Four of New Zealand’s brightest young prospects have been confirmed for the sixth running of the Tony Quinn Foundation GR86 Shootout, with Miles Baker, Blake Dowdall, Riley Boswell and Nieko Scoles set to go head-to-head at Hampton Downs on Wednesday, September 30.

At stake for this year’s final four is a $54,000 support package for the upcoming Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

Getting their hands on that support will take more than outright speed, with each finalist set to be tested both on and off the track. Driving ability and technical feedback will be assessed alongside their understanding of the commercial side of the sport, with all three playing a part in deciding who comes out on top.

Tony Quinn Foundation Trustee and Chief Instructor of the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy, Daniel Gaunt, says the calibre of this year’s applicants made narrowing the field down to four another difficult task.

“There was plenty for us to consider this year, but we’re really happy with the four we’ve selected and I think they’re going to make for a great Shootout,” says Gaunt.

“We’ve seen over the past five years just how much this opportunity can mean for a young driver, and there’s another significant prize on the line this year. I’m really looking forward to seeing how these four respond when we put them to the test.”

To be eligible for that opportunity, drivers had to be under the age of 21, graduates of the Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy and genuine rookies to the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

While they all arrive at Hampton Downs chasing the same prize, each has followed their own journey to earn a place among this year’s final four.

For 14-year-old Miles Baker, that path has largely been forged in karting, where he won the Top Half Series, two North Island titles and three New Zealand Karting Grand Prix titles. He also won the Hampton Downs Academy Kart Stars Series in the highly competitive Junior Rotax class in 2025.

Baker has since turned his attention to cars, joining the Toyota 86 Trophy Series midway through this year and turning heads when he secured a podium on his first weekend in the category. Now, he has his sights set on stepping up to the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

“I am really grateful for the opportunity to compete in the Tony Quinn Foundation Shootout,” says Baker.

“Dan and the Hampton Downs Academy programme have already played a big part in my transition from karts to cars, and the chance to be part of the TQF programme for my rookie season would be huge.

“When you look back at the history of the shootout, it has played a big role in developing some great drivers and I would love to add my name to that list of winners.”

Palmerston North’s 18-year-old Blake Dowdall has taken a slightly different route, building experience both behind the wheel and on the other side of the pit wall.

After starting out in karting, Dowdall progressed through Formula First and into Formula Ford, going on to claim the 2025 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship. This year has seen him head across the Tasman to compete in GT4 Australia aboard a Ford Mustang GT4 with Miedecke Motorsport.

Away from his own racing, Dowdall has continued to broaden that experience through engineering, including a season working on Justin Allen’s GR86 with Syndicate Motorsport last year. It gave him a valuable look at how the car works and a year’s worth of data to draw from before getting behind the wheel himself at the shootout.

“I was pretty stoked when I found out I’d have the chance to do the shootout, especially after we’ve put absolutely everything into making this year happen in Australia,” says Dowdall.

“I feel like this is the premier category in New Zealand for young talent, so having the chance to race something back home over summer would be huge for me.

“I’ve gotten to know all of the trustees over the years as well. Steve [Horne] had quite a lot to do with the negotiations for my GT4 contract and advised me on what I needed to look for before making such a serious commitment. They’ve managed a lot of successful careers, so having that knowledge and experience around you would be hugely valuable.”

Waikato’s 16-year-old Riley Boswell also comes from a karting background, spending around seven years competing across the North Island. Those formative years helped shape his racecraft, discipline and competitive approach before he made the move into cars.

Together with his father, Boswell built a BMW E46 to take that next step into circuit racing, with countless late nights in the shed teaching him plenty about the mechanical side of the sport along the way. That experience laid the foundations for another step forward this winter, when the family-run team made the move into the Toyota 86 Trophy Series.

Boswell went on to finish third in the Trophy Series Championship, putting together a competitive first campaign in the Toyota before earning his place among this year’s four Shootout finalists.

“To be chosen as one of the four finalists means a lot to me and my family,” says Boswell.

“You don’t get many opportunities like this, so to be selected is a real honour. I’m incredibly thankful to Tony Quinn and everyone at the Tony Quinn Foundation for giving me the chance.

“I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and can’t wait to get to the shootout.”

Rounding out this year’s final four is 16-year-old Invercargill driver Nieko Scoles, who has packed plenty into just three years of racing.

After getting his first taste of motorsport through autocross, Scoles made the move into circuit racing at 13 aboard a Toyota 86. He has since built up considerable experience in the car through club racing and the South Island Endurance Championship, while also winning the Southland Sports Car Club 1.6–2.5L Championship in both 2024 and 2025.

Earlier this year, Scoles made his Bridgestone GR86 Championship debut at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Highlands before turning his attention to the Toyota 86 Trophy Series over winter. Three wins, seven podiums and two Pole Positions helped him become the 2026 Toyota 86 Winter Series Champion, while also finishing runner-up in the Toyota 86 Trophy Series.

For Scoles, the chance to build on what he has already achieved this year is one he is excited to embrace.

“I’m absolutely stoked to be confirmed as one of the four finalists for the GR86 Shootout,” says Scoles.

“It’s a massive opportunity and I’m really looking forward to getting back into the GR86 and seeing how I stack up against the other three drivers.

“Making the Top Four is pretty special, especially being able to represent Southland. I’m really grateful to the Tony Quinn Foundation for the opportunity and can’t wait to get stuck into it.”

Last year saw Lucas McGill become the fifth winner of the Shootout, joining Matthew McCutcheon, William Exton, Jackson Rooney and Chris White Jr as recipients of the scholarship.

Their success through the Shootout forms part of a much bigger commitment to developing New Zealand’s next generation of racing talent. Since its establishment in 2021, the Tony Quinn Foundation has invested more than $3 million into New Zealand motorsport, backing rising stars across a range of categories both at home and overseas.

The GR86 Shootout remains a key part of that commitment, with another $54,000 support package set to help one of this year’s four finalists make the step into the Bridgestone GR86 Championship.

All four will now head to Hampton Downs on September 30, where one will add their name to the growing list of Tony Quinn Foundation GR86 Shootout winners.