. Hayden Bakkerus claimed pole position for the opening race, as the 25-car grid promised thrilling close racing, as is tradition for the GR86 Championship.
Buckley had a strong start in the opening race, emerging in eighth place after being squeezed and sandwiched through Turn 1. Showing grit, she defended strongly against Emerson Vincent, recovering quickly after running slightly wide at one corner. Despite Vincent’s pressure, she maintained eighth and began closing in on Cooper Barnes ahead.
As Barnes engaged in a heated battle with Allen, Buckley expertly positioned herself to capitalize on any mistakes. The top five drivers pulled away, leaving Buckley in the middle of the second group. By mid-race, she was just three-tenths behind Barnes while gaining a small buffer from the cars behind her.
In the second half of the race, Buckley continued to show maturity and patience, applying pressure on Barnes without overcommitting. On the final lap, she attempted an outside pass but ultimately crossed the line in eighth. However, a five-second penalty for Josh Bethune, who had jumped the start, promoted her to seventh.
It was a brilliant start to the weekend, marking a top-ten finish in a fiercely competitive field. Orr-West also had a challenging but determined drive, recovering from P25 to finish P24 after spending much of the race just outside the top 20.
Starting from P3 in the reverse-grid race, Buckley had a golden opportunity to aim for a podium. She launched well off the line but found herself boxed in by a slower car braking early. This caused her to lose momentum and third place.
Battling to recover, a broken rim after a contact forced her to pit, rejoining a lap down and effectively out of contention. Despite the setback, she showed fighting spirit, eventually finishing P24.
Meanwhile, Christina Orr-West delivered a strong recovery drive, climbing to P13 and holding her position with a consistent rhythm.
The final race of the weekend, a longer 12-lap contest, saw Buckley lining up P9 and determined to bounce back from the bad luck of Race 2. She made another strong start, holding ninth and immediately attacking Cormac Murphy ahead while simultaneously defending from Justin Allen.
The early laps featured close battles as Buckley showcased her aggressive but clean driving. By Lap 3, she began applying heavy pressure on Murphy, consistently lapping quicker and seeking opportunities to overtake. On Lap 5, she made a bold move around the outside of Turn 1 but had to back out; however, a better exit on the back straight enabled her to complete a clean pass for eighth.
Now focusing on closing the gap to the leading pack, Buckley turned her attention to Zach Blincoe. Her impressive pace saw her reduce the margin by almost a second and, by Lap 7, she was right on his tail. A scrap ahead between White and Broughan allowed Buckley to move into seventh.
On the final lap, she could move ahead of Blincoe to claim sixth at the finish line. Post-race drama saw race winner Josh Bethune disqualified, promoting Buckley to fifth place.
It was an outstanding performance for the young Australian racer, who completed the weekend with a top five. "I was lucky enough to compete in the first round of the Bridgestone GR86 Championship series. Had loads of fun and some good results", Buckley said. "Qualified P10, finished P5, P7 and some bad luck with a rim breaking."
"Thank you to my sponsors for making this opportunity possible for me", she continued. "Massive thank you to everyone at Race Lab Academy for everything they have done for me and providing myself with all the right gear, it’s such a privilege to work with such an awesome team."
It was a positive race also for Christina Orr-West, who fought hard around the top 20 and managed to climb to P18 as the chequered flag waved.
With a long Christmas break ahead, teams and drivers will regroup before the championship resumes for the second round at Hampton Downs from January 17-19.
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