Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna
Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna at a glance
- Location
- Christchurch, Canterbury
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 3.33 km (2.069 mi)
- Turns
- 11
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1963
- Owner
- Canterbury Car Club
- Address
- 107 Hasketts Road, Templeton
- Phone
- +64 3 349 6003
- Website
- ruapuna.co.nz
Track map and layout
The full Grand Prix circuit at Ruapuna is a flat, 3.330-kilometre, 11-turn road course run counter-clockwise on former farmland at Templeton, just west of Christchurch. It grew out of a one-mile, four-turn tri-oval opened in 1963 and was extended to its current shape in a 1993 rebuild, giving it a long main straight into a fast right-hander, a twisting infield, and a return leg that keeps speeds high for a circuit of its size. Seven configurations in total - from a short A trioval to the full Grand Prix and Long circuits - let karts, drag cars and Supercars share one facility. The venue is best known today as Ruapuna, its original local name, even though the title sponsor on the gate has changed more than once. It is owned and run by the Canterbury Car Club on land leased from Christchurch City Council.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit (full) | 3.33 km | 11 turns; used for Supercars, Formula Regional Oceania and national touring cars |
| Long Circuit | 3.38 km | Trioval plus 'the Dipper' section |
| Club Circuit / Outer Circuit / B Circuit / A Circuit | — | Shorter club-racing and track-day configurations, from roughly 1.2 km to 2.3 km |
Events and race weekends
Ruapuna is Canterbury's home of motorsport, hosting the Skope Classic historic meeting and the South Island Endurance Series alongside regular club race days, drag racing, drifting and a racing school. In April 2026 the venue took a historic step up when the Repco Supercars Championship raced there for the first time as the ITM Christchurch Super 440, the series' first-ever South Island round and part of an inaugural New Zealand double-header with Taupo. The circuit has also hosted the Formula Regional Oceania / Castrol Toyota Racing Series in past seasons, though it is not on every year's calendar, and it held the New Zealand Grand Prix itself in 1998 and 1999.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITM Christchurch Super 440 | Repco Supercars Championship | April | First run in 2026 - the Supercars Championship's first-ever South Island race, part of a New Zealand double-header with Taupo |
| South Island Endurance Series round | South Island Endurance Series | — | One of the series' rounds contested across South Island circuits |
| Skope Classic | Historic and classic car racing | — | Two-day historic meeting run at Ruapuna |
Getting there and parking
Ruapuna sits at Templeton on the western edge of greater Christchurch, about 13 km from the city centre and only around 14 minutes' drive from Christchurch Airport, making it one of the most accessible circuits in New Zealand for fly-in visitors. State Highway 1 and the Christchurch Southern Motorway both run close by, so self-driving from the airport or the city is straightforward.
- Christchurch Airport (CHC) · about 14 min drive
For race weekends, arrive early - Ruapuna sits on rural roads around Templeton with limited approach routes, and traffic can back up before big meetings like the Christchurch Super 440.
Hotels and camping near Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna
There is no on-site accommodation or camping at Ruapuna itself, so visitors stay in Christchurch, about 15-20 minutes away, which has by far the widest choice of hotels, motels and apartments in the South Island and is the practical base for any visit. A handful of motels and B&Bs in the outer suburbs and satellite towns around Templeton and Rolleston offer a closer, quieter alternative for those who want to minimise the drive on event mornings.
Where to look
Christchurch city and airport-area hotels (15-20 minutes away, widest choice) or the smaller satellite towns of Rolleston and Templeton for a closer, quieter stay.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Ruapuna hosts regular open-pitlane track days for road-registered cars and motorcycles, run by independent operators who hire the circuit rather than by the venue itself. Christchurch Trackdays runs sessions for drivers wanting to lap their own car in a controlled environment, while V8 SuperDrive has offered self-drive and corporate V8 experience days from the circuit for more than a decade. Car clubs, driver training businesses and the Canterbury Car Club's own race school also use the track through the year.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 3000 | 1:15.810 | Scott Dixon | Reynard 92D | 1998 |
| Toyota Racing Series | 1:17.062 | Lando Norris | Tatuus FT-50 | 2016 |
| Formula Regional Oceania | 1:17.493 | Michael Shin | Tatuus FT-60 | 2024 |
| Supercars Championship | 1:21.925 | Matt Payne | Ford Mustang S650 | 2026 |
Spectator guide
Ruapuna's permanent facilities include two grandstands - the Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme stands - offering around 1,200 seats between them, plus extensive grass banking that Supercars and other national events use to hold much larger crowds. The clubrooms are named after Christchurch-born world champion Chris Amon, reflecting the venue's deep ties to New Zealand's motor racing history. Canterbury's climate is drier and more settled than much of the South Island, though race weekends in autumn (April) can bring cool mornings and the occasional southerly change.
Seating
Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme grandstands, roughly 1,200 permanent seats combined, plus grass viewing areas used for larger events.
Best places to watch
The grandstands opposite the pits give the clearest view of the main straight and start-finish; grass banks around the infield corners suit those chasing overtaking action.
Weather
- Apr: Canterbury autumn: mild days, cool mornings, generally lower rainfall than the West Coast but a southerly change is always possible
History of Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna
From a one-mile road course to Ruapuna
The Canterbury Car Club, formed in 1947, opened its own dedicated circuit at Templeton in November 1963: a one-mile, four-turn sealed tri-oval built on flat farmland west of Christchurch. Drag racing facilities followed in 1976 and clubrooms in 1984, but the defining change came in 1993, when the circuit was substantially rebuilt and extended to its current 3.33-kilometre, 11-turn Grand Prix layout, transforming it from a small local track into a genuine national-standard road course.
A name that keeps changing
The venue was known simply as Ruapuna Park for its first four decades. Powerbuilt Tools took title sponsorship from 2004 to 2013, followed by Christchurch finance and insurance company Mike Pero from 2013 to 2023 as Mike Pero Motorsport Park - the name many New Zealand motorsport fans still use out of habit. In 2023, naming rights passed to Christchurch vehicle retailer Cockram Motor Group's Euromarque brand, and the circuit is now officially Euromarque Motorsport Park, though locals and race broadcasts still refer to it interchangeably as Ruapuna.
National significance
Ruapuna hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix itself in 1998 and 1999, and has been a regular stop for the Toyota Racing Series (now the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy), New Zealand V8s and touring car championships over the decades, alongside an adjacent speedway that has run New Zealand Solo Championship finals and Speedway World Championship qualifiers.
Present day
In April 2026 Ruapuna reached a new milestone when the Repco Supercars Championship raced there for the first time as the ITM Christchurch Super 440 - the category's first-ever South Island event, run as part of an inaugural New Zealand double-header with Taupo. Alongside that debut, the circuit continues to host the Skope Classic historic meeting, South Island Endurance Series rounds, club racing, drag events and a busy calendar of commercial track days, remaining the beating heart of Canterbury motorsport.
Frequently asked questions
Is it called Mike Pero Motorsport Park or Ruapuna Park?+
Both, informally. The circuit's original name is Ruapuna Park, and locals still use it. Mike Pero was the title sponsor from 2013 to 2023; since 2023 the official sponsored name has been Euromarque Motorsport Park.
How long is Mike Pero Motorsport Park (Ruapuna)?+
The full Grand Prix circuit is 3.330 km (2.069 mi) with 11 turns, run counter-clockwise. Shorter club configurations range from about 1.2 km to 2.3 km.
Can the public drive Ruapuna?+
Yes, on open-pitlane track days run by independent operators such as Christchurch Trackdays and V8 SuperDrive, which let drivers lap their own car or a hire V8 in a controlled, non-competitive format.
Has Supercars raced at Ruapuna?+
Yes, for the first time in April 2026, when the Repco Supercars Championship held the inaugural ITM Christchurch Super 440 - the series' first-ever race in New Zealand's South Island.
How far is Ruapuna from Christchurch Airport?+
About 14 minutes' drive, making it one of the more accessible circuits in New Zealand for visitors flying in.
What is the lap record at Ruapuna?+
The outright lap record is 1:15.810, set by Scott Dixon in a Reynard 92D Formula 3000 car in 1998. The Supercars Championship race lap record, set at the circuit's 2026 debut, is 1:21.925 by Matt Payne.
Other tracks nearby
- Timaru International Motor Raceway · 133 km · road course
- Highlands Motorsport Park · 314 km · road course
- Levin Motor Racing Circuit · 396 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon · 446 km · road course
- Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui · 453 km · street circuit
- Teretonga Park · 463 km · road course
Facts checked against 8 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.