NZ Supercars Return to South Island After 15-Year Wait

New Zealand's motorsport community is celebrating something special: for the first time ever, the Australian Supercars Championship is bringing racing back to the South Island.

The historic double-header event will hit Ruapuna circuit in Christchurch this year, one week after racing in Taupō. It marks only the second time in Supercars history that the championship has held back-to-back rounds outside Australia.

Bathurst 1000 winner Matt Payne visited Ruapuna for the first time this week and immediately saw its potential. "This track is very convenient for viewing and it's definitely going to attract a big audience down here," he said after touring the Euromarque Motorsport Park.

The timing feels almost perfect for both the sport and the city. Christchurch has been starved of major sporting events since the devastating 2011 earthquakes, with few big draws making their way south until now.

Payne believes the South Island's passionate motorsport community has been overlooked for too long. "The South Island is a pretty untapped resource of car nuts," he explained, predicting tickets will sell out fast.

The region backs up his confidence with action, not just words. Four major racing circuits dot the South Island landscape: Ruapuna, Invercargill's Teretonga, Timaru's Levels Raceway, and Highlands Motorsport Park all draw dedicated crowds year-round.

The Ripple Effect

The impact reaches far beyond race weekend excitement. Young Kiwi racers competing in support categories will showcase their skills to influential teams and sponsors watching from across the motorsport world.

Payne and fellow driver Ryan Wood are breathing new life into New Zealand's Supercars presence after Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin left for American racing series. Their competitive performances in 2025, capped by Payne's dramatic Bathurst victory, have pushed Supercars back into mainstream Kiwi sports conversation.

The three-year contract gives Christchurch and the wider South Island a reliable anchor event. With an international airport nearby and the circuit close to the city center, accessibility won't be an issue for fans traveling from across the region.

Support categories will give aspiring young drivers exposure to massive TV audiences and potential sponsors, creating pathways that simply didn't exist before for South Island talent.

After 15 years of waiting, the roar of Supercars engines will finally echo across Canterbury plains, bringing hope, excitement, and economic energy to a region ready to reclaim its place on New Zealand's sporting map.