September 2022. Fabled New Zealand race track Pukekohe was hosting Australia’s Supercars series not only for the first time since 2019, due to COVID, but also for the last time ever, thanks to the impending, and somewhat unexpected, closure of the circuit.
Less than eight weeks earlier, venue owner Auckland Thoroughbred Racing had announced an expansion of the horse training and racing facilities at Pukekohe Park. The flip side was that it would come at the expense of the motor racing track. This month, a rich, six-decade chapter of motorsport history officially came to an end.
For that entire final Supercars weekend there was magic in the air. The sell-out crowd was bouncing. Merchandise trucks were basically out of stock by Friday evening. And Shane van Gisbergen put in one of the all-time great Supercars drives to win Sunday afternoon’s finale. The hometown hero, who grew up just around the corner, charged from eighth on the grid to steal the win in the closing laps after a thrilling battle with Cam Waters. The roar from the crowd was incredible as he executed the winning pass, as it was
