New circuit secures key Pukekohe infrastructure

Four buildings previously used at Pukekohe Park will form part of the new Bay of Plenty facility after being purchased from Auckland Thoroughbred Racing.

The structures include the control room, office block, training room and podium building, which had become fixtures of the Auckland circuit.

Originally built during the Hamilton V8 Supercars era, the buildings were later relocated to Pukekohe when the Supercars Championship returned to the track in 2013.

Thunder Ridge founder Tony Roberts said securing the buildings will give the development an immediate boost as planning continues for the new facility at TECT Park.

“They are proven and cost-effective buildings for Thunder Ridge and will allow us to progress significantly quicker,” he said.

“They are a ‘plug and play’ solution for us and of course it’s nice to save not one but two parts of New Zealand motorsport history and for them to live on and carry on being used at the new circuit.”

Roberts said the reuse of the structures also helped shape how the finished venue will look and operate, with the circuit layout already adjusted following feedback on the initial design.

“We have tweaked the design of the circuit following feedback on the original design and now we have the main circuit infrastructure sorted out we are beginning to get a good idea of what the end product will look – and feel like,” he added.

Plans for Thunder Ridge have been progressing since the Western Bay of Plenty District Council approved the project last year, clearing the way for the new venue to be built at the multi-sport TECT Park site between Tauranga and Rotorua.

The 3.2 kilometre circuit is being developed as a hub for grassroots motorsport in the region, which has not had a permanent purpose-built race track for more than three decades following the closure of Bay Park in 1995.

Ground works are scheduled to begin this month, and the project team has established a board of directors bringing together a range of business and motorsport experience to oversee development.

Organisers said multiple private garages for enthusiasts who want regular circuit access have already been sold, alongside enquiries and purchases from expatriate New Zealanders living overseas.

If construction progresses to schedule, Thunder Ridge Motorsport Park could welcome its first track users in early 2027.