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Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport
Andrew van Leeuwen

April date, $5m funding locked in for NZ Supercars return

The Australian series will reinstate its annual trip across the Tasman next season, New Zealand having missed out on a round this year.

That was due to the closure of the Pukekohe circuit, Supercars struggling to find a suitable replacement venue, and secure federal government funding, in time for the 2023 schedule.

Taupo has since been nominated as the new Kiwi home for Supercars, with the date for the 2024 event now locked in – April 19-21.

That will put Taupo among the first handful of races, potentially as the third round after the Australian Grand Prix on March 22-24.

The NZ government also confirmed that $5 million in funding has allocated to the event over the next three years.

"Ever since the first championship event here in 2001, Supercars has become one of New Zealand’s largest attended annual sporting events," said New Zealand Major Events Manager Kylie Hawker-Green.

"After a year’s hiatus we are excited to be able to help reconnect the tens of thousands of fans from across New Zealand with their favourite teams and drivers, as well as welcome thousands of Australian visitors to Taupo and the surrounding regions.

“The government’s Major Event Fund is proud to help lock in the return of Supercars by investing $5 million over the next three ITM Taupo SuperSprints.

“We are confident the Taupo round will add to the rich history of Supercar events in Aotearoa New Zealand."

Newcastle is expected to open the 2024 schedule in early March before the AGP, followed by the likes of Taupo and Perth.

The northern swing to Darwin and Townsville will be during the winter as usual before the likes of Sydney Motorsport Park, Symmons Plains and, potentially, The Bend should the expansion to 13 rounds go ahead.

The exact layout will likely be positioned around the Paris Olympic Games, scheduled for July 26-August 11.

The Sandown 500, the Bathurst 1000, the Gold Coast 500 and the Adelaide 500 will close out the season again.

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