# Teretonga Park

Teretonga (means "Swift South" in Maori) is a 2.570 km (1.597 mi) motor racing circuit situated 8 km (5.0 mi) south-west of Invercargill, New Zealand. It is home of the Southland Sports Car Club. The circuit was established in 1957 and is the southernmost FIA-recognised race track in the world (the Autódromo Carlos Romero in Tolhuin, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) is further south but is not FIA recognised). It is also the country's oldest purpose-built venue.
Regular racing programme includes rounds of the local Clubmans Series; featuring rounds of South Island Racing Registers and a very large Classic Car meeting in February of each year. The circuit is also used for Sprints and Motorkhanas. Other clubs run Motor Cycle and Drag Races at Teretonga. Regarded by many drivers as the best and safest track in the country, it has been up-graded on a continual basis.

## History

* Since 1948, the Southland Sports Car Club Inc. has been one of the leading Clubs in the country. The Club entered the International motor race series in 1956 with the fastest-ever motor race on a road circuit at Ryal Bush. This led to the construction of Teretonga Park in 1957 at Sandy Point, the second purpose-built motor racing track in New Zealand. It was extended to its present configuration in December 1966.
* In the golden age of NZ Motor Racing in the '60s and '70s, Teretonga hosted many of the world's greatest drivers for example, (Stirling Moss), Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Phil Hill, the list goes on. There is a fine display of memorabilia in the Clubrooms.
* Since 1981, the club has been actively engaged in the New Zealand Rally Championship.
* On 29 November 1998, the current outright lap record was set by Greg Murphy in a Formula Holden Reynard 92D The time was 51.206 at an average lap speed of 184 km/h (114 mph).
* The New Zealand Grand Prix was first held on Teretonga in 13 January 2002. A record number of entries were received for this event, and it had been held at Teretonga for 6 years until 13 January 2007
* On 16 February to Sunday 17 February 2008, the "Leitch Motorsport/Southland Times Speed Fest", which was one of the events of Southern Festival of Speed, was held at Teretonga.

## The circuit

As of 2025, a lap was 2.570 km (1.597 mi) long, and run in anticlockwise direction with an 800 m (870 yd) main straight and a very high speed loop with multiple apexes. It flows smoothly from turns 1 through to 5. The circuit is exposed to a strong sea breeze and often forces gearbox and setup changes.

### Lap Records

The official lap record for the Teretonga Park is 0:51.206, set by Greg Murphy in 29 November 1998. As of September 2022, the fastest official race lap records at the Teretonga Park are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
| Full Circuit: 2.570 km (December 1966–present) |||||
| Formula Holden | 0:51.206 | Greg Murphy | Reynard 92D | 29 November 1998 |
| Toyota Racing Series | 0:53.109 | Lance Stroll | Tatuus FT-50 | 24 January 2015 |
| Formula 5000 | 0:53.762 | Michael Collins | McRae GM1 | 17 February 2019 |
| Formula Regional | 0:53.820 | Liam Lawson | Tatuus FT-60 | 26 January 2020 |
| GT3 | 0:54.428 | Andrew Fawcett | McLaren 720S GT3 | 24 September 2022 |
| Group 7 | 0:56.040 | Jay Esterer | McLaren M6B | 10 February 2008 |
| Tasman Formula | 0:58.000 | Piers Courage | Brabham BT24 | 25 January 1969 |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 0:58.341 | David Reynolds | Porsche 911 (997 I) GT3 Cup | 18 January 2009 |
| NZ Touring Cars (TLX) | 0:59.276 | Jack Smith | Holden Commodore (VE) | 20 January 2019 |
| TCR Touring Car | 1:00.523 | James Penrose | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR | 24 September 2022 |
| Group 4 | 1:02.047 | Murray Sinclair | Chevron B16 | 17 February 2013 |
| Formula Ford | 1:02.189 | Martin Short | Mygale SJ07a | 16 January 2010 |
| NZ Touring Cars (TL) | 1:02.263 | John McIntyre | Ford Falcon (BA) | 16 January 2005 |
| Group 5 | 1:02.470 | Tom Malloy | Lola T70 | 2 October 2002 |
| Toyota 86 Championship | 1:07.148 | Nick Cassidy | Toyota 86 | 25 January 2015 |
| Original Circuit: 2.414 km (November 1957–December 1966) |||||
| Tasman Formula | 1:01.800 | Jim Clark | Lotus 32B | 30 January 1965 |
| Sports car racing | 1:17.200 | Archie Scott-Brown | Lister Knobbly | 8 February 1958 |