The Repco Supercars Championship is all but guaranteed to race at a new venue in 2023 with confirmation Pukekohe Park will cease all motor racing activities next year.
The ITM Auckland SuperSprint on September 9-11 will be the last time Supercars visits the New Zealand circuit, which has hosted the championship on and off since the late 1990s.
The dual-purpose venue has long had to jockey its motorsport activities that surround the horse racing facility.
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From April 2023, the Pukekohe ground is to be solely used for horse racing and training with Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and the Auckland Racing Club confirming a redevelopment and intensification of trackside horse stabling.
Nevertheless, Supercars has committed itself to New Zealand long-term with category CEO Shane Howard affirming racing plans beyond 2022.
“Supercars has been informed by the Auckland Racing Club that from April 2023, the circuit will no longer be used for motorsport,” said Howard.
“It’s obviously a great loss to farewell a circuit with so much history and heritage to both New Zealand and Australian racing.
“Legends were created here, and it was the location of Supercars’ first ever international championship race, its legacy will live on for many years to come.
“We have other great venue options available and will now begin discussions regarding our 2023 calendar.
“It’s our absolute intent to continue racing in New Zealand and we are now exploring alternative venues for the New Zealand event for the future.”
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There are three logical options for Supercars moving forward, all of which are owned by entrepreneur Tony Quinn who built the VIP Pet Foods and Darrel Lea confectionery empire.
Hampton Downs, which lies just south of the Auckland boundary, was set to host Supercars in 2020 due to a council bylaw preventing racing at Pukekohe Park on ANZAC Day.
However, those plans were scuppered thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quinn, who co-owns Supercars team Triple Eight Race Engineering, recently acquired central North Island circuit Taupo International Motorsport Park.
The last high-profile event at the circuit saw the now-defunct A1 Grand Prix single-seater series visit in 2009.
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Highlands Motorsport Park near Queenstown is New Zealand’s newest racing facility and has hosted long-form GT3 racing previously.
Quinn is known to have had discussions with Supercars about the prospect of a double-header across two of his circuit.
Funding may determine where Supercars ends up.
Local promoter Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has backed the Pukekohe event, and although force majeure meant Supercars was to race outside the Auckland boundary in 2020 at Hampton Downs with the promoter’s support, it’s believed there is a reluctance to fund an event beyond the border moving forward.
Hampton Downs has the benefit of sitting between Auckland and Hamilton, the first and fourth largest populations in the country.
In any case, Supercars will soon end a historic chapter. Pukekohe Park first hosted a non-championship round of Supercars in 1996 before officially joining as a point-paying event in 2001.
Between 2008 and 2012 the Supercars circus raced on the streets of Hamilton before returning to Pukekohe in 2013 on a revised circuit.
The demise has left circuit operator Gary Stirling understandably upset, although is understanding of the venue’s wider potential.
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“This will be a loss for the motorsport fraternity and also a game changer for motorsport in New Zealand,” said Stirling.
“Pukekohe has been the start of many great careers that have put New Zealand on the world stage and dominated the pinnacle of world motorsport.
“Although I am unhappy to be losing use of the park, I understand ATR’s future plans and respect their decision for them to grow their business.
“Hearing their plans, it was clear to see that motorsport just could not function at the park in conjunction with the club’s future plans.”
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