The Repco Supercars Championship will make history this weekend when the championship holds a race at Taupō International Motorsport Park for the first time in its history.
 
Serving as the third round of the 2024 season, the Supercars show has landed on the other side of the Tasman Sea for the highly anticipated ITM Taupō Super400.
 
And while the main action will take place on Saturday and Sunday with a 200km race to occur on each day, teams and drivers will get their first proper feel of the track on Friday with a 90-minute session.
 
New Zealand has long been a part of the Supercars fixture, but with Taupō being a completely new circuit for many of the championship’s drivers – there will be plenty of unique strategies at play for when battling for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. 
 
Expected to be the slowest track on the calendar, with 75 per cent of the lap spent turning – tyre degradation is going to be a major talking point throughout the week – and the team that manages their seven sets of Dunlop Soft tyre compound the best may enjoy the best results. 
 
With drivers also required to take two compulsory pit stops, tyre degradation, a dirty surface and refuelling leaves a number of different strategies available to teams. 
 
However, the most notable narrative likely to come out of this weekend is the results of reigning champion Brodie Kostecki.
 
The West Australian has missed the opening two rounds of the 2024 season but was solidly deputised by Todd Hazelwood, before announcing a return to Erebus Racing for this weekend.
 
Kostecki will run the number one plate and with that honour, he will be itching to start his campaign on a high with the hopes of having a big impact on the championship.
 
One driver who will be keen for a big weekend will be David Reynolds. 
 
The popular Team 18 driver is enjoying life in his new team and sits fifth on the outright standings as a result, thanks to two good performances in the opening rounds.
 
And this weekend, he will notch up a major milestone in his career – his 200th round start.
 
In addition to Supercars, there is a bumper support bill on the cards, with categories both from Australia and New Zealand, including the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia.  
 
Australian Supercars fans will be able to watch all the action unfold live via Foxtel and Kayo.
 
The ITM Taupō Super400 takes place at Taupō International Motorsport Park on 19-21 April.

Schedule

Friday 19 April
10:55am – 12:25pm: Practice one
 
Saturday 20 April
8:20am – 8:35am: Qualifying (Race 7)
10:00am – 10:40am: Top 10 Shootout (Race 7)
1:05pm – 3:05pm: Race 7
 
Sunday 21 April
8:45am – 9:00am: Qualifying (Race 8)
10:25am – 10:40am: Top 10 Shootout (Race 8)
1:05pm – 3:05pm: Race 8

*All times are in AEST 
 
View the full event schedule.

Support categories

New Zealand Formula Ford
Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia
Toyota 86 Championship New Zealand
Central Muscle Cars
 

Championship Top 10 after MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint

Will Brown – 575 points
Broc Feeney – 558
Chaz Mostert – 478
Nick Percat – 405
David Reynolds – 358
Richie Stanaway – 352
Matthew Payne – 333
Thomas Randle – 304
Todd Hazelwood – 303
Will Davison – 303
Mark Winterbottom – 303

Entry list

Erebus Motorsport
#1 Chevrolet Camaro – Brodie Kostecki
#9 Chevrolet Camaro – Jack Le Brocq

Walkinshaw Andretti United
#2 Ford Mustang GT – Ryan Wood
#25 Ford Mustang GT – Chaz Mostert
 
Blanchard Racing Team
#3 Ford Mustang GT – Aaron Love
#7 Ford Mustang GT – James Courtney
 
Matt Stone Racing
#4 Chevrolet Camaro – Cameron Hill
#10 Chevrolet Camaro – Nick Percat
 
Tickford Racing
#6 Ford Mustang GT – Cameron Waters
#55 Ford Mustang GT – Thomas Randle
 
Dick Johnson Racing
#11 Ford Mustang GT – Anton De Pasquale
#17 Ford Mustang GT – Will Davison
 
Brad Jones Racing
#8 Chevrolet Camaro – Andre Heimgartner
#12 Chevrolet Camaro – Jaxon Evans
#14 Chevrolet Camaro – Bryce Fullwood
#96 Chevrolet Camaro – Macauley Jones
 
Team 18
#18 Chevrolet Camaro – Mark Winterbottom
#20 Chevrolet Camaro – David Reynolds
 
Grove Racing
#19 Ford Mustang GT – Matthew Payne
#26 Ford Mustang GT – David Reynolds
 
PremiAir Nulon Racing
#23 Chevrolet Camaro – Tim Slade
#31 Chevrolet Camaro – James Golding
 
Triple Eight Race Engineering
#87 Chevrolet Camaro – Will Brown
#88 Chevrolet Camaro – Broc Feeney