Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd. The circuit is considered to be the best facility of its type in New Zealand, and the only circuit in the country with an FIA Grade 2 rating. The circuit was an upgrade from a 1.4 km Taupo Car Club's circuit to the new international layout in 2006. The Motorsport Park was completed in 2006 at the cost of NZ$13 million. It features driver training facilities, a motorsport business park with 13 first floor corporate suites and a second floor race control, corporate and catering complex.
History
On 21 January 2007 Taupo Motorsport Park hosted the sixth race in the 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix season and on 20 January 2008 it hosted the fifth race in the 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix season. In order to create more overtaking opportunities, a tighter chicane was introduced at the end of the straight. On 25 January 2009 Taupo Motorsport Park hosted the fourth race in the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season. Owing to the tight 'S' bend close to the start causing collisions in the past, the rolling start was replaced by a standing start for the 2009 event's Sprint race. The Taupo Race Track project has received a Silver Award by the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand, praising the high-quality delivery of the project, which was designed and constructed in tandem to achieve very tight deadlines. However, on 8 May 2008Newstalk ZB reported that the motorsport park was NZ$3 million in debt and the owners were seeking equity to help keep their business afloat. The circuit was renamed Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park on 26 November 2015, as a tribute to former Formula One driver and team owner Bruce McLaren. The renaming occurred as Taupo directors announced they would be rebuilding the circuit to maintain its FIA Grade 2 status.
The circuit
The track includes four alternative configurations, two separate pit areas, a three-story pit lane complex with 32 ground floor pit garages that is currently under construction. The track also features an NHRA standard dragstrip with full capacity viewing for 10,000. The motor racing circuit has various licences ranging from National Grade 1 Motorsport Licence, FIA Grade 2 Motorsport Licence and International Motorcycling Safety Standards depending on which track configuration. A1 Team Ireland's driver Adam Carroll commented that the track has few bumps and is technical and tight.
