Following an agreement with the owners of Pukekohe Park Raceway, it has been reported that the track will be preserved in online racing simulator iRacing.
As we head into the final Supercars race weekend at Pukekohe before it shuts its doors to motorsport in 2023, we now know we’ll at least be able to race around the track in the virtual world.
To recreate the track in the simulator, it will be laser scanned by iRacing themselves. Accuracy is something the game’s creators do well with the likes of the Supercars Eseries using the platform for its official races.
Earlier this year when the announcement was made that the circuit would be ceasing motorsport activity, a petition launched by James Anderson quickly garnered support and now has over 7000 signatures.
Local legends Scott McLaughlin and Greg Murphy also expressed their support for the petition.
Many circuits around the world have also experienced similar situations, some not so lucky enough to be captured before their demise. However, iRacing managed to save Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway before it was converted into housing in 2010.
“Within a few hours of the announcement about Pukekohe Park’s repurposing, we reached out to iRacing to scan the circuit and they agreed almost immediately,” MotorSport New Zealand CEO, Elton Goonan said speaking with Supercars.
“While we were working in the background, the petition and campaign of James Anderson, a passionate fan and sim racer, certainly helped get this across the line.”
A release date has yet to be announced for the track as laser scanning still needs to take place.
Main image: Pukekohe Motorsport
