Supercars denies race decision

Supercars is yet to confirm a second race in New Zealand has been allocated to Christchurch and no-one in Central Otago is throwing in the towel yet.

1News reported on Wednesday night a second Supercars event would go ahead in Christchurch next year, the race taking place at an upgraded Ruapuna raceway.

Highlands Motorsport Park had announced in December it would be looking at hosting a Supercars event in 2026 and the Central Otago District Council had been asked for $250,000 to aid the bid.

The council was consulting with the community over granting the money.

Supercars released a statement on Wednesday night saying no decision had been made on a second race in New Zealand, nor did it confirm a bid had been received from Christchurch.

"There’s clear enthusiasm from fans and stakeholders around the idea of a second event in Aotearoa," the Supercars statement said.

"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 Taupō this weekend."

Central Otago Mayor Tamah Alley said yesterday she had not been contacted around the bid and would "wait to hear from the horse’s mouth" before jumping to conclusions.

The 1News report also said central government had backed the Christchurch bid, while it was not committed to the Highlands proposal.

Mrs Alley said she was unsure on whether or not central government had put its wallet behind Christchurch.

"I would wait to hear where that sentiment has come from. We were committed to asking the community about whether this would be a good idea for the community."

It would be a huge financial blow for the region to not have the event, but she would still be glad to see it hosted in the South Island, she said.

"It would be quite nice to hear from them [Supercars]."

Cromwell Community Board chairwoman Anna Harrison said she had not heard of any decision around the staging of the race.

If the event went to Christchurch it would be disappointing and narrow-minded, given the Highlands venue was world class and the region ready to host the large-scale numbers, she said.

Both the venue and area were up to the task, but their bid did not have government backing.

"It’s central government that has supported the bid and local government can’t compete with that."

If the news were true, it would be a lost opportunity for Central Otago and its people, Mrs Harrison said.

"The district can accommodate the amount of people and the park was already fit for purpose. We had a strong bid to hold it.

"We may also have been lumped in the Queenstown Lakes District and this would have been a boost for Central Otago, which is beautiful, but it doesn’t usually manage to attract those types of large-scale events."

ChristchurchNZ had confirmed on Wednesday it had submitted a bid to host the championship at the Ruapuna track.

Highlands MotorSport Park could not be reached for comment yesterday.