V8 SuperTourers’ International 500 moves to Pukekohe

V8 SuperTourers’ International 500 moves to Pukekohe

October's International 500km event for the V8 SuperTourer series - set to showcase the talents of some of the biggest names from Australian and US motorsport - is to move venues from Christchurch's Powerbuilt Tools Raceway to Pukekohe Park.

The race will take place over the weekend of October 26-28, one week after the international V8 Supercar race on the Gold Coast, where many of the overseas stars will also be racing. Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and the only woman driver to win two Indy Lights races, Ana Beatriz are just three of the invited USA contingent expected to race at Pukekohe.

Christchurch will now host the V8 SuperTourers grand final on November 24/25, one week before the final round of the V8 Supercar series in Australia. This date change will allow the Canterbury Car Club an extended time frame to complete the planned pit lane garage development, an upgrade seen as essential to attract events of this calibre.

SuperTourer CEP Paul Radisich says the teams have enjoyed the great weather and friendly cooperation of the Canterbury Car Club team over this race weekend and once again it is great to come out of these discussions with a win/win for both parties. This new date allows the Canterbury Car Club to proceed with their popular Wigram Revival meeting which will replace the initial SuperTourer event date.

“Pukekohe works for the series and will also clearly be a circuit where this new breed of V8 racer comes into its own. Pukekohe is, after all, the ancestral home of touring car racing here in New Zealand, hosting the annual Benson and Hedges 500K race for many years, before becoming the New Zealand initial home of the Australian V8 Supercar Series.”

The V8 SuperTourers have been in Christchurch all weekend - attracting big crowds for Round 2 of the Sprint Race Championship. The series is confident that the November grand final will be a huge success. “There is every reason to be confident that many of the superstars who race in the Pukekohe enduro will return for the grand final at the Powerbuilt Tools Raceway” added Radisich.

ENDS

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