Double the thrills. Double the excitement. Twice as much of everything. ITM’s long association with Supercars has taken a historic turn with double-header events confirmed in New Zealand until at least 2028.

For the first time, the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship will stage back-to-back Kiwi race weekends at Taupō International Motorsport Park (10–12 April) and Ruapuna Raceway (17–19 April).
It’s also the first time the series has raced in the mainland, making Supercar action more accessible to Kiwi fans throughout the country.

While the Taupō track will be familiar to all drivers, the Ruapuna track has unique characteristics, meaning fans will experience two distinct styles of racing in New Zealand.

Taupō is considered a ‘hard to pass’ track where qualifying position is critical. It features a long 830m back straight but requires high patience in lowspeed, technical corners.

Ruapuna Raceway is a more traditional ‘flowing’ track with a mix of long-radius corners that offer better overtaking opportunities, and is considered a ‘driver’s track’ that rewards precision and smooth driving.

A great start for Kiwis
The 2026 season will be one of the biggest ever, expanding to 37 races across 14 rounds. The first race weekend of the season kicked off at Sydney in February with Kiwi drivers showing good form, capped off by Matt Payne securing top four finishes across three races to end up equal on points at the top of the championship standings.

Payne was also on top of his game in the second round in Melbourne in March, taking second place in races four and five, where he shared the podium with fellow Kiwi Ryan Wood, who finished third.
 

Fans will also see fresh metal on the grid with Toyota GR Supras lining up against the Mustangs and Camaros for the first time in New Zealand. Kiwi drivers Andre Heimgartner and Wood have switched to Supras, which have proven to be very competitive. All five Supras in the series achieved top-10 finishes in Sydney in February, with Wood scoring a historic first-ever podium finish for Toyota in Melbourne.

With more races, new cars and a landmark Kiwi double-header, the 2026 season is shaping up as one of the most exciting yet for New Zealand racing fans.