Pukekohe Park Raceway
Pukekohe Park Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Pukekohe, Auckland, Auckland
- Type
- dormant
- Length
- 2.91 km (1.808 mi)
- Turns
- 11
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1963
- Owner
- Auckland Thoroughbred Racing
- Address
- 222-250 Manukau Road
Track map and layout
Pukekohe Park Raceway is closed to motor racing and no longer operates as an active circuit; this describes the layout as it last existed. The final Grand Prix Circuit configuration, used from 2013 to 2023, was 2.91 kilometres with 11 turns, built around a long back straight into the fast, historically feared Rothmans Corner and a tight infield loop threaded inside the horse racing track it shares the site with. The circuit hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix for five decades and later the Supercars Championship's Auckland event, running clockwise for virtually its entire life bar one experimental anti-clockwise meeting in 1966. Earlier, shorter configurations (1963-1966 and 1967-2012) preceded the 2013 reconfiguration that added the infield section. No motor racing has run regularly since 2023, and the venue now hosts only horse racing, aside from a single farewell drift event in February 2026.
Named corners and sections
- Rothmans Corner (later Castrol Corner). A fast, historically feared 90-degree right-hander taken at high speed off the back straight; renamed for sponsorship reasons over the decades but remembered by its original name.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit (2013-2023) | 2.91 km | Final configuration used until motor racing ceased in 2023 |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1967-2012) | 2.82 km | Earlier, shorter configuration without the later infield extension |
| Original Circuit (1963-1966) | 3.54 km | First permanent layout when the circuit opened |
Events and race weekends
Pukekohe Park no longer hosts any recurring motorsport events. It was the long-time home of the New Zealand Grand Prix and, from 2001, an annual round of the Supercars Championship (the Auckland SuperSprint/ITM Auckland 400), but Supercars ran its fifteenth and final Pukekohe round in September 2022 and the circuit's motorsport lease was not renewed after 3 April 2023. The one exception since closure is a single farewell D1NZ National Drifting Championship event confirmed for 13-15 February 2026, using part of the old circuit for what organisers have described as a final drift-racing send-off rather than a return to regular racing.
Getting there and parking
Pukekohe Park sits in the town of Pukekohe on Auckland's southern fringe, about 40 minutes' drive south of central Auckland via State Highway 1 or 22. Auckland Airport is the nearest international gateway and considerably closer than the city centre, making the venue straightforward to reach for anyone flying in, though there is no longer a motorsport reason to visit outside the occasional horse-racing meeting or one-off event such as the 2026 D1NZ drift weekend.
- Auckland Airport (AKL) · about 30 min drive
Hotels and camping near Pukekohe Park Raceway
There is no on-site or trackside accommodation aimed at motorsport visitors, since the venue no longer runs regular motor racing. Visitors attending a horse racing meeting or a one-off event such as the February 2026 D1NZ drift weekend typically base themselves in Pukekohe town itself, which has a small selection of motels, or in central Auckland, about 40 minutes north, which offers far more choice.
Where to look
Pukekohe town motels for a local base, or central Auckland (around 40 minutes north) for a wider range of hotels.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Pukekohe Park has not hosted public track days, driving experiences or club motorsport since its motor racing lease ended in April 2023, and no operator currently runs track days there. The single confirmed exception is the D1NZ National Drifting Championship's farewell round on 13-15 February 2026, a one-off spectator event rather than a participation track day.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supercars Championship | 1:02.3719 | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore (Supercars) | 2019 |
| Australian Drivers' Championship / DP | 0:59.073 | Glenn Smith | Crawford DP03 | 2018 |
| Formula One (New Zealand Grand Prix, earlier layout) | 0:58.900 | Jochen Rindt | Formula One car | 1969 |
Spectator guide
Pukekohe Park is not running any regular spectator motorsport, so there is no current grandstand or viewing guidance to give beyond the one-off D1NZ drift event in February 2026, which organisers have promoted with fan zones, car displays and a market alongside the track action. Horse racing meetings use the course's own grandstand and lawn areas rather than the motor circuit infrastructure.
Weather
- Feb: Auckland late summer: typical highs around 23-24°C, generally dry
History of Pukekohe Park Raceway
From aerodrome to permanent circuit
Motor racing at Pukekohe traces back to the New Zealand Grand Prix, first run in 1954 at the wartime Ardmore Aerodrome. When Ardmore proved unsuitable for a permanent venue, Auckland's racing bodies developed a purpose-built circuit within the existing Pukekohe Park thoroughbred racecourse, which had staged horse racing since 1920. The new road circuit opened in 1963 and hosted its first New Zealand Grand Prix that year, beginning six decades as the country's premier motor racing venue.
Grand Prix, touring cars and Supercars
The original 3.54-kilometre, seven-turn layout was shortened for 1967 to a 2.82-kilometre, eight-turn Grand Prix Circuit that hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix, world championship Formula One drivers on Tasman Series visits, and decades of New Zealand touring car and saloon car racing. A significant reconfiguration for 2013 added an infield loop, extending the lap to 2.91 kilometres and 11 turns and bringing the track up to the standard required for Supercars, which had raced an Auckland round at Pukekohe from 2001 (with breaks) and continued there through to 2022.
Closure and present day
Owner Auckland Thoroughbred Racing ran Supercars' fifteenth and final Pukekohe event in September 2022, then confirmed the circuit's motorsport lease would not be renewed so the site could focus on horse racing and stabling. Motor racing formally ceased on 3 April 2023, ending 60 years of continuous use. Auckland Thoroughbred Racing now runs around a dozen horse racing meetings a year at Pukekohe Park, including the Group 3 TAB Counties Cup each November, and the circuit's tarmac has been used only once since closure: the D1NZ National Drifting Championship negotiated a one-off farewell event for 13-15 February 2026 on part of the old layout, billed by organisers as a final send-off rather than a permanent return to motorsport.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pukekohe Park Raceway still open for motor racing?+
No. Motor racing ceased on 3 April 2023 when owner Auckland Thoroughbred Racing did not renew the circuit's lease, ending 60 years of use. The venue now hosts only horse racing, with a single one-off exception: a farewell D1NZ drift event confirmed for 13-15 February 2026.
Why did Pukekohe Park stop hosting motor racing?+
Owner Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chose to focus the site on its thoroughbred racing and stabling operations, saying motor racing and an expanding horse racing programme could not be run alongside each other on the same grounds.
When did Supercars last race at Pukekohe?+
The Supercars Championship ran its fifteenth and final Auckland round at Pukekohe in September 2022, shortly before the circuit's motorsport lease ended in April 2023.
Is horse racing still held at Pukekohe Park?+
Yes. Auckland Thoroughbred Racing continues to run around a dozen thoroughbred race meetings a year at Pukekohe Park, including the Group 3 TAB Counties Cup each November, and uses the site as a training facility.
How long was the Pukekohe Park circuit?+
The final Grand Prix Circuit configuration, used from 2013 until closure in 2023, was 2.91 km (1.808 mi) with 11 turns.
Can you still visit or drive Pukekohe Park Raceway?+
There are no public track days or driving experiences there now that motor racing has ceased. The only confirmed motorsport activity since 2023 is a one-off D1NZ drifting event in February 2026; otherwise the site is used for horse racing.
Other tracks nearby
- Hampton Downs Motorsport Park · 21 km · road course
- Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park · 194 km · road course
- Taupō International Motorsport Park · 194 km · road course
- Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui · 303 km · street circuit
- Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon · 340 km · road course
- Levin Motor Racing Circuit · 380 km · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 8 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.