
Kiwis – Born to Fly 3: Final shooting phase completed
The Kiwis – Born to Fly story has now wrapped filming for this instalment of the series. Over the past weekend, the crew was in full swing at Road Atlanta during the IMSA Petit Le Mans 10-hour endurance race, capturing a diverse group of New Zealanders at the final IMSA event of the season — from drivers to the many talented individuals along pit lane — all connected by their Kiwi heritage.
This shoot provided an opportunity to add even more names to the growing list featured in this edition and to further showcase New Zealand talent on the global stage — the long-term vision of the series.
Adding to the many guests filmed earlier this year, the team sat down with Ryan Yardley and Madeline Stewart from the Porsche North America Series. In the main prototype event, they also spent time with drivers Earl Bamber, Tom Blomqvist, Scott Dixon, and Hunter McElrea. Behind the pit wall, key team personnel such as Steve Gough, Anton Julian, and Jess Dane were interviewed, along with several others, including leading motorsport journalist Marshall Pruett.
“The dedication that these people give to the sport is truly exceptional, even more so when you witness it first hand. There is so much that you never even think of, the hours they all spend just getting to race day and the pack in, let alone an endurance event like this one plus the sheer size of it,” commented co-producer Lyn Paton.
The production team was amazed by the long lines of fans waiting to meet Kiwi drivers at the fan zone — a clear sign of how well-known and respected they’ve become. The sports car scene in the United States is thriving, professionally run, and the Road Atlanta circuit itself is daunting in daylight, let alone at over 200 km/h in the dark.
The crew also recently spent time with Brendon Hartley at the COTA WEC event last month, adding yet another world-class Kiwi to the story.
“The scale of the event in Atlanta let alone the actual circuit was well beyond what I even imagined, a massive fan base with fans arriving days before the event for a total sell out of the venue. To think our Kiwis were some of the biggest stars across several classes was so fantastic,” said producer David Turner.
“We hope that this gives more insight to the massive talent we have within the sport and our desire to continue to bring this to the screen and highlight the legacy of many creating insightful viewing for fans of the sport and the general public.”
With shooting now complete, the team heads back into post-production at Number 6 Post to prepare the final cut for broadcast on Sky NZ in early 2026.
For those who missed the second edition, the CRC Motorsport Show on TV3 will air one final encore screening in November.
Screening details for this latest edition will be announced in the coming months.
Presenting sponsors: Mansons, Tasman Motorsports Group, Hampton Downs Academy, Crème Insurance, Giltrap Group, AutoPark, Racetech, and Harcourts — with FASTMASTER as the official clothing supplier. The support of these valued sponsors makes this instalment of Kiwis – Born to Fly possible, and their contribution is gratefully acknowledged.
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