It’s been eight months since the ITM Taupo Super400 was officially announced, and the time has finally come for Supercars to feature on their 35th track in their maiden outing at Taupo International Motorsport Park.
The long-awaited return of Supercars to New Zealand has Kiwis travelling from around the country to the Central North Island for a weekend of on-track action complimented by a large amount of off-track entertainment.
We’ve compiled the details of everything you need to know for this weekend’s event for those attending or watching at home, which you can find below.
Tickets remain available for Friday’s track action, but Saturday and Sunday’s General Admission and Grandstand options are sold out.
With so much going on, there’s a lot to know, so the table of contents below will take you where you need to go.
| CONTENTS |
| Attending |
| Around the Grounds & Beyond |
| The Races |
| The Support Categories |
| Track Schedule |
| TV Viewing |
| Milestones |
Attending
Up to 25,000 people are expected each day. The NZ Transport Agency has advised that delays in the region and around the venue are likely.
Complimentary Car Parking is available on the Taupō Gliding Club Airstrip. There are two entries to the car park entering from the Off Road Highway.
Both Broadlands Rd exits from SH1 will be closed between 6am and 2pm on each of the three days, with access to parking for the event available from the SH1 Centennial Ave Interchange only. Traffic Management will be in place to help guide spectator vehicles and manage traffic flows.
If you are travelling from Rotorua on Broadlands Road, you will be directed to turn right onto the Off Road Highway and left into the car park entrance.
Gates open to the public at the following times on each day:
- Friday, 19 April 2024 – 8:15am
- Saturday, 24 February 2024 – 7:15am
- Sunday, 25 February 2024 – 7:30am
Complimentary shuttle buses will run from Kaimanawa Reserve, Roberts Street, Taupō. Parking is available at Kaimanawa Reserve.
It is highly recommend that you take the shuttle to Taupō International Motorsport Park to avoid the traffic.
You must have a valid ticket or accreditation to travel on the shuttle. Shuttle Buses will operate continuously from the following times:
| Date: | First shuttle departs Kaimanawa Reserve | Last shuttle departs Taupō Motorsport Park |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 19th April | 7:45 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Saturday 20th April | 6:45 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Sunday 21st April | 7:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
A number of screens will be set up around the venue for viewing. Live commentary can be listened to at the track at supercars.fm. Live timing of all classes can be found on Natsoft.
FAQs:
- Can I bring in food? Yes, in non-breakable containers.
- Can I bring in beverages? Non-alcoholic beverages are permitted, as long as they are not in glass (including bottles) (unless purchased at the Event), cans, ceramic and breakable containers. The seal must not be broken.
- Can I bring alcohol? No, bars are available to purchase alcoholic beverages at the venue.
- Can I bring a chair? Folding chairs and folding stools are allowed.
- Can I bring a sign? Signs, flags and banners must be less than 180cm by 90cm in size and not have handles longer than 50cm.
- Where can I smoke or vape? Designated smoking and vaping areas will be around the venue.
- A full list of prohibited items can be found here.
Around the Grounds & Beyond
There’s plenty to do at the track, and around Taupo, as Supercars make their first appearance in the North Island town.
Official proceedings begin on Thursday afternoon with the Track to Town Parade, where all 24 cars will make their way from Taupo International Motorsport Park at 3.45 pm, heading to Te Atea – Tapuaeharuru, Roberts Street in downtown Taupo.
The cars will travel along Broadlands Road, Tauhara Road, Spa Road, turn left into Tongariro Street, left turn into Roberts Street and park in town for an all-in driver autograph session. There will be free posters available for all during the session.
An assortment of classic cars will also be on display at the Lakefront Reserve.
Merchandise Alley, located at the back of the support paddock, will be open all weekend at Taupo International Motorsport Park.
Driver signing sessions will take place in Merchandise Alley at 11.25 am on Friday, 8.50 am on Saturday and 9.15 am on Sunday. Each session is only 30 minutes, so get there early!
Away from the venue, an off-site fan zone has been set up at the Lakefront Reserve, with a big screen to show the weekend’s action.
A Dinner at the Lake pop-up eatery will be setup at Northcroft Reserve from 4.30 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, with food trucks, seating, heating, live entertainment- and a licensed bar.
Taupo’s Iconic lakeside venue, Two Mile Bay, has partnered with Woodstock for the weekend and will show all the action live.
Penrite Racing, with an all-Kiwi lineup, has established an official watch hub at the Cornerstone Taproom at 5 Tuwharetoa Street in Taupo.
Tickets remain available for country music star Kaylee Bell’s opening night performance at the Great Lakes Centre at 7.30 pm, while Six60’s Saturday show has sold out.
Keep an eye on the sky all weekend, whether you’re at the track or in town, with the RNZAF Black Falcons putting on a display on Saturday and the NZ Warbirds Association doing an aerial demonstration on Sunday.
Sunday morning’s Farmers’ & Craft Market, beginning at 9.00 am at Northcroft Reserve on the lakefront, is also well worth a visit.
The Races
Supercars will race two 60-lap 200 km races over the weekend, with one each on Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying on both days will run as a 15-minute timed session before the Top 10 Shootout and race.
The live pit lane has Red Bull Ampol Racing with the final two garages, ahead of Grove Racing’s Matt Payne and Richie Stanaway.
The weekend will be run on the Dunlop Soft compound, with each team receiving seven sets for the event. The ITM Taupo Super400 is expected to have an average speed of 145km/h.
All drivers are required to complete two compulsory pit stops per race, with no minimum fuel drop for the round.
Rain may be a factor on Friday and Saturday, and the expected tyre wear, combined with weather conditions and slow-speed corners, makes for a high possibility of Safety Car interruptions.
Will Brown currently leads the championship over Red Bull teammate Broc Feeney by 17 points, with veterans Chaz Mostert, Nick Percat and David Reynolds completing the top five.
Five Kiwis will be in the field, with Richie Stanaway ranked sixth, one place ahead of Matt Payne. Andre Heimgartner is 17th, Jaxon Evans is 21st, and Ryan Wood is 24th.
The driver with the highest overall point total for the round will receive the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, which Shane van Gisbergen last won at Pukekohe’s final round in 2022.
The Support Categories
Porsche Carrera Cup will make the trip across the Tasman for the first time, where 19 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Cars are joined by Kiwis Rick Armstrong and Sam Fillmore in the Pro-Am class for a total field of 21.
Harri Jones holds a 35-point advantage over Dale Wood following the opening round in Melbourne, where Kiwi full-time competitors Marco Giltrap and Fabian Coulthard were 10th and 18th, respectively.
The Carrera Cup will race three times, once of Saturday and twice on Sunday, with Sunday’s opener the longer enduro.
Eight Formula Ford titles, including the New Zealand and North Island championships, which will take place simultaneously, will be decided at the ITM Taupo Super400.
The fight for the NZ Championship is tight. Blake Knowles holds a 24-point advantage over Seb Manson, with Will Neale 35 behind in third. With a maximum of 227 points available, six drivers remain in contention, including Mason Potter, Dylan Grant, and Izaak Fletcher.
Five different drivers have the opportunity to win the overall North Island Series title, which is led by Potter by just five over Grant, with Dowdall third and a further 35 points in arrears.
The Toyota 86 Championship will also crown their 2023/24 champion, with another title set to come down to the wire.
Tom Bewley holds a 10-point lead over William Exton at the top of the table, with top rookie Hunter Robb third, an additional 56 points behind.
A field of 21 includes wildcard Ben Stewart, who recently starred in the Trans-Tasman TA2 battle, and a four-strong female contingent led by rising star Alice Buckley from Christina Orr-West.
The Napa Central Muscle Cars will compete in the penultimate round of their season, with the championship to finish at Hampton Downs next month. They’re the only class that will race four times at the ITM Taupo Super400.
Angus Fogg’s iconic Black & Gold J. A. Russell Ltd 1970 Fastback Mustang returns to New Zealand for its first outing on this side of the Tasman in over a year.
Andy Knight currently leads Group 1A championships by 29 points over Shane Holland. Troy Guise leads Group 1B from Barrie Richards.
Track Schedule
| Friday | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9.15-9.35 | Formula Ford | Practice 1 |
| 9.45-10.05 | Toyota 86 | Practice 1 |
| 10.15-10.35 | Central Muscle Cars | Practice |
| 10.45-11.10 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Practice 1 |
| 11.20-11.40 | Formula Ford | Practice 2 |
| 11.50-12.10 pm | Toyota 86 | Practice 2 |
| 12.20-12.40 | Central Muscle Cars | Qualifying |
| 12.55-2:25 | Supercars | Practice 1 |
| 2.40-3.05 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Practice 2 |
| 3.15-3.35 | Formula Ford | Qualifying |
| 3.45-4.05 | Toyota 86 | Qualifying |
| Saturday | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8.35-8.55 | Central Muscle Cars | Race 1 |
| 9.05-9.35 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Qualifying |
| 9.45-10.05 | Toyota 86 | Race 1 |
| 10.20-10.35 | Supercars | Race 7 Qualifying |
| 10.55-11.15 | Formula Ford | Race 1 |
| 11.25-11.45 | Central Muscle Cars | Race 2 |
| 12.00-12.40 | Supercars | Race 7 Top 10 Shootout |
| 1.00-1.20 | Toyota 86 | Race 2 |
| 1.30-1.45 | Supercars | Drivers Parade |
| 1.55-2.20 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Race 1 |
| 3.05 | Supercars | Race 7 |
| Sunday | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8.45-9.05 | Formula Ford | Race 2 |
| 9.15-10.00 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Race 2 |
| 10.10-10.30 | Central Muscle Cars | Race 3 |
| 10.45-11.00 | Supercars | Race 8 Qualifying |
| 11.20-11.40 | Formula Ford | Race 3 |
| 11.50-12.10 | Toyota 86 | Race 3 |
| 12.25-1.05 | Supercars | Race 8 Top 10 Shootout |
| 1.25-1.45 | Central Muscle Cars | Race 4 |
| 1.55-2.20 | Porsche Carrera Cup | Race 3 |
| 3.05 pm | Supercars | Race 8 |
TV Viewing
New Zealand fans are able to tune into all three days of action on Sky Sports. Kayo and Foxtel will broadcast the ITM Taupo Super400 live in Australia.
International fans can tune in with a subscription to Superview.
Milestones
Mark Winterbottom (four), Will Davison (two) and David Reynolds (one) are the only drivers in the 24-car field who have won a Supercars race in New Zealand.
Returning Erebus Motorsport driver Brodie Kostecki will line up for his 100th start in Saturday’s race.
Reynolds will be appearing in his 200th Supercars round, while Sunday’s outing will be Blanchard Racing Team’s 100th outing.
DJR is two wins away from becoming just the third team to reach 150 wins.
What time does the bar open?