Pukekohe Park Raceway

The Raceway was opened in 1963 as a permanent track, replacing Ardmore Aedrorome as the host circuit of the New Zealand Grand Prix. Annually for several years, the mainly European based Grand Prix drivers such as Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart, would head downunder for a relaxed Tasman Series during the European winter.

For many years Pukekohe was the venue for New Zealand's premier production car race, the Benson and Hedges 500 mile race (later 1000 km) featuring drivers such as Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Jim Richards. In 1996 the New Zealand Mobil Sprints held one round in Pukekohe. Pukekohe Park Raceway also held an annual round of the popular Australian V8 Supercar race from 2001 to 2007. However, the New Zealand round moved to Hamilton Street Circuit in 2008. On 5 July 2012, it was announced that V8 Supercars would return to the circuit in 2013 as part of a 5-year deal with the circuit operators following a series of upgrades to accommodate for the series' return.

The changes to the track included a series of corners before the hairpin turn, meaning safer, slower races.[2] The upgrades also included a new race control building, timing building and corporate viewing facility opposite the main grandstand as well as the addition of overhead pedestrian bridges.[3]

In the centre of the circuit there is a thoroughbred training centre, which dictates the use of the site as it owned by the Counties Racing Club Inc. The club is host to 14 horse race meetings a year and is used six days a week as a stables and training facility.

On 20 July 2022, Pukekohe Park announced that it would cease hosting motorsport events on 3 April 2023, citing a desire to focus on its horse racing events and club facilities.[4][5]

On 8 September 2022, iRacing announced that Pukekohe Park would be laser scanned and digitally preserved for sim racing after an online petition was launched.[6] Over 7,000 digital signatures were collected and the petition gathered support from the "King of Pukekohe" Greg Murphy and three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin, both former Supercars race winners at Pukekohe.

The New Zealand Grand Prix has been held at Pukekohe on 29 occasions, the first being in 1963, and the last to date being held in 2000. Between 1964 and 1975, the NZ Grand Prix at the circuit was also a round of the Tasman Series. Winners of the NZ Grand Prix at Pukekohe include Kiwis Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Craig Baird, and Paul Radisich, internationals such as Australian Frank Gardner, Italian Teo Fabi, and Brazilian Roberto Moreno, as well as Formula One World Champions John Surtees, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Keke Rosberg (Rosberg's wins in 1977 and 1978 were before his World Championship win in 1982).

Year	Driver	Car	Entrant
1963	John Surtees	Lola Mk4	Bowmaker-Yeoman Credit Team
1964	Bruce McLaren	Cooper T170	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing
1965	Graham Hill	Brabham BT11A	Scuderia Veloce
1966	Graham Hill	BRM P261	Owen Racing Organisation
1967	Jackie Stewart	BRM P261	R.H.H. Parnell
1968	Chris Amon	Ferrari 246T	Chris Amon
1969	Chris Amon	Ferrari 246T	Scuderia Veloce
1970	Frank Matich	McLaren M10A	Rothmans Team Matich
1971	Niel Allen	McLaren M10A	N.E. Allen Auto Indust. (Pty) Ltd
1972	Frank Gardner	Lola T300	Lola Cars Ltd
1973	John McCormack	Elfin MR5	Ansett Team Elfin
1975	Warwick Brown	Lola T332	BDS Racing
1976	Ken Smith	Lola T332	Ken Smith
1977	Keke Rosberg	Chevron B34	Fred Opert Racing
1978	Keke Rosberg	Chevron B34
1979	Teo Fabi	March 79B
1980	Steve Millen	Ralt RT1
1981	Dave McMillan	Ralt RT1
1982	Roberto Moreno	Ralt RT4	Goold Motorsport
1983	David Oxton	Ralt RT4
1984	Davy Jones	Ralt RT4
1985	Ross Cheever	Ralt RT4
1986	Ross Cheever	Ralt RT4
1987	Davy Jones	Ralt RT4
1988	Paul Radisich	Ralt RT4
1989	Dean Hall	Swift Cosworth
1990	Ken Smith	Swift Cosworth
1991	Craig Baird	Swift Toyota
2000	Andy Booth	Reynard 94D	NRC International

View from Ford Mountain during the 2006 V8 Supercars Round

In 2008 the Supercars Championship round in New Zealand moved to the Hamilton Street Circuit so Pukekohe held its final event on the weekend of 20–22 April 2007. In 2013 Supercars returned to Pukekohe after the Auckland government confirmed that stakeholders would put $6.6 million into making the circuit more suitable for Supercars. These upgrades include a new chicane on the back straight, more pedestrian bridges and a makeover of the circuit's appearance.

The fastest official race lap records at the Pukekohe Park Raceway are listed as:

Category	Time	Driver	Vehicle	Date
Grand Prix Circuit: 2.910 km (2013–2023)
DP	0:59.073[7]	Glenn Smith	Crawford DP03	1 April 2018
Formula Regional	0:59.995[8]	Liam Lawson	Tatuus FT-60	9 February 2020
Supercars	1:02.3719[9]	Jamie Whincup	Holden ZB Commodore	15 September 2019
Formula 4	1:06.4810[10]	Ryan Suhle	Mygale M14-F4	4 November 2018
Toyota 86 Championship	1:14.970[11]	Ash Blewett	Toyota 86	8 November 2015
Grand Prix Circuit: 2.820 km (1967–2012)
DP	0:51.807[12]	Glenn Smith	Crawford DP03	9 December 2018
Formula Holden	0:53.587	Matt Halliday	Reynard 95D	2 December 2000
Formula 5000	0:54.980[13]	Michael Collins	McRae GM1	26 February 2023
Supercars	0:56.0781[14]	Greg Murphy	Holden VZ Commodore	16 April 2005
Formula One	0:58.900	Jochen Rindt	Lotus 49T	4 January 1969
Group A	0:59.840[15]	Jim Richards	Nissan Skyline (BNR32) GT-R	8 December 1991
Super Touring	1:02.360[16]	Paul Radisich	Ford Mondeo Si	12 December 1993
Group B	1:04.340[16]	Owen Evans	Porsche Carrera RS	12 December 1993
Group N	1:09.070[16]	Craig Baird	BMW 325i Coupé	12 December 1993
Original Grand Prix Circuit: 3.540 km (1963–1966)
Formula One	1:25.700	Graham Hill	BRM P261	8 January 1966

• Pukekohe Park
• Official Website of V8 race
• NZV8s' Pukekohe Park Raceway info
• 2012 Upgrades (for April 2013 V8 Supercars)