Pukekohe will host this year’s New Zealand round of the Repco Supercars Championship.
The series thus returns to its traditional home after one year off.
Supercars made the long-awaited announcement today, ending speculation that the event will be re-located to Hampton Downs.
This event marks the 20th anniversary of the Supercars Championship debut at Pukekohe, in what was the first-ever points round to take place outside of Australia.
“This is fantastic news for our New Zealand-based fans and corporate partners,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said.
“We’ve been working closely with Auckland Unlimited and ITM to put this event in place, and we are excited to return to Pukekohe again in 2021.
“Pukekohe holds a special place in Supercars’ history as the first venue to host an international Championship round, which is what we will celebrate this year, 20 years since that spectacular debut.”
Last year, the New Zealand round was hastily moved to Hampton Downs, situated in North Waikato. The cause behind the move was Pukekohe running foul of an Auckland Unitary Plan, which banned racing on public holidays.
However, the Hampton Downs round was then cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
One year later, on the eve of the opening of the Trans-Tasman bubble, Supercars have confirmed that Pukekohe will continue to host the annual Kiwi event.
The Jason Richards Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the winner of the ITM Auckland SuperSprint.
“We look forward to working with local stakeholders over coming months to put together another memorable ITM Auckland SuperSprint.” Auckland Unlimited General Manager Destination Steve Armitage said.
“The return of the ITM Auckland SuperSprint provides yet another reason for visitors from both sides of the Tasman to join Aucklanders at Pukekohe Park Raceway this November.
“The ties between our countries have always run deep but the events of the last year have offered us all a stark reminder of our value to one another. Hosting one of the featured events on the series calendar is a great way to acknowledge this, so we will be setting our sights on a strong turnout from locals and visitors alike.”
Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen is currently dominating the 2021 championship. His win in Tasmania yesterday extending his winning streak to seven consecutive races, including last year’s Bathurst 1000.
In 2019, at the last Pukekohe event, he and Scott McLaughlin claimed one win each.
ITM CEO Darrin Hughes said he was looking forward to welcoming the Supercars field back to New Zealand for the first time since 2019.
“We’re thrilled to host the New Zealand round of the Supercars Championship at the ITM Auckland SuperSprint this November.
“With 11 years of supporting Supercars under our belts, our stores and customers can’t wait to cheer on the (Kiwi!) teams at Pukekohe again.”
The ITM Auckland SuperSprint is scheduled to take place 6-7 November, with tickets going on sale from May 1.
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