Second NZ Supercars event tabled by district council

Support for a second Supercars event in New Zealand has been discussed by the Central Otago District Council on the South Island.

Supercars made its long-awaited return to New Zealand in 2024 at the inaugural ITM Taupō Super400 at Taupō International Motorsport Park, which sold out of grandstand and general admission tickets weeks in advance.

Council discussions on Wednesday surrounded the potential for Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell to host Supercars from 2026.

The event would be in addition to Supercars’ continued event in Taupō, which is contracted through 2026.

“Supercars is constantly pursuing and evaluating opportunities to expand the sport’s reach, both in Australia and abroad,” a Supercars spokesperson said.

“New Zealand is home to an avid motorsport fan base, as evidenced by the sell-out success of the inaugural ITM Taupō Super400 this past April, and no less than five Kiwi drivers on the current Supercars grid.

“There has been great interest among our stakeholders and supporters in a second Supercars event in the land of the long white cloud, which we will continue to explore alongside our ongoing efforts to sustain and grow the success of our event in Taupō.”

Over 67,000 fans attended this year’s event in Taupō, where Aucklander Andre Heimgartner won the inaugural Taupō race in soaking conditions on Saturday.

Fans on Sunday were treated to sunny conditions and a scintillating battle between championship protagonists Will Brown and Broc Feeney, with Brown prevailing as Dick Johnson Racing driver Anton De Pasquale claimed the coveted Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

Supercars will return to Taupō from April 11-13, 2025, with three races scheduled at the ITM Taupō Super440. Two 120-kilometre races will be held on Saturday, April 12, with a 200-kilometre contest to be held on the Sunday.

Tickets and corporate hospitality options for the 2025 Taupō Super440 can be found via Supercars.com and Ticketek.

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship season begins February 21-23 with the Sydney 500 at Sydney Motorsport Park.