Jack Lupton wins 101st Masport Cup as David Alexander takes Hydro Thunder round at Karapiro

Lake Karapiro delivered a weekend of high-stakes hydroplane racing when it hosted the 101st Masport Cup alongside round four of the Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder Series, the Matt Morrison Memorial, and NZF1 Powerboat Tour competition. Fields were full across the divisions, and the programme lived up to its billing.

The backdrop to the weekend was significant. The centenary Masport Cup the previous year had descended into chaos when a first-corner collision brought proceedings to a halt, and the subsequent re-run at Twizel had produced results under very different conditions. Ken Lupton had taken the trophy at that Twizel re-run and arrived at Karapiro as defending champion, hoping to hold on to what he had won. Recent form, however, suggested that would be no easy task.

After three rounds of the 2025-26 Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series, Jack Lupton and JLM had built a commanding lead on 342 points. Scott Coker's Howzat sat second on 246 and Ken Lupton's KLR third on 240. David Alexander held fourth with Miss Waverley on 191 points following a solid showing at Twizel. Raymond Hart, Max Webb, and Steve Preece remained in contention further down the standings, with Andy Knight and Jason Haggerty rounding out the midfield. With Karapiro and Nelson still to come, the title fight behind the runaway leader was far from settled.

Round four of the Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series

Nine GP Hydroplanes were entered for the Karapiro round, and on paper it was as serious a top-tier lineup as the series had seen all season. When qualifying arrived, seven of those nine nominated entries presented at the start line to contest pole position.

Among those returning was Kevin 'Roadie' Ireland, back at the wheel of The Gambler. The engine had been prepared specifically for Lake Karapiro, with two clear targets in mind: the Masport Cup and round four of the Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Series. With Jack Lupton carrying outstanding form across the season, Ireland was under no illusions about how difficult that challenge would be.

David Alexander struck first, setting the early benchmark with a sharp 33.69-second qualifying lap to claim pole position for Miss Waverley. Scott Coker lined up second on the grid with a 36.72, and Raymond Hart locked in third on 38.32. Kevin Ireland qualified fourth with a 39.10, just ahead of Jack Lupton on 39.47. Ken Lupton followed on 39.57, and Steve Preece rounded out the order on 39.78. Alexander's pace handed him the inside line heading into the heats, though the tight spread through the middle of the field pointed to a close contest behind him.

When heat racing got underway, Jack Lupton made an immediate statement by winning Heat 1A from grid position three, finishing ahead of Alexander with Hart third. Steve Preece did not finish. In Heat 1B, Ken Lupton took the win with Scott Coker second and Kevin Ireland third.

Neither Lupton featured strongly in the next round of results. Heat 2A went to David Alexander with Kevin Ireland second, while Jack Lupton was disqualified after making contact with two buoys. Scott Coker then produced back-to-back victories. His first came in Heat 2B ahead of Raymond Hart, with Ken Lupton losing power and failing to finish. His second arrived in Heat 3A, where Kevin Ireland was runner-up and Ken Lupton again did not see the chequered flag. Jack Lupton responded to his earlier disqualification by winning the final heat of the day, with David Alexander second and Raymond Hart third.

Sunday brought hot, humid conditions for the Grand Final of round four of the Lucas Oil Hydro Thunder Series. The initial start had to be abandoned after Scott Coker spun in a corner and forced a red flag. Once the field was cleared and the drivers were ready, the final restarted.

David Alexander in Miss Waverley claimed the Karapiro Round 4 Lucas Oil NZ Hydro Thunder Grand Final. Jack Lupton crossed the line second and Raymond Hart finished third. Ken Lupton, having carried out engine maintenance, was unable to finish, while Scott Coker remained disqualified.

Congratulations to David Alexander and Miss Waverley.

101st Masport Cup

Five of the GP entries carried their competition into the 101st Masport Cup, joined by two Formula One class boats and one Grand National class boat.

The opening heat produced an early moment of high drama. GP driver Raymond Hart was racing well when he was launched skyward in a spectacular incident at the first turn. The boat came down hard, drawing sharp intakes of breath from the crowd. Hart walked away unharmed.

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After a restart, Jack Lupton took control with a composed run to win Heat 1 of the Masport Cup. Heat 2 followed the same pattern, with Lupton again taking the win and building a firm hold on the trophy.

By the close of the day, the result was beyond doubt. Jack Lupton was crowned the 2026 Masport Cup Champion, securing the coveted cup for the fourth time in his career. He and his team put on a strong display at Lake Karapiro that left little room for debate.

Congratulations to Jack Lupton and GP33 JLM.

2026 Matt Morrison Memorial

Pro Com and Pro Stock are distinct competition classes, separated by engine capacity, fuel type, and overall performance limits. Pro Com runs larger-capacity engines and produces higher top speeds, placing it above Pro Stock in the performance hierarchy. At Karapiro, the two classes competed on the same water across the same weekend.

The Prostock category arrived with fourteen confirmed entries and was shaping as one of the busiest grids of the meeting. Names to watch from the 2025 season included Prostock Midnight, driven by Steve Mathieson, and Procom Rat Attack, steered by Karl Weller. Ben Ryan returned this year in Intolerant, while Zack Weller brought Rat Attack 3 to Karapiro fresh off showing strong form during initial testing at the 2026 USA and New Zealand vs Australia BAD Boat Challenge in Australia.

Karl Weller in Rat Attack 001 took out the 2026 Matt Morrison Memorial hydroplane race.

Congratulations to Karl Weller and Rat Attack 001.

The GP class produced an outcome that few would have predicted at the start of the round, though whether it carries enough weight to shift the championship picture by season's end remains to be seen. The Masport Cup was decided with clarity, and the combined Procom and Prostock field turned out in numbers and raced hard throughout. Mechanical failures, a disqualification, and one heart-stopping moment at the first corner all featured, yet the meeting kept its focus on performance and competition.

One round remains in the 2026 season, and with the AE Baker Cup still to be decided, there is plenty left to race for.