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Taupo Supercars crowd drop

Payne flying at Taupo

By Thomas Miles

Almost 16,000 fewer people witnessed the return of Supercars to Taupo compared to the inaugural race 12 months earlier, but the CEO is not concerned.

The inaugural Supercars meeting held at the picturesque Taupo Motorsport Park was a massive success, attracting a sell-out crowd of 67,111 across three days.

Not even constant rain on Saturday could stop the hardy Kiwi souls from getting their first glimpse of Supercars in two years and just second round in the space of five.

However, the attendance was noticeably smaller when Supercars returned to the twisty 3.32km circuit a year later.

Despite perfect blue skies and home hero Matt Payne lifting the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, the official crowd figure for the 2025 Taupo Super440 was 51,454.

Some seats on the edges of the grandstands were more empty compared to last year.

However, the figure still ensures Supercars is one of the highest attended events held annually in New Zealand with only the big All Blacks games coming close to rivalling it.

During the glory days of Pukekohe, more than 100,000 fans flooded through the gates across the three days.

Despite the reduced 2025 attendance, Supercars CEO Shane Howard was full of praise.

“This weekend has been another incredible showcase of New Zealand’s love for motorsport. The passion and knowledge of the fans here is second to none, and it was on full display from the moment the gates opened on Friday.

“The new Super440 format delivered some of the closest racing we’ve ever seen in New Zealand, and the support for our Kiwi stars, especially the reaction when Matt Payne claimed the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, made for an electric and emotional atmosphere.

“To all of the fans, the Taupō community, Taupō Council, the New Zealand Government, our teams, sponsors, broadcasters, and volunteers — thank you for your support in making the ITM Taupō Super 440 another world-class event.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with New Zealand’s motorsport community and we look forward to returning in 2026 for another unforgettable chapter.”

The enthusiasm for Supercars still remains extremely strong in New Zealand with talk of a second round only intensifying.

Image: Mark Horsburgh

Taupo Super440

Practice 1 – 1: A. Heimgartner 1:26.8830 2: Anton De Pasquale +0.0258 3: Matt Payne +0.0830

Practice 2 – 1: Ryan Wood 1:25.9778; 2: Brodie Kostecki +0.0435; 3: Thomas Randle +0.0838

Race 8 Qualifying – 1 Matt Payne 1:25.7006; 2 Brodie Kostecki +0.0705; 3 Cameron Waters +0.1646

Race 9 Qualifying: 1 Brodie Kostecki 1:26.3482; 2 Chaz Mostert +0.0712; 3 Broc Feeney +0.1939

Race 8 (37 laps) 1 Matt Payne 2 Cameron Waters 3 Ryan Wood

Race 9 (37 laps) 1 Chaz Mostert WAU 37 56.14; 2 Will Davison DJR 37 +6.4763; 3 Brodie Kostecki DJR 37 +9.1911

Race 10 Qualifying 1 Brodie Kostecki 1:25.6303; 2 Cameron Hill +0.0122; 3 Anton De Pasquale +0.1009

Top 10 Shootout 1 Brodie Kostecki 1:25.7052; 2 Anton De Pasquale +0.1677; 3 Ryan Wood +0.1947

Race 10 (61 laps) 1 Matt Payne 2 Cameron Hill +3.1941 3 Chaz Mostert +8.2887

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