Round 2 of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) at Taupo reshaped the championship picture through four sharply contrasting races. While outright pace again mattered, Taupo placed greater emphasis on recovery drives, damage limitation and consistency across changing conditions. As a result, the standings after the second round reflect both sustained excellence at the front and an increasingly compressed fight behind, particularly in the Teams’ Championship.
Drivers’ Championship: Ugochukwu extends his advantage
At the head of the Drivers’ Championship, Ugo Ugochukwu strengthens his grip on the title fight with 194 points. Although he endured a difficult Race 3 and faced tougher midfield traffic than at Hampton Downs, he consistently recovered ground and extracted points in every race. Crucially, his second place in Race 1 and podium in Race 2 limited the damage from later setbacks. Consequently, Ugochukwu leaves Taupo not just as the leader, but as the most resilient driver in the field.
Behind him, the battle tightens considerably. Kanato Le moves into second on 161 points after a weekend defined by persistence rather than headline results. Despite fluctuating fortunes and midfield contact, he repeatedly finished inside the points and delivered a strong second place in Race 4. Therefore, Le positions himself as Ugochukwu’s closest challenger on consistency alone.
Louis Sharp sits third on 159 points and remains firmly in the title conversation. Although he did not win at Taupo, his fourth-place finishes and podium in Race 4 ensured steady accumulation. Moreover, Sharp’s ability to stay clear of major incidents allowed mtec Motorsport to remain competitive across all four races.
Chasing pack closes in
Just behind, Jin Nakamura and Ryan Wood continue to apply pressure. Nakamura’s 153 points reflect a weekend of measured recovery drives and late-race opportunism, particularly in Race 4. Meanwhile, Wood’s two victories at Taupo propel him to 150 points and confirm him as the round’s standout performer. However, earlier inconsistency prevents him from climbing higher in the standings, despite his clear pace advantage at the circuit.
Freddie Slater follows closely on 144 points. Although he featured prominently near the front in multiple races, penalties and off-track moments repeatedly curtailed his progress. Even so, his podiums underline his potential to disrupt the title fight as the season develops.
Further back, Zack Scoular and Ernesto Rivera occupy seventh and eighth. Scoular’s dominant Race 3 victory provided a major boost, yet his Race 4 retirement limited his overall gain. In contrast, Rivera scored steadily without headline results, once again highlighting how Taupo rewarded survival as much as speed.
Midfield battles shape the top 10
James Wharton’s Race 2 victory lifts him to ninth on 113 points and confirms his ability to capitalise when opportunities arise. However, incidents and strategic setbacks elsewhere restricted his upward momentum.
Nolan Allaer completes the top ten on 86 points after another quietly effective weekend. Although he lacked front-running pace, he consistently finished races and benefited from others’ misfortune. Behind him, Yuanpu Cui and Yevan David continued to trade places through the midfield, while Sebastian Manson, Fionn McLaughlin and Kalle Rovanperä remain closely grouped and poised to move forward with cleaner weekends.
CTFROT 2026: Taupo: Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 2
- Ugo Ugochukwu, M2 Competition – 194 points
- Kanato Le, Hitech TGR – 161 points
- Louis Sharp, mtec Motorsport – 159 points
- Jin Nakamura, Hitech TGR – 153 points
- Ryan Wood, mtec Motorsport – 150 points
- Freddie Slater, M2 Competition – 144 points
- Zack Scoular, mtec Motorsport – 120 points
- Ernesto Rivera, M2 Competition – 118 points
- James Wharton, HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed – 113 points
- Nolan Allaer, Giles Motorsport – 86 points
- Yuanpu Cui, mtec Motorsport – 82 points
- Yevan David, Kiwi Motorsport – 78 points
- Sebastian Manson, M2 Competition – 53 points
- Fionn McLaughlin, Hitech TGR – 53 points
- Kalle Rovanperä, Hitech TGR – 50 points
- Jack Taylor, Giles Motorsport – 47 points
- Cooper Shipman, Kiwi Motorsport – 44 points
- Ricardo Baptista, HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed – 42 points
- Trevor LaTourrette, HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed – 30 points
Teams’ Championship: A three-way fight intensifies
In the Teams’ Championship, Taupo dramatically tightens the contest at the front. M2 Competition leads on 375 points, but its margin shrinks to just five points. Although Ugochukwu continues to deliver heavily, mixed results from supporting drivers prevent the team from pulling clear.
Hitech TGR sits second on 370 points and emerges as the most consistent collective across Round 2. Strong contributions from Le and Nakamura, combined with regular double-scoring finishes, allow Hitech to close the gap significantly. As a result, the team now stands within striking distance of the lead.
Meanwhile, mtec Motorsport remains firmly in contention on 325 points. Thanks to Wood’s double victories and Sharp’s steady support, mtec outscored both rivals at key moments. Nevertheless, the points system that counts only the top two finishers per race means that missed opportunities elsewhere continue to limit their charge.
Behind the leading trio, HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed consolidates fourth on 165 points, driven largely by Wharton’s Race 2 success. Kiwi Motorsport and Giles Motorsport follow, separated by just 11 points, as both teams maximise attrition but lack consistent top-five pace.
CTFROT 2026: Taupo: Teams’ Championship standings after Round 2
- M2 Competition – 375 points
- Hitech TGR – 370 points
- mtec Motorsport – 325 points
- HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed – 165 points
- Kiwi Motorsport – 133 points
- Giles Motorsport – 122 points
Note that each team counts its two best results of each race.
Outlook after Taupo
In summary, Taupo reinforces Ugo Ugochukwu’s status as the championship reference point, yet it also compresses the competitive order behind him. With only small margins separating the top teams and multiple drivers capable of race wins, the 2026 CTFROT season now enters its next phase finely balanced.
As momentum shifts and pressure increases, execution rather than outright speed looks set to define the championship battle from here onward.
