NZ F5000 Series In Pole Position At Last Big Meeting Before Pukekohe Circuit Closes For Good

When the news finally broke that New Zealand’s iconic Pukekohe Park Raceway would close in early 2023, rather than being upset by the decision, members of the organising committee of the New Zealand Formula 5000 Association could hardly believe their luck.

As a category with the strongest possible links to the storied Franklin circuit 42km south of Auckland, the committee members were, ‘a little bit’ disappointed that their application for a spot on the support roster at the big ITM Auckland SuperSprint Australian Supercars championship series meeting at the circuit between September 9&11 this year was rejected.

However, any residual disappointment was soon forgotten when the Auckland-based Historic Racing Club invited the F5000 Association to join it in celebrating the career of ‘60s single-seater racing great Jim Palmer at Pukekohe Park Raceway early in the New Year.

And though they were still putting the finishing touches to their 2022/23 SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Series calendar when Paul Wilcox, CEO of the owner of the Pukekohe Park Raceway complex, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Inc (ATR) announced, just over a week ago now, that all motor racing would stop at the iconic venue from April 2022, NZ F5000 Association organising committee member Glenn Ricards says that 1) he was ‘not particularly surprised’ by the decision, and 2) that ‘at least by making and announcing it now potential user groups like ours know exactly where they stood…’

As such the organising committee this week confirmed a five-round domestic calendar for the 20th annual - now SAS Autoparts and MSC-sponsored - NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Serries, which kicks off at the MG Classic meeting at Feilding’s Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in November this year.

The series then resumes with rounds at the Historic Grand Prix meeting at Taupo in late January and the Skope Classic in Christchurch in early February, before the bonus ‘final fling’ round at Pukekohe Park Raceway a fortnight later (and literally just weeks before the gates are closed to all motorsport activity for good) then the ‘final final’ round at the HRC’s big Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs in mid March.

The SAS Autoparts MSC NZ F5000 Tasman Cup Revival Serries is organised and run with the support of sponsors SAS Autoparts, MSC, NZ Express Transport, Bonney's Specialised Bulk Transport, Mobil Lubricants, Pacifica, Avon Tyres, Webdesign and Exide Batteries.

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