Timaru International Motor Raceway
Timaru International Motor Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Timaru, Canterbury
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 2.4 km (1.491 mi)
- Turns
- 10
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1967
- Owner
- South Canterbury Car Club
- Address
- 418 Falvey Road
Track map and layout
Timaru International Motor Raceway - almost always called Levels, after its original name Levels Raceway - is a flat, 2.400-kilometre, 10-turn road course on farmland at Washdyke, just outside Timaru, run counter-clockwise on a hard chip-tarmac surface that is notably tough on tyres and brakes. It opened as a 1.6 km, seven-turn circuit in November 1967 and grew to its current long-circuit length in 1988, when a new loop was added at the northern end. A separate short circuit of 1.6 km with around eight turns is retained for motorcycle racing, club events and drag racing down the main straight, so the venue effectively runs two distinct configurations depending on the meeting. The layout was FIA Grade 3-rated until that international grading lapsed in the early 2020s; today it operates primarily for national and club-level competition.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Long Circuit | 2.40 km | Current main circuit, 10 turns, used for car racing including the South Island Endurance Series |
| Short Circuit | 1.60 km | Retained largely for motorcycle racing, club meetings and drag racing |
Events and race weekends
Levels' biggest annual fixtures come from the South Island Endurance Series, which the circuit has hosted for one-hour and three-hour multi-class races, and the South Canterbury Car Club's own busy club calendar of circuit racing, driver training and drag events run down the main straight. The venue also hosts the Southern Classic historic and classic-car meeting and has in the past run rounds of the NZ Super Truck Championship. Levels dropped off the South Island Endurance Series calendar for a season before returning for the series' opening round in September 2026, reflecting its role as a rotating rather than fixed annual host for some national series.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Island Endurance Series round | South Island Endurance Series | September | Levels returned to the calendar for round 1 of the 2026 season on 18-19 September after a year's absence |
| Southern Classic Meeting | Historic and classic car racing | — | Run by the Classic Motor Racing Club |
Getting there and parking
Levels sits at Washdyke on Falvey Road, about 8 km (10 minutes) north of central Timaru, and is reachable via State Highway 1 or the Timaru-Pleasant Point Highway. Timaru's own airport, Richard Pearse Airport, is only about five minutes from the circuit and has regular domestic flights, mainly to Wellington, making it a genuinely convenient fly-in option for a mid-South Island circuit.
- Richard Pearse Airport (TIU) · about 5 min drive
Richard Pearse Airport's schedule is limited compared with Christchurch or Dunedin, so check flight times against the raceway's event schedule before booking if flying in directly.
Hotels and camping near Timaru International Motor Raceway
There is no on-site camping or accommodation at Levels itself, so visitors stay in Timaru, about 10 minutes south, which has a solid range of motor lodges, motels and apartments for a regional city of its size, including options close to the town centre and the harbour. There is no need to book as far ahead as for the bigger North Island venues, though rooms do tighten up around the South Island Endurance Series and other headline meetings.
Where to look
Timaru township, about 10 minutes from the circuit - a range of motor lodges and motels, with some harbour-view options a little further into town.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Levels runs a regular programme of track days and driver-training sessions organised by the South Canterbury Car Club, alongside its club racing and drag meetings. These are scheduled through the club's own calendar rather than by a large commercial operator network, so the offering is smaller in scale than at the bigger North Island circuits, but it gives South Canterbury drivers regular access to lap their own cars in a controlled environment.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula Holden (Long Circuit) | 0:56.260 | Greg Murphy | Reynard 92D | 1995 |
| Toyota Racing Series (Long Circuit) | 0:57.693 | Jann Mardenborough | Tatuus TT104ZZ | 2014 |
| Formula Ford (Short Circuit) | 0:43.721 | James Munro | Mygale SJ08a | 2012 |
Spectator guide
Levels is a compact, flat venue with viewing mostly from grass banks and trackside areas around the pit straight and the tighter northern loop, rather than large permanent grandstands. It suits fans who want to move around the circuit through a meeting rather than watch from one fixed seat. South Canterbury's climate is generally drier and more settled than the West Coast, though race weekends can still bring a stiff Canterbury nor'wester.
Best places to watch
The pit straight and the tighter turns of the northern loop added in 1988 give the best combination of passing action and visibility.
Weather
- Sep: South Canterbury early spring: cool mornings, changeable weather, and the chance of a strong nor'west wind
History of Timaru International Motor Raceway
Levels Raceway is born
The South Canterbury Car Club, formed in 1947, opened its own permanent circuit at Washdyke, just outside Timaru, in November 1967. The original 1.6 km, seven-turn layout gave the club a home venue after years of racing on temporary and public-road circuits around South Canterbury, and it quickly became known simply as Levels, after the surrounding Levels Plain.
Growing the circuit
In 1988 the club extended the track with a new loop at its northern end, lifting the main circuit to its current 2.4 km, 10-turn configuration while retaining the original 1.6 km layout as a short circuit, still used today mainly for motorcycle racing and drag events down the main straight. The venue was later formally renamed Timaru International Motor Raceway to reflect its ambitions as a national and occasionally international-standard facility, though the Levels name has never gone away and remains the one most South Island motorsport fans use.
National racing years
Through the 2000s and into the 2010s, Levels held an FIA Grade 3 licence and was a regular stop on New Zealand's national single-seater and touring car calendars, hosting the Toyota Racing Series from 2005 to 2014 and New Zealand V8 Touring Cars across a similar period. That international grading lapsed in the early 2020s, and the circuit's focus since has shifted more towards South Island club and regional competition.
Present day
Today Levels is run by the South Canterbury Car Club for a season of club racing, driver training and drag events, and it remains part of the rotating cast of venues for the South Island Endurance Series, returning to host round one of the 2026 series in September after sitting out the previous year. Its role today is as a genuine grassroots South Island circuit - smaller in scale than Ruapuna or Highlands, but still central to keeping motorsport alive in South Canterbury.
Frequently asked questions
Is it called Levels Raceway or Timaru International Motor Raceway?+
Both refer to the same venue. Levels Raceway (or just Levels) was the circuit's original name and is still what most people call it; Timaru International Motor Raceway is the more formal name used in official listings.
How long is Levels Raceway?+
The long circuit is 2.400 km (1.491 mi) with 10 turns, run counter-clockwise. A shorter 1.6 km circuit is retained mainly for motorcycle and drag racing.
Can the public drive Levels Raceway?+
The South Canterbury Car Club runs track days and driver training sessions through its own calendar, giving members and visiting drivers access to lap the circuit in a controlled, non-competitive format.
Where is the nearest airport to Levels Raceway?+
Richard Pearse Airport in Timaru is about five minutes from the circuit and has regular domestic flights, mainly to Wellington.
Does Levels Raceway host the South Island Endurance Series?+
Yes, though not every year - the circuit is one of several rotating South Island venues for the series and returned to host round one of the 2026 season on 18-19 September after a year's absence.
What is the lap record at Levels Raceway?+
On the long circuit, the race lap record is 0:56.260, set by Greg Murphy in a Reynard 92D Formula Holden car in 1995.
Other tracks nearby
- Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna · 133 km · road course
- Highlands Motorsport Park · 182 km · road course
- Teretonga Park · 331 km · road course
- Levin Motor Racing Circuit · 527 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon · 576 km · road course
- Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui · 579 km · street circuit
Facts checked against 7 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.