The championship is reporting strong demand for the very first Supercars event at the North Island venue, which replaces Pukekohe on the calendar.

The initial grandstand seating has already been exhausted, with strong demand for tickets across the board since sales opened in November.

The new Gold Reserved Grandstand will provide premium viewing for spectators at Turn 13, leading into the start/finish line, providing spectators with a vista of the two fastest straights at Taupo International Motorsport Park.

Public sale opens at 14:00 NZDT/12:00 AEDT but those who pre-registered via the Supercars website may purchase tickets now for the April 19-21 event.

Additional general admission tickets are also being released and a new corporate facility, the Taupo Lounge, will be erected at Turn 9.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard said, “With just 60 days’ to go until our debut in Taupō, we are incredibly excited about our return to New Zealand.

“This announcement today that we are able to install another grandstand is because of the demand from fans who are counting down the days until our debut at this amazing circuit in one of the most scenic parts of the world we have ever raced.”

Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee said, “It’s excellent to see how popular this event is proving to be.

“Major events like the Supercars Championship generate economic activity in the towns that host them and the surrounding regions, and it is evident that the positive economic impacts from this event will be widely felt.”

Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas remarked, “It is always wonderful to see all the visitors to the district every summer and we can’t wait to see it pumping again during Supercars weekend.

“We are so privileged to be hosting such a popular event and accommodation throughout the district is filling quickly.

“The increased grandstand seating and venue capacity due to the unprecedented demand shows the Taupō District is the place to be this April.

“The economic boost this will provide to our local economy cannot be underestimated.

“We are supportive of Supercars working with the commercial and private accommodation sectors to ensure we can squeeze everyone in, along with increasing self-contained accommodation locations.

“We’re excited to see our regional neighbours benefit from the event too.”

Craig Lowndes says drivers will find the International Circuit layout which Supercars is using to be quite “busy” after his laps at the Taupo Historic Grand Prix.

Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner, a race winner at the circuit in BNT V8s, described it as a unique proposition for Supercars, which should produce high tyre degradation.

Support categories will include Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, NZ Central Muscle Cars, Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 Series NZ, and Formula Ford NZ.

The Taupo event is an agreement with the New Zealand Government and Taupo District Council for at least the next three years.