‘Gutted’ Organiser Forced To Cancel Previosuly Covid-19 Postponed Car Race Meeting

The organiser of New Zealand’s new NaZCAR 3 and 6-Hour Pro Series motor racing events, Dr Jacob Simonsen, has finally been forced to cancel the third round – which was due to be held at Pukekohe’s Pukekohe Park Raceway this Saturday (Oct 09).

After successfully bedding in the first two rounds of the new ‘everyman’s endurance series’ at Hampton Downs through the winter the third and final round was originally supposed to have been held on Saturday September 04.

By then, however, the Government had thrust New Zealand back into Lockdown in response to the arrival of the Delta strain of the Covid-19 virus here.

Initially Dr Simonsen simply sorted out another date – this Saturday, October 09 – advised everybody involved of the change and figured that there would be ‘plenty of time’ for the number of new daily infections to drop and the Auckland SuperCity (of which Pukekohe and its circuit are a part) would be returned to a level (either 2 or 1) in which a race meeting could go ahead.

Unfortunately that didn’t happen and with no respite in immediate sight Dr Simonsen was forced to pull the pin on this Saturday’s final Pro Series round last Sunday.

“I left it (making the decision to cancel the final round of the series) as late as I could, given the interest in it from across the North Island but also the circumstances, in regard to the number and spread of Covid-19 Delta cases, and in the end calling the meeting off was the right call, and one l had to make.

“I’m gutted that it had to come to this but it is what it is and I can confirm that the Pro Series will be back bigger and better next year.”

With one hard decision made Dr Simonsen is now working on alternative dates for his novelty 24 Hours of NaZCAR event at Hampton Downs which he originally planned to run on Sept 24 and 25 but was also postponed until Thursday and Friday October 21 & 22.

With no clear end in sight for Auckland’s Level 3 status or for the city’s southern border to re-open any time soon Dr Simonsen says he will make an announcement on that meeting before the end of this week,

For more information on either the new NaZCAR Pro Series or the 24 Hours of NaZCAR event go to nazcar.nz or check out the NaZCAR page on Facebook.

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