An amalgamation between the Counties Racing Club and Auckland Racing Club could pose a risk for the future of motorsport at Pukekohe Park Raceway.
However, Pukekohe Park circuit management is confident that the merger will not affect the track’s operations.
The plan is for the Counties Racing Club (CRC), which own the Pukekohe circuit’s land, to merge with the Auckland Racing Club (ARC) in August.
A meeting to approve the amalgamation was scheduled to occur this month with conditions to be satisfied on July 16.
If the deal goes through, CRC will transfer all its assets, including the race circuit, to ARC as early as August 1.
CRC will dissolve as a club and the two merged clubs will then be renamed the Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Club Incorporated (ATR).
After the amalgamation date, work will begin developing a new, state of the art horse racing facility at Ellerslie, the current base of the ARC.
Horse racing will continue at Pukekohe until the new Ellerslie facility is built. After which, Pukekohe will be used for thoroughbred training and trials.
ATR will then review the viability and value of continuing motorsport activities at the Pukekohe motor racing circuit after the amalgamation date.
This has led to fears in motor racing fans that a review may determine the Pukekohe circuit is no longer considered a valuable asset, which could mean the end of motorsport at the venue.
For several years, discussions have been rife that the circuit is primed for housing developments.
However, leaseholder for motorsport at Pukekohe Park, Gary Stirling, is confident that the amalgamation will not be the end of motor racing at the South Auckland circuit.
“There is no talk about losing the track,” Stirling told Velocity News.
“I have a good relationship with the board and have been kept well informed about everything.
“We are under review every day. So, nothing is new there.”
Stirling has played an important role in recent developments of the Pukekohe circuit, including the complex along the back straight and resurfacing work.
“A lot of the development of the circuit comes out of my pocket,” he said. “If I didn’t see a future in the track in five years, I wouldn’t be putting my money into it now.”
The circuit has been the traditional home of New Zealand’s leg of the Australian Supercars championship. It first held the series between 2001 and 2007, and then again since 2013.
Before that, Pukekohe was the home of the New Zealand Grand Prix and has witnessed countless famed names in motorsport race there, including Graham Hill and Jim Clark.
the end of Puke, as with all things, is inevitable. That its still remains open is more of a surprise to be honest. I thought its days were numbered 15-20 years ago when Hampton Downs was first proposed and now completed. There’s tremendous pressure on the wider community for residential building land and zones along the transport corridor are prime and in the sites of growth. Same applies to Western Springs. History means nothing, sorry, I know its the argument used by many as to why they should continue but the reality is “fit for purpose” means much more than just sentimental wishes and quality of the circuit.
Manfield replaced Levin, as one day Hampton will replace Puke and I imagine Harrisville near Ohakea will eventually replace the Speedway in central Palmerston. Manfield will need careful management in the future as the region, the fastest-growing in NZ, is less and less car focus and more and more families. Currently, the town of Feilding is *happy* with the facility, but the disregard to the consented and permitted boundary noise and activity levels from a certain club and their drift activities is being less well-received. Sound monitoring has detected levels of 130db well beyond the boundary when the permitted level is 95 during class A events only.
As a community of motor-racers and race fans, we need to be mindful we are part of the community not sperate from it.
And NO its not a case of “bought a house next to a race track”
It’s a goat track, and it’s had it’s day…
The vege growers are losing their land to housing… Only time till this paddock is built on too..
Keep Pukekohe track, no matter what it takes, its an Iconic venue. To consider it as a housing development, is just crazy. To loose a piece of history like this should never happen. Look what happened at Mt Maunganui, what a huge loss to the Bay of Plenty. The 2 men that fought to keep Bay Park going have both passed now . RIP Peter Hannah & Bob Friend, you did well.