Some of New Zealand’s fastest and most iconic GT and Saloon cars have begun emerging from their sheds in preparation of Pukekohe’s highly anticipated Flying Farewell at the end of this month.
The likes of SuperTourers, Supercars, GT3s and Daytona Prototypes will hit the track for one final time when the Colin Waite Open GT class launches into action over the weekend of 24 to 26 March 2023.
Saloon car racing has been prominent at Pukekohe since its very inception in 1963 with the origins of the Pukekohe 500 founded in the Wills Six-Hour Race.
As motorsport evolved so did the classes and cars which saw the Pukekohe 500 playing host to varying categories as decades progressed.
Whilst the GT machinery of today differs significantly to the Jaguar Mark 2 which won the very first Wills Six-Hour, it’s only fitting that the Colin Waite Open GT class hosts such a diverse range of cars to see out the tenure of a circuit steeped in New Zealand’s motorsport history.
Included in the mix is Glenn Smith’s lap record-breaking Daytona Prototype Crawford Porsche which returns for one final hit out.
Smith’s Crawford set the fastest ever laps recorded around the circuit in 2018, first a 59.073 in April on the chicane layout, followed by a blistering 51.807 in December on the original long back straight layout. Missing Pukekohe’s final event was never an option for Smith who says “[No other tracks] are quite as raw as Pukekohe.”
A second Daytona Prototype will also grace the field as Adam Newell takes the wheel of the equally impressive Crawford Ford.
It wouldn’t be a proper Pukekohe send-off without a strong Ford and Holden presence and the Colin Waite Open GT class has just that, a range of V8s set to represent both manufacturers.
There’ll also be a strong Mazda presence with at least four RX7s on hand to battle it out. The grid is rounded out by an impressive selection of some extremely quick Porsche, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and BMW to create what will truly be a series of incredibly fast races.
The Colin Waite Open GT class will swing into action on Friday with two practice sessions ahead of Saturday morning’s qualifying run and afternoon’s Scratch race.
A new day brings two further races on Sunday, beginning with a handicap race in the morning before a final scratch race that afternoon, the grid set based on points accrued from the previous two runs.
A number of competitors will then return for the track one final time to join forces with several NAPA Central Muscle Cars and Super V8s to compete in the final laps ever of the circuit in the Eric Mallard Fast Forty Flying Farewell.
Main Image: Supplied | Words: Supplied
