A number have drivers expressed their support for online racing simulator iRacing to scan Pukekohe Park Raceway before it’s too late.
Following the announcement made last week that all motorsport activity will cease at the historic New Zealand racing circuit from April 2023, a petition to immortalise the track in the online racing simulator was put together.
As of writing, the petition started by James Anderson already has 5836 signatures.
The call for the track to be digitally scanned has also been echoed by a number of New Zealand racing drivers including Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin.
“Pukekohe is where I got my first win in Supercars; won there in front of my home fans, which is amazing,” said the McLaughlin.
“Then had some tremendous championship battles throughout the years, and I watched a Supercar for the very first time there, so that’s sort of where the fire for me burned.
“I wanted to be a race driver from that point when I first saw a Supercar on the hill there at Pukekohe.
“So, it’s sad. Some of these tracks that are built in residential areas, it’s inevitable that’s going to happen, especially in New Zealand or Australia, but unfortunately, it’s the way it goes.
“But we’ve got tremendous memories there that we should all be proud of and enjoy for years to come.
“I just hope iRacing scan it.”
It is worth noting that the Pukekohe circuit already has an online counterpart in the form of a free modification for the Assetto Corsa racing simulator.
The modded circuit is user made and may not fully represent the accuracies gained from a digital scan of the actual track itself. However, it’s still a good rendition of the circuit and offers hours of fun.
If you want to support show your support, the petition can be found here.
