Final lap for racers at Pukekohe Park

The motoring community says goodbye to the “home of motorsport New Zealand” at Pukekohe Park’s Flying Farewell event.

The Pukekohe Park racetrack is closing after 60 years of service to race car drivers and enthusiasts alike.

The track opened in 1963 to host the New Zealand Grand Prix and has since become a staple of the motorsport community in Aotearoa, known for its infamously tough hairpin corner.

Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Series driver Steven Spear says the track has meant a lot to him.

Spear says everyone in the racing community is disappointed about the closure.

“We’re really questioning how this actually happened.”

Newcomer to the Mazda Series Phil Clemas says his racing experience at Pukekohe Park has been memorable.

“I think you can never forget your first race at Pukekohe.”

He says the weekend has been an incredibly special time for him and his community.

“We feel very privileged to be part of history really, in the final racing event here at this track.”

It was announced in July 2022 that Pukekohe Park would close its motorsport circuit to allow for Auckland Thoroughbred Racing to expand.

The park is Auckland’s only publicly owned racetrack, and its closure means the motorsport community will be travelling elsewhere to race.

“We race at Hampton Downs, at Taupō, at Manfield down near Palmerston North, and then we have some racing down in the South Island,” says Clemas.

“We still have options, but ‘Puke’ is special, and its closest to home.”

New Zealand motorsport legends such as Bruce McLaren, Scott Dixon, and Chris Amon all famously hit the Pukekohe track at the start of their careers.

The Flying Farewell event saw muscle cars, V8 supercars, Mazdas, super trucks, and more take to the track for one last race, as well as a vast range of offtrack entertainment such as motorcycle stunts, a luxury car show, and merchandise.

The track will be preserved by iRacing as an online e-sports simulator.