The Christchurch circuit emerged as genuine contender to land a Supercars round back in January following a long period of speculation that Highlands Motorsport Park was in the box seat.

The Ruapuna theory gained more traction just last week when Highlands owner Tony Quinn suggested that the Christchurch area would be more attractive to the NZ federal tourism dollar than Central Otago.

It appears that was a shrewd prediction with Supercars and the Canterbury Car Club poised to confirm that a second NZ round will happen at Ruapuna from next year onwards.

A statement provided to Speedcafe from ChristchurchNZ on the matter read: “Christchurch has submitted a bid to host the Supercars Championship and we look forward to hearing official notice from Supercars on their preferred venue. Along with the Canterbury Car Club, we await the outcome in the near future.”

A Supercars spokesperson added: “New Zealand boasts a passionate motorsport following, highlighted by the support for this week’s second running of the ITM Taupo Super440.

“There’s clear enthusiasm from fans and stakeholders around the idea of a second event in Aotearoa.

“While those conversations remain ongoing, we will continue to explore what opportunities are available to us”

“Our immediate focus remains on building the momentum and to deliver another incredible event in Taupo this weekend”