Taupō International Motorsport Park
Taupō International Motorsport Park at a glance
- Location
- Taupō, Waikato
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 3.321 km (2.064 mi)
- Turns
- 14
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1959
- Owner
- Tony Quinn
- Address
- 463 Broadlands Road
- Phone
- +64 7 376 5033
- Website
- taupomp.co.nz
Track map and layout
The Taupō circuit is a technical, mostly low-speed lap of 3.321 kilometres and 14 turns (seven left, seven right), built around an 830-metre back straight that feeds into a tight Turn 1 hairpin. Supercars officials rate it the slowest-average-speed, highest-percentage-turning circuit on their national tour, rewarding mechanical grip and traction over outright horsepower. It runs counter-clockwise for grip racing, though part of the layout can reconfigure to run clockwise with a dedicated drift section for events such as D1NZ. Naming note: this venue has been rebranded twice since opening as the Taupo Car Club's circuit in 1959 - to Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in November 2015, honouring the New Zealand-born F1 driver and constructor, then, after Tony Quinn bought it in late 2021, to its current name, Taupō International Motorsport Park. "Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park" remains in wide everyday and media use regardless.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Track 1 (current full circuit) | 3.32 km | Standard 14-turn configuration used since 2008 for Supercars, Formula Regional Oceania and national categories |
| International Circuit (2006) | 3.50 km | Longer 17-turn layout used briefly around the 2006 upgrade before the current configuration was settled |
| Original Circuit (1959-2006) | 1.40 km | The Taupo Car Club's original, much shorter layout before the international-standard rebuild |
Events and race weekends
The circuit's biggest weekend is the Supercars Championship's ITM Taupō Super 440, added to the calendar in 2024 and run each April - the series' only regular North Island round since Pukekohe's closure. The Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (the modern continuation of the old Toyota Racing Series) visits in January as part of a Historic Grand Prix weekend that also features vintage single-seaters and touring cars, and the venue runs a full year-round card of New Zealand national championship rounds for GT, touring car and superbike categories, plus its own dragstrip meetings on the adjoining strip.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITM Taupō Super 440 | Supercars Championship | April | Only regular North Island round on the Supercars calendar since Pukekohe closed in 2023 |
| Giltrap Group Taupō Historic Grand Prix | Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy / historic racing | January | Combines a Formula Regional Oceania round with a vintage single-seater and touring car historic meeting |
Getting there and parking
The circuit sits on Broadlands Road about 10 minutes' drive north of Taupō town, in the centre of the North Island. Rotorua Airport, roughly an hour to the north, is the nearest airport with regular domestic flights; Auckland Airport is a substantially longer drive at around three and a half hours, so most visitors either fly into Rotorua or drive up from Auckland or Wellington as part of a wider North Island trip.
- Rotorua Airport (ROT) · about 60 min drive
- Auckland Airport (AKL) · about 210 min drive
Taupō sits centrally on the North Island's main highway network, so a race weekend here works well combined with a wider tour of the central North Island's lakes and thermal attractions rather than as a single-purpose day trip.
Hotels and camping near Taupō International Motorsport Park
Almost all visitors base themselves in Taupō township, a well-established tourist town on the lake shore about 10 minutes' drive from the circuit, with a wide range of motels, hotels and lakefront lodges plus several holiday parks and campgrounds around the lake. There is no dedicated spectator camping or trackside accommodation at the circuit itself, so booking a room or a powered site in town well ahead of Super 440 weekend in April is the standard approach, particularly as Taupō is a popular destination in its own right.
Where to look
Taupō township and the Lake Taupō shoreline, about 10 minutes from the circuit, which has the area's main concentration of motels, hotels and holiday parks.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The venue runs its own regular public track-day programme rather than depending on outside operators. Taupō Auto and Taupō Moto days put visitors' own cars and motorcycles on the full circuit in graded, instructor-supported sessions (motorcycle sessions run in 17-minute stints), and Race Car and Race Bike Test Days give competitors track time to shake down race machinery ahead of meetings. Bookings are made directly through the circuit.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1GP | 1:14.679 | Neel Jani | Lola A1GP | 2008 |
| Formula Regional Oceania | 1:23.095 | Zack Scoular | Tatuus FT-60 | 2026 |
| Supercars Championship | 1:27.3233 | Broc Feeney | Ford Mustang GT (Supercar) | 2026 |
Spectator guide
Because the lap is short, technical and low-speed by Supercars standards, general-admission viewing spots around the Turn 1 hairpin and along the back straight give fans a compact view of close, high-attrition racing rather than the long sightlines of a fast oval-style circuit. Taupō's central-plateau location means race weekends can bring cooler, more changeable weather than coastal North Island venues, so layered clothing is worth packing even in the warmer months.
Best places to watch
The Turn 1 hairpin and the run down the back straight are the main overtaking and braking zones for spectators and photographers.
Weather
- Apr: Taupō autumn: cooler central-plateau climate, mild days with cold mornings and evenings possible
History of Taupō International Motorsport Park
From club circuit to national venue
Motor racing at this Broadlands Road site began in 1959, when the Taupo Car Club built a short, 1.398-kilometre, six-turn circuit on flat land north of Taupō township. For decades it served mainly local and regional club racing rather than international events, but that changed with a major rebuild completed in 2006, which extended the track to international standard and briefly ran a longer 17-turn, 3.5-kilometre configuration before settling into the current 3.321-kilometre, 14-turn Track 1 layout used from 2008 onward.
Two renamings
In November 2015 the circuit was renamed Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, honouring the New Zealand-born racing driver, engineer and founder of the McLaren team, who died in a testing accident in 1970. The tribute coincided with further track upgrades to maintain the circuit's FIA grading. Ownership changed again in late 2021 when Tony Quinn - who also owns Hampton Downs and Highlands Motorsport Park - bought the facility, and it was subsequently rebranded Taupō International Motorsport Park, its current official name, even though "Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park" has stuck in everyday use among fans and media.
Present day
The circuit's profile rose sharply in 2024 when Supercars added a round here, the ITM Taupō Super 440, giving the series its only regular North Island date since Pukekohe Park's closure in 2023. Alongside Supercars each April, the venue hosts the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy and a Historic Grand Prix meeting each January, a full card of national touring car, GT and superbike championship rounds through the year, an adjoining dragstrip, and a regular public track-day programme that lets visitors drive or ride the same circuit the professionals race on.
Frequently asked questions
Is Taupō International Motorsport Park the same as Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park?+
Yes. The circuit opened as Taupō Motorsport Park in 1959, was renamed Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park in November 2015, and took its current name, Taupō International Motorsport Park, in late 2021 after Tony Quinn bought the venue. Many people and some listings still use the McLaren name.
How long is the Taupō circuit?+
The current full layout, Track 1, is 3.321 km (2.064 mi) with 14 turns (seven left, seven right), and has been used since 2008.
Does Supercars race at Taupō?+
Yes. The Supercars Championship added the ITM Taupō Super 440 to its calendar in 2024, run each April, and it is currently the series' only regular North Island round.
Can the public drive or ride the Taupō circuit?+
Yes. The venue runs its own regular Taupō Auto and Taupō Moto track days for members' cars and motorcycles, plus Race Car and Race Bike Test Days, all booked directly through the circuit.
How far is Taupō Motorsport Park from Auckland?+
It is a substantial drive, around three and a half hours south of Auckland. Rotorua Airport, about an hour north, is the nearest airport with regular flights.
Is there camping at the circuit?+
No dedicated spectator or trackside camping is offered at the venue itself; most visitors stay in Taupō township, about 10 minutes away, which has motels, hotels and lakeside holiday parks.
Other tracks nearby
- Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park · 0 km · road course
- Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui · 170 km · street circuit
- Hampton Downs Motorsport Park · 173 km · road course
- Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon · 182 km · road course
- Pukekohe Park Raceway · 194 km · dormant
- Levin Motor Racing Circuit · 231 km · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 8 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.