Supercars coming back to NZ
The ITM Auckland SuperSprint will return in 2021, celebrating 20 years since Supercars first raced for championship points outside of Australia.
Discussions are continuing with New Zealand authorities on which location will host the event after 2020’s plans to race at Hampton Downs were put on hold due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Officials must decide whether the action, which is scheduled for November 6-7, will take place at Hampton Downs or Pukekohe Park.
Richard Clarke, head of major events at Auckland Unlimited, says: “We continue to engage with Supercars on a potential Auckland round in 2021 and details of the event, including a venue, are still to be worked through.”
The event is one of 12 on the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship calendar, which was announced on December 3.
Pukekohe Park staged the first championship round of the Supercars series held outside of Australia in November 2001. Kiwi legend Greg Murphy dominated the event, taking pole position and winning all three races.
The following year, the New Zealand round contained the 500th race in championship history, which was won by Mark Skaife.
The 2021 Championship will begin at the spiritual home of Australian motor racing, Mount Panorama over the weekend of February 26-28.
It will be one of two trips to Bathurst during the season, with the Mount Panorama 500 and the Great Race, the 161-lap, 1,000km Repco Bathurst 1000 locked in for October 7-10.
Besides Auckland, racing will also return to Perth, Tasmania and Victoria this year after Covid-19 restrictions forced changes to the 2020 calendar.
Sean Seamer, chief executive officer of Supercars, says next year’s schedule is a win for fans and viewers following the challenges of the health crisis.
“We are still working with all government partners on fan limits for each event, but we are confident of strong crowd numbers across Australia and New Zealand, in line with the current loosening of Covid-19 restrictions,” he adds.
2021 Repco Supercars Championship calendar:
Feb 26-28: Mount Panorama 500, Bathurst, NSW
Mar 18-21: Melbourne, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, VIC
April 10-11: Tasmania SuperSprint, Symmons Plains, TAS
May 8-9: OTR SuperSprint, Tailem Bend, SA
May 29-30: Winton SuperSprint, Winton, VIC
June 19-20: Darwin Triple Crown, Hidden Valley, NT
July 9-11: NTI Townsville, Reid Park, QLD
Aug 20-22: Sydney SuperNight, Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Sept 11-12: Perth SuperNight, Wanneroo Raceway, WA
Oct 7-10: Repco Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama, NSW
Nov 6-7: ITM Auckland SuperSprint, NZ
Dec 3-5: Gold Coast Street Circuit, Surfers Paradise, QLD
