Supercars set date for NZ return

Taupo International Motorsport Park has confirmed it will host the New Zealand round of the Repco Supercars Championship from April 19 to 21 next year.

After a year’s hiatus from this side of the ditch, the 2024 event will be the first of three at the Taupo venue following a collaboration between Supercars bosses, the New Zealand government and Taupo District Council.

The government has invested $5 million for the ITM Taupo SuperSprint to take place over the next three years and says it is “excited to be able to help reconnect the tens of thousands of fans from across New Zealand with their favourite teams and drivers”.

Supercars says Taupo will become the 35th different venue to host a championship round and will join Pukekohe and the streets of Hamilton as Kiwi sites to host point-scoring action for the competition. 

Non-championship rounds were held at Pukekohe and on Wellington’s streets as part of the 1996 Mobil NZ Series.

Drivers will be competing for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, named after the late Kiwi Supercars Hall of Fame inductee who contested 113 rounds and 284 races in his career.

Among the New Zealand drivers confirmed to compete for the title in 2024 will be Aucklanders Andre Heimgartner, Matt Payne and Richie Stanaway, and Wellington’s Ryan Wood.

Discussions are under way to decide what local support categories will fill the undercard for the three days of action at Taupo.