Pukekohe round is pivotal for Supercars international status

The International Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is official name of what we refer to as the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. Without a round in New Zealand, currently held at Pukekohe Park Raceway, it would not be known as an international championship and would not run under the FIA as a approved restricted international series.

All Supercars events are conducted under the provisions of the International Sporting Code of the FIA, while the Dunlop Super2 Series is a CAMS National Series (Confederation of Australian Motor Sport Ltd), and runs under the National Competition Rules of CAMS.

There have been many failed attempts to establish the series in other countries including China (2005), Bahrain (2006), the United Arab Emirates (2010) and the United States (2013). (Personally, I never understood why the US would ever want to have a round of Supercars and why they ever went there in the first place.)

This weekend’s ITM Auckland SuperSprint has been a regular part of the championship since 1996 when Kiwi driver Greg Murphy won the event which was held as a one-off non-championship round.

It didn’t return until 2001 when the first championship round in the history of the V8 Supercars not to be contested in Australia, was held at Pukekohe. Again Murphy won the round (all three races), entitled the Boost Mobile V8 International. The event continued each year at Pukekohe until it moved to the Hamilton Street Circuit in 2008 through to 2012. Ironically one of the reasons for moving was the ‘bumpy’ Pukekohe track!

With dwindling crowds and a lack of support from the local Hamilton City Council, the event returned to Pukekohe in 2013 (the bumpy track now was praised for it’s uniqueness). It has successfully remained at Pukekohe since.

The one consistent factor for the International Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has been New Zealand, and why not. It is a great fit for Supercars. Kiwi fans love it, they flock to Pukekohe each year, we have a history of successful drivers, the racing is excellent and Supercars get to call their championship ‘International’.