![]() Full Circuit (1993–present) | |
Location | Christchurch,New Zealand |
---|---|
Time zone | UTC+12:00 |
Coordinates | 43°31′50″S172°28′47″E / 43.53056°S 172.47972°E /-43.53056; 172.47972 |
FIA Grade | 3 |
Owner | Canterbury Car Club Inc |
Opened | November 1963; 61 years ago (1963-11) |
Former names | Mike Pero Motorsport Park (2013–2023) Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (2004–2013) Ruapana Park (1963–2003) |
Major events | Former: FR Oceania (2005–2006, 2008, 2015–2018, 2024) Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 Championship (2015–2018, 2022, 2024) Lady Wigram Trophy (2003–2004, 2006–2012, 2015–2018) New Zealand Grand Prix (1998–1999) New Zealand V8s (2002, 2004–2011, 2015–2018) V8SuperTourer (2012) |
Full Circuit (1993–present) | |
Length | 3.330 km (2.069 miles) |
Turns | 11 |
Race lap record | 1.15.810 (![]() |
Original Circuit (1963–1992) | |
Length | 1.609 km (1.000 miles) |
Turns | 4 |
Euromarque Motorsport Park[1] (often referred to asRuapuna) is a permanentmotor racing circuit owned and operated by the Canterbury Car Club Inc on land leased from theChristchurch City Council. It is located at 107 Hasketts Road inTempleton, 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) west ofChristchurch,New Zealand. It was opened asRuapana Park in 1963, and between 2004 and 2013 was known as Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park.Mike Pero joined the circuit as title sponsor from 2013–2023, as Mike Pero Motorsport Park. In the early parts of February 2023, the sponsorship deal was over, and Euromarque became the new title sponsor.[2]
The track also features a drag strip, pit garages, racing school, speedway circuit and even a radio controlled car circuit. There are a number of configurations of the circuit with licences fromFIA Grade 3 to National grades 1, 2 and 3.
The track was opened in November 1963. The circuit was a fairly simple sealed surface road course, at just a mile in length and comprising essentially a flat tri-oval with an extended main straight down to a hairpin bend. In 1976 the main straight was widened and a staging area added to allow drag racing to take place. The biggest change in the circuit's history came in 1993 when it was extended to 3.330 km (2.069 mi), along with other renovations.[3]
The track surface is hot mix bitumen and runs for 3.330 km (2.069 mi) in a counter-clockwise direction with many fast sweeping corners. It rewards smooth and tidy drivers.[4]
It supports six layouts, from the 1.200 km (0.746 mi) "A Track" to the 3.380 km (2.100 mi) "Grand Prix with dipper".[5]
The track features on the motorsport racing simulation gameProject CARS 2 as Ruapana Park.
The circuit hosts both 2 and 4 wheeled events. The "Skope Classic" is a major annual event held at the track. The two-day-event includes practice and racing on Saturday and racing in classes on Sunday for classic and historic cars. It is one of the events ofSouthern Festival of Speed.
The track hosted theNew Zealand Grand Prix in 1998 and 1999.New Zealand born driverSimon Wills won both races in hisReynard 94D.
Since 2013, Mike Pero, founder of Mike Pero Mortgages and Real Estate, had a naming rights sponsorship deal to Ruapuna, which was known as Mike Pero Motorsport Park.[6] This deal ended in 2023, with Euromarque replacing.
For 10 years before, the naming rights had been held by Powerbuilt Tools.[6]
The official lap record for the Euromarque Motorsport Park is 1:15.810, set by Scott Dixon on 5 December 1998. While the unofficial all-time track record is 1:11.265, set byLiam Lawson in a Rodin FZED on 21 January 2022.[7] As of February 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Euromarque Motorsport Park are listed as:
Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Full Circuit: 3.330 km (1993–present)[3] | ||||
Formula 3000 | 1:15.810[7] | ![]() | Reynard 92D | 5 December 1998 |
Toyota Racing Series | 1:17.062[7][8] | ![]() | Toyota FT-50 | 16 January 2016 |
Formula Regional | 1:17.493[7][9] | ![]() | Tatuus FT-60 | 11 February 2024 |
Formula 5000 | 1:17.588[7] | ![]() | Eagle FA-74 | 2 February 2014 |
Formula 3 | 1:18.099[7] | ![]() | Dallara F301 | 25 January 2004 |
GT3 | 1:18.742[7] | ![]() | Audi R8 LMS GT3 | 8 September 2023 |
Formula Atlantic | 1:20.143[7] | ![]() | Swift DB4 | 3 November 2013 |
Porsche Carrera Cup | 1:22.204[7] | ![]() | Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup | 9 September 2023 |
V8SuperTourer | 1:24.478[7] | ![]() | Holden Commodore (VE) | 25 November 2012 |
Trans-Am Australia | 1:26.390[10] | ![]() | Dodge Challenger[11] | 11 February 2024 |
NZ Touring Cars (TLX) | 1:26.813[7] | ![]() | Toyota Camry | 17 January 2015 |
NZ Touring Cars (TL) | 1:30.122[7] | ![]() | Ford Falcon (BA) | 28 November 2010 |
Toyota 86 Championship | 1:35.846[7][12] | ![]() | Toyota 86 | 18 January 2015 |
Adjacent to the main circuit (on the south side) is the Ruapuna Speedway. The track has hosted importantmotorcycle speedway events, including multiple qualifying rounds of theSpeedway World Championship starting in 1976[13][14] and theNew Zealand Solo Championship on 17 occasions from 1965 to 2007.[15]