Richie Stanaway has a 100% winning record; Matt Payne has never turned a lap there while Jaxon Evans has co-driven an Audi R8 around the circuit. All three Kiwi drivers were at the Repco Supercars Championship announcement of the 2026 NZ double-header held at the Euromarque Motorsport Park in Ruapuna, Christchurch on Wednesday afternoon.
The dates have now been confirmed for a historic two-week trans-island motorsport celebration — with Taupō International Motorsport Park and Christchurch’s Euromarque Motorsport Park officially locked in for back-to-back events in April 2026.
Taupō will host the first round from 10–12 April, followed by the inaugural South Island round at Ruapuna, Christchurch from 17–19 April, delivering the first-ever New Zealand Double Header in the Championship’s history.
It’s 17 years ago since Stanaway’s first and only outing on the Christchurch circuit competing in the 2008/09 NZ Formula Ford Championship. Three races and three victories give him a 100% winning record. However, he isn’t anticipating that to continue in April 2026.
“The (Supercars) competition is so close it is difficult to differentiate yourself from the field,” he said. “The level is so high and the margins are so small. It is the small changes that can make a huge difference so attention to detail can make all the difference.”
In 2018 Evans took part in the South Island Endurance Series at Ruapuna. Pairing with local Ben Byers in an older Audi R8, they came in third behind the second placed Aston Martin of Tony Quinn and Damon Leitch. with Neil Foster/Jonny Reid (Audi R8 GT3) taking the win.
Matt Payne didn’t take long to master the Taupo circuit and won the Supercars round there earlier this year. Ruapuna will be a new track for the talented Kiwi.
“I actually have very little experience racing in New Zealand, especially on the South Island tracks,” said Payne.
New Zealand motorsport fans make up 20% of the Supercars following and will be buoyed up by the announcement that Taupō and Ruapuna will share hosting duties for the next three years (2026–2028).
Of the current field of Supercars drivers, Kiwi Andre Heimgartner would have the most experience around Ruapuna.
Three seasons competing in the NZ Formula Ford Championships in a Mygale chassis, including two national titles (2010/2011 and 2011/12), plus competing in the V8 SuperTourers Championship (Holden VE Commodore) and winning the 2017/18 NZ Touring Cars Championship (Toyota Camry V8)- including pole position and three race wins at Ruapuna (January 2018) – easily gives him a local knowledge advantage.
Ryan Wood was the standout driver in the 2021 One-Hour Carter’s Tyre Service South Island Endurance Series, winning all four rounds which also included a round in Christchurch.
Of the other drivers in the Supercars field, David Reynolds has done plenty of laps competing in the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge championship. At the second 2008/09 round in Christchurch, he shadowed Triple X teammate Craig Baird in qualifying and the first two races, then broke through for his debut 2008/09 series win in the action-packed reverse-grid finale.
A year later he qualified quickest and then went on to win all three races, this time finishing ahead of Baird.
Thomas Randle gained a podium at Ruapuna competing in the 2015 Toyota Racing Series. It was the opening round and Thomas went on to finish tenth overall. He made an appearance at the 2016 NZ Grand Prix meeting and then returned to compete in the 2017 series. Christchurch again held the opening round which saw Randle win the second race, going on to win the 2017 title.
Main photo: Left to right – Jaxon Evans, Greg Murphy, Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger, Richie Stanaway and Matt Payne – photo Euan Cameron
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