Taupō revs up for Supercars event
Region prepares for Christmas, New Year levels of visitors
Supercars are set to roll into Taupō this week, bringing with them crowds more typically seen in the height of summer. The three-day programme of races at Taupō International Motorsport Park kicks off tomorrow morning with the opening Formula Ford event and continues until Sunday afternoon’s final 200km Supercars race.
There will be excitement off the track too, with a wider entertainment programme including Kaylee Bell and Six60 gigs at the Great Lake Centre and the Track to Town event in Taupō‘s CBD, which will be the first time all of the Supercars have taken to public roads. All 24 cars will be rolling into town.
As busy as Christmas
This year marks the first round of the new, major international event for Taupō, with organisers warning locals across the district to expect Christmas and New Year levels of visitors.
More than 20,000 people will attend each day of racing, most of whom will be staying locally, as well as spilling out into restaurants, bars and supermarkets.
Among the crowds will be an army of volunteers, keeping things running smoothly.
Phil Shaw, general manager events for V8 Supercars, said many locals had volunteered, as had some Australian fans.
The 350 volunteers would do all kinds of important work over the weekend.
“The biggest group are the volunteers who are the track marshals out on the track; they’re waving the flags out on the course.”
‘A lot of work behind the scenes’
For many, the sudden influx of visitors may come as a surprise, but for those working behind the scenes, it was the culmination of 14 months of work.
Steve Giles, events and venues manager for Taupō District Council, said the turnaround time was fairly tight for a completely new event for the town.
“In any major events space, 12 months is the minimum to turn it around.”
Josie Spillane, chief executive officer of Taupō International Motorsport Park, echoed the remarkable amount of work that has been done in a short time.
“When we announced it was here in Taupō, it was something like 105 days left to go.”
“There was a lot of work behind the scenes with the Major Events New Zealand and with Taupō District Council, and with Taupo Motorsport Park.”
“Supercars couldn’t have done this without those three organisations.”
Finding the time
The first major consideration was when to hold the event.
Giles said Council had originally proposed a later date, but the logistics of timing an event proved surprisingly complicated.
There were many factors to consider, from not treading on the toes of the Bathurst Supercars event, to avoiding placing additional stress on peak times for Taupō‘s tourism.
August was also considered, which “from a Taupō perspective is a quieter time of year”, but this was rejected due to potential issues brought about by the colder temperatures of the Central Plateau winter.
One less obvious scheduling consideration, Giles said, was the international Formula 1 calendar.
Bringing Supercars back to New
Zealand involves transporting the cars by plane, of which there are only four in the world properly equipped with frames to hold delicate, expensive vehicles.
“The cars sit in these skids, almost like a shipping container without sides.”
All four of those planes are owned by F1, meaning they needed to be leased at a time when they wouldn’t be needed for their racing calendar.
Once the April dates were secured, the work was far from over.
While talking to the , Giles reeled off numbers with the air of someone who has lived and breathed them for a long time.
“Six weeks of build, [more than] 5000 grandstand seats, 4000 corporate spaces, broadcasting TV towers to be established, six bars, Portaloos, food stall areas, 80 security staff, 180 staff in the corporate space alone.”
A lasting legacy
Alongside the infrastructure needed, one of the main priorities for Taupō District Council was creating a legacy around the event that had a positive impact for locals.
This included setting up events like the Women in Motorsport breakfast at the Taupō Hilton, with speakers from the industry from drivers to social media managers aiming to show the potential avenues open in the sport to local women.
“Ultimately that’s designed to showcase careers in motorsport.”
Even events that seem straightforward at first glance required a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes work, Giles said.
The Track to Town event on Thursday, for example, would see the Supercars’ 24 Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs parade from the Motorsport Park to Roberts Street through Taupō. Drivers will stop for autographs before heading back to the park on Broadlands Road.
It is not a challenging route for the drivers, but one that needed NZTA, Police and Taupō District Council approval.
That is because the cars are not road-legal, so needed temporary permission to avoid potential fines.
Luckily, all parties were happy to provide this.
The second problem, Giles said, was daylight savings. The event’s schedule would need to be rigidly adhered to, as the cars were not fitted with appropriate headlights for driving in the dark; these would add pointless weight, given they are only used for daytime racing.
Extra policing
Police have been busily preparing too, and would send “dozens of extra officers from across the Bay of Plenty” to the town, it said in a statement, with a focus on visibility across the event and wider town.
“With the influx of people and traffic, we’re asking motorists to expect some delays and factor extra time into their journeys, and if you’re stopped, expect to be breathalysed.”
Racing sustainably
Sustainability was also a factor to consider.
“From a council and government perspective, when we invest in these events, we want to know what the legacy will be.”
Major sponsors ITM have donated 24,000 native plants to Greening Taupō, some of which would be planted by the winning drivers on a special Earth Day ceremony on Monday, with the remainder to be used in upcoming community planting days.
Cultural considerations also played a part, with Tū wharetoa hapū Ngā Hapu o Tauhara consulted throughout the process as mana whenua.
They blessed the construction of the additional deck added to the Motorsport Park, and have been consulted along the way.
A cultural ceremony opening would also take place on Thursday to begin the weekend’s events, and local master carver Delani Brown has created the trophies for the eight major races.
The first of many
This year’s event was the first of three Supercars events that would be held in Taupō, with a concession for a further two years after that.
Giles said he hoped the community would be excited to get behind the new event.
“It’s something very cool for Taupō .”
But Giles advised locals, whether they were attending the events or not, to be prepared for a busy weekend.
“Plan as if it’s Christmas ... we know there are congestion and delays when you drive around town at Christmas and New Year.
“Be ready for a very busy few days.”