Does New Zealand Have a Strong Motorsport Scene?

With Liam Lawson breaking through into Formula 1 last season, with Racing Bulls and this year promoted to be teammate to World Champion Max Verstappen, the inevitable question is: Does New Zealand have a strong motorsport scene?

The history of motorsport in New Zealand can be traced back to the early 1900s and the Pioneer Cycle Club organised races for bikes and cars. In 1903, motorbikes had their own races and official motor racing meetings were being organised in the country.

The first of which was staged at what is now known as the Addington Raceway by the Canterbury Automobile Association in 1905. Races were commonly held at horse racing tracks and some even took place on beaches throughout New Zealand. In terms of international motorsport, Alan Woodman was the first Kiwi rider to compete abroad but unfortunately, he had an accident at the Isle of Man TT race which resulted in him losing a leg.

Some of the other notable motorsport drivers to come out of New Zealand include Formula 1 world champion, Denny Hulme, world motorcycle grand prix winner Hugh Anderson, and three-time IndyCar winner, Scott Dixon. New Zealand drivers have also won the Le Mans 24 Hours race, the Indianapolis 500, the World Endurance Championship, and a round of the World Rally Championship.

So, New Zealand have enjoyed plenty of success in motorsport. Even those who would prefer to play at an online casino in New Zealand must be tempted to have a wager on motorsport with such a great legacy. However, despite enjoying plenty of success in the past, does New Zealand continue to have a strong motorsport scene today?

We must only go back to 2021 to see the continued success of New Zealand in motorsport. Scott McLaughlin won Rookie of the Year in the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500, Shane van Gisbergen won the Supercars championship, and Mitch Evans competed strongly in the Formula E championship. In addition, a look at the motorsport infrastructure of New Zealand underlines how popular the sport is in the country.

New Zealand boasts eight FIA-licensed racing circuits and the formation of the Elite Motorsport Academy in New Zealand shows how committed the country is to excel in the world of motor racing. When comparing to New Zealand to countries of a similar size, only Finland can match the exploits of New Zealand in motorsport.

Such is the strength of the motorsport scene in New Zealand, a new motorsport and driver training facility is being constructed in the Bay of Plenty’s TECT Park. The plans include a 3.2km circuit, club house, café, and a space for motor homes. The track will be one of the most scenic in the Australasia region and the fact New Zealand are committing to building this new track shows just how strong motorsport is in the country.