Thomas Randle’s Tickford Racing Mustang will carry a tribute to Pukekohe when it hosts a Supercars event for the last time this weekend.
It means that Supercars’ return to the Auckland region circuit after three years away due to the COVID-19 pandemic will carry an extra layer of significance.
As such, the #55 Mustang will be adorned with a silver fern on its rear quarter panels and the message ‘ngā mihi, Pukekohe’, which translates to ‘thank you, Pukekohe’ in Te Reo Māori.
‘Pukekohe’ is itself an abbreviation of a Māori expression meaning ‘hill of the kohekohe’, referring to a tree which is native to the region.
For Randle, the last Supercars event at the track will also be his first there, although he did take the opportunity to test a Toyota 86 at Pukekohe in recent weeks.
“Pukekohe has such a rich history of motorsport from over the years, and while it’s sad that this will be our final race there, I’m thrilled to get to race a Supercar there, especially with this awesome livery aboard the Castrol Racing Mustang,” he said.
“It’s a great tribute to New Zealand motorsport, the country is just mad for motor racing and the Supercars race is always packed there, so I’m really looking forward to being a part of it.
“I’ve never actually raced at Pukekohe before, but I have some great memories in New Zealand from winning the Castrol Toyota Racing Series back in 2017, hopefully we can replicate that success when we head across the ditch.”
Pukekohe Park Raceway hosted a non-championship event in 1996 before joining the calendar on a regular basis in 2001.
The Hamilton Street Circuit took over as the venue for the New Zealand stop in 2008 before the category returned to a new-look Pukekohe, thanks to the addition of the chicane complex on the back ‘straight’, in 2013.
Hampton Downs is likely to take its place on the Repco Supercars Championship calendar next year.
Practice for the 2022 Pukekohe event starts this Friday at 14:40 local time/12:40 AEST.
Discussion about this post