Euromarque Motorsport Park
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
| Name = Euromarque Motorsport Park, Ruapuna
| Location = Christchurch, New Zealand
| Coordinates = {{coord|43|31|50|S|172|28|47|E|scale:15000|display=it}}
| Former_names = Mike Pero Motorsport Park (2013–2023)
Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (2004–2013)
Ruapana Park (1963–2003)
| Time = UTC+12:00
| FIAGrade = 3
| Opened = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1963|11}}
| Owner = Canterbury Car Club Inc
| Image = Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Grand Prix Circuit).svg
| Image_caption = Full Circuit (1993–present)
| 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)
| Layout1 = Full Circuit (1993–present)
| Length_km = 3.330
| Length_mi = 2.069
| Turns = 11
| Record_time = 1.15.810
| Record_driver = {{flagicon|NZL}} Scott Dixon
| Record_car = Reynard 92D
| Record_year = 1998
| Record_class = F3000
| Layout2 = Original Circuit (1963–1992)
| Length_km2 = 1.609
| Length_mi2 = 1.000
| Turns2 = 4
| Record_time2 =
| Record_driver2=
| Record_car2 =
| Record_year2 =
| Record_class2 =
}}
Euromarque Motorsport Park{{cite web|url=http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/extras/power_built.php|title=Mike Pero Motorsport Park|publisher=Canterbury Car Club Inc|access-date=16 November 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029072530/http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/extras/power_built.php|archivedate=29 October 2011|df=dmy-all}} (often referred to as Ruapuna) is a permanent motor racing circuit owned and operated by the Canterbury Car Club Inc on land leased from the Christchurch City Council. It is located at 107 Hasketts Road in Templeton, {{Convert|13|km|mi|adj=on}} west of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was opened as Ruapana 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.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.ruapuna.co.nz/about-us/ |website=Euromarque Motorsport Park |access-date=13 February 2023}}
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 from FIA Grade 3 to National grades 1, 2 and 3.
History
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 {{cvt|3.330|km|mi|abbr=on}}, along with other renovations.{{cite web |title=Ruapuna Park |url=https://www.racingcircuits.info/australasia/new-zealand/ruapuna-park.html |website=Racingcircuits.info |access-date=13 February 2023}}
The circuit
The track surface is hot mix bitumen and runs for {{Convert|3.330|km|mi|abbr=on}} in a counter-clockwise direction with many fast sweeping corners. It rewards smooth and tidy drivers.{{cite news |url=http://www.toyotaracing.co.nz/default.aspx?pageid=615&yearflag=2009 |title=On track for competitive driving |publisher=toyotaracing.co.nz |date=n.d. |access-date=10 November 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
It supports six layouts, from the {{cvt|1.200|km|mi|abbr=on}} "A Track" to the {{cvt|3.380|km|mi|abbr=on}} "Grand Prix with dipper".{{cite web |title=Maps |url=http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz/track/maps/ |website=Euromarque Motorsport Park |access-date=22 December 2018}}
The track features on the motorsport racing simulation game Project CARS 2 as Ruapana Park.
=Layout History & Track Configurations=
File:Ruapuna-Park.svg|Original Circuit (1963–1992)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park ('A Circuit' AKA Trioval).svg|'A' Trioval Circuit (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park ('A Circuit' AKA Trioval plus 'Dipper').svg|'A' Trioval Circuit + Dipper (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park ('B Circuit').svg|'B' Circuit (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Club Circuit).svg|Club Circuit (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (outer loop).svg|Outer Circuit (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (Grand Prix Circuit).svg|Grand Prix Circuit (1993–present)
File:Powerbuilt Raceway at Ruapuna Park (longest layout).svg|Long Circuit (1993–present)
File:Ruapuna Circuit Map.jpg|Ruapuna Circuit (Mike Pero Motorsport Park) map
Events
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 of Southern Festival of Speed.
The track hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix in 1998 and 1999. New Zealand born driver Simon Wills won both races in his Reynard 94D.
Naming rights
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. This deal ended in 2023, with Euromarque replacing.
For 10 years before, the naming rights had been held by Powerbuilt Tools.{{Cite web
| title = Mike Pero back in motorsport
| date = 31 October 2013
| url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/sport/motorsport/9348199/Mike-Pero-back-in-motorsport
| access-date = 8 January 2014 }}
Lap Records
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 by Liam Lawson in a Rodin FZED on 21 January 2022.{{Cite web |title=Euromarque Motorsport Park - Lap Records |url=https://www.ruapuna.co.nz/track/lap-records/ |website=Euromarque Motorsport Park |access-date=1 February 2025}} As of February 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Euromarque Motorsport Park are listed as:
Ruapuna Speedway
Adjacent to the main circuit (on the south side) is the Ruapuna Speedway. The track has hosted important motorcycle speedway events, including multiple qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Championship starting in 1976{{cite web |url=https://dlprezes.pl.tl/SPEEDWAY--_--Indywidualne-mistrzostwa-%26%23346%3Bwiata-----------k1-World-Speedway-Championship-k2-.htm |title=World Championship |website=Metal Speedway |access-date=2 February 2024}}{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.org/history/ |title=World Championship | website=Speedway.org |access-date=2 February 2024}} and the New Zealand Solo Championship on 17 occasions from 1965 to 2007.{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/indmnz.php |title=HISTORYCZNE ZESTAWIENIE WYNIKÓW 1929-2023 |website=Speedway History |access-date=2 February 2024}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.canterburycarclub.co.nz Canterbury Car Club Official website]
- [https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Powerbuilt+Raceway+at+Ruapuna+Park,+Christchurch&ie=UTF8&ll=-43.531065,172.480738&spn=0.007389,0.020084&t=k&z=16 Ruapuna Park in Google Maps]
{{Toyota Racing Series tracks}}
{{D1NZ Locations}}