New Zealand, it’s been a couple of years but we are back across the ditch for the first time at Taupo International Motorsport Park!
The cars and containers have been flown over by plane and have arrived, and we are ready for a massive weekend!
The tables will be turning this weekend as Chaz Mostert becomes the rookie having never been to the track before whilst NZ born Ryan Wood has frequented the track in his junior career.
Format
It’s a 3-day format, with on-track action kicking off on Friday afternoon for the 90-minute Practice 1.
With two 200km races across the weekend the format remains the same for both Saturday and Sunday with a 15-minute qualifying session in the morning to set the grid for positions 11 – 24.
The top 10 fastest cars secure a ticket to the Top 10 Shootout for a lap around Taupo Motorsport Park to themselves. Lights will go out at 2.05pm for both 60 lap races.
The Track
The track spans over 3.3km, offering a mix of fast straights and tight corners making it a challenging track for drivers.
Keep an eye out for turns 5 and 12 where you will see the best passing opportunities over the weekend. The drivers must be fully focused, especially as they navigate their way through the tricky turns 9, 10 and 11.
Tyres
We will be on the Dunlop Soft tyre this weekend.
Pitstops
There are 2 compulsory pitstops per race this weekend, where cars must change tyres or take on fuel.
It’s a bit different this weekend, there is no minimum fuel drop which we are familiar with during endurance season. It means strategy will be back into play this weekend as the team will need to navigate the best time to pit ensuring they take enough fuel to get the car home.
Weather
It’s forecasted to be raining on Friday and Saturday which means we could have our first wet race of the season.
How to Watch
Every session, every lap, will be live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
For the Kiwi fans, Sky Sports will have you covered across the weekend.
For the full TV guide, please CLICK HERE.
Chaz Mostert
“I love coming to New Zealand, they have some of the most passionate fans, it’s been too long since we’ve been back so let’s put on a show!
“I’ve never raced around here before so I’ll be making sure I am getting up to speed pretty quick during that 90-minute practice session on Friday.
“This will be a weekend filled with unknowns, with two long races we don’t know how the cars will react to this track, but I’ll leave that challenge to the engineers, they’re the smart ones!”
Ryan Wood
“This is such a special round for me, my first home race! To be able to celebrate this big step in my career with my friends and family by my side is pretty choice.
“Taupo International Motorsport Park is such a cool track, I spent quite a bit of time there in my junior career so it’s awesome I get to debut with Supercars here, it’s a full circle moment!
“Growing up, my favourite weekend of the year was whenever Supercars were in New Zealand, it’s pretty surreal that I get to be a part of the show finally, let’s make it one to remember!”