V8 fans lap up first day of racing
Supercars fans are lapping up the atmosphere at the ITM Taupō Super400 with one couple saying their experience had already topped their multiple visits to the Hamilton 400 street races.
Taupō hospitality providers are also feeling the love with profits up and extra staff brought in to cope with the expected influx of around 100,000 visitors for the inaugural Supercars event in the popular tourist town.
Supercars fans Alli and Dean Mimmack moved from Brisbane in Queensland to Feilding in November last year and had previously visited Hamilton for the V8 street races.
After spending just half a day at the Taupō event they had already come to the conclusion it was “better than Hamilton”.
“You can get a good view of the track from almost anywhere here, not like in Hamilton where you only had views of one or two corners,” Dean Mimmack said.
Alli said they had both visited Taupō in the past and “loved the place”.
“It was a happy surprise they said the next New Zealand races would be held here, we bought our three-day passes straight away.
“Already it looks like a better set up here, there’s lots of food and a couple of bars, so we’ll be fine,” she said.
The only downside was their Airbnb had doubled in price from $400 a night to $800 a night for race weekend.
Jimmy Coops Lakehouse and Lakeman Brewing Company owner James Cooper said Thursday night’s trade almost reached New Year’s Eve levels with three times the turnover than a typical Thursday.
“I didn’t see how big it was until yesterday when the cars came long the lakefront, I didn’t realise we had so many people in Taupō, there were even queues of people along Spa Rd - it’s huge.
“Town’s embraced it, all the bars have put up their signs and got right into it.”
Cooper said Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights would be extra busy and he’d slaughtered another beast to make more of his speciality burgers.
“We’re expecting to go through about 750 burgers this weekend ... usually we’re downsizing after summer so we had to hold onto more staff, it’s that huge,” he said.
Thursday’s Track to Town event saw thousands line the streets of Taupō to see all 24 Supercars drivers bring their race cars into town for a meet and greet.
Monetvideo Cafe owner Ronel Laatz said many local business owners had embraced the event.
“Absolutely everybody loves it, we are all going to benefit and all get a piece of the pie. The more you put in, the more you will get out,” she said.
Laatz usually employs three people on a normal day, but for the weekend she will have up to 10 staff on the floor.
She’s putting up a large shelter to create a “beer garden”, there will be a bouncy castle for children, a live band on Friday and Saturday nights, and she’s created the “V8 burger” as part of a special weekend menu.
She said with winter on the way business had been a lot slower. “But this is a good opportunity for us to do something extra and let people feel at home in Taupō and make sure they want to come back.
“We are so looking forward to it, I live with a petrol-head - my husband loves it and he’s got his weekend pass.”
The Taupō District Council’s communications team have also been working to spread the word about road closures and other local disruptions. They have employed a team of community ambassadors who will beat the streets offering advice and helpful hints.
Long-time Taupō resident and community ambassador Karen Cole has been promoting the district for years and said it’s going to be “really great”.
“I’m excited about showcasing our patch of paradise and town will be chock full of people”.