# Hampton Downs Motorsport Park

The Hampton Downs Motorsport Park is situated in rural northern Waikato (about halfway between Auckland and Hamilton on the Waikato Expressway), New Zealand near the Meremere drag strip and the dirt track club.

## History

The motorsport park is an ambitious privately funded enterprise by two motorsport friends, Tony Roberts and Chris Watson. Roberts and Watson purchased two dairy farms from Envirowaste in December 2003 and began the long task of getting resource consent to build the Motorsport Park. Opposition from Transit NZ and the Corrections Department (their new prison is 2 km away) caused delays due to concerns over traffic, litter and odour, which was ironic with the landfill only 2 km (1.2 mi) away. The concept of apartments on the edge of the circuit was entirely new and untested in the market. Roberts and Watson came up with the concept from observing its success alongside golf courses to help fund the project. It was a major success, with the 80 apartments selling in only 5 weeks in 2006 and returning $26 million to help fund the project. With construction beginning in February 2007. The completion was planned for late 2008, but a particularly wet winter pushed the opening out to October 2009. Some of the circuit was built on swampy ground, and Fraser Thomas Ltd, the engineers on the project utilised modern pre-loading technology to ensure that the land would be stable enough to support a race track. The earthworks were carried out by Ross Reid Ltd, who purchased laser controlled graders to ensure an accurate build of the circuit. In January 2010 Hampton Downs was officially opened by the Waikato District Mayor, Peter Harris, at the Bruce McLaren Festival. This Festival was the first of the very successful Historic Motorsport Festival promoted to celebrate a famous New Zealander, or car marque. Hampton Downs has become a major venue for local motorsport without the restrictions imposed by tracks that share the use with the horse racing fraternity like Pukekohe Park Raceway. It also reflects a modern approach to motor race track design and associated amenities. The 160ha development's initial plans also included an industrial park, events cafe, motor lodge, lifestyle blocks, 80-trackside apartments and convention centre (re-located Britomart Pavilion) and the track is already booked out five days a week for driver training and various industry promotions.
In 2015, Tony Quinn purchased the complex and work started almost immediately to complete the circuit extension, based closely on the original plans. Currently completed are hospitality suites above the pits, a corporate karting circuit, business park, business apartments (with seven-car garages) and cafe. The Bruce McLaren Trust has an industrial unit with a large collection of the famous NZ racing driver and originator of the McLaren F1 team memorabilia, which can be viewed most days.
In 2020, the track would have hosted the Supercars Championship's Auckland Super400 but the lockdown due to COVID-19 curtailed this. Although the event is traditionally held at Pukekohe Park Raceway, the 2020 race was scheduled for Anzac Day (25 April), which is forbidden under local legislation.
Hampton Downs is one of the most technically advanced race circuit in the world, with complete integration between race control, start lights, flag point lights, pit lane lights, CCTV system, timing systems, environmental sound monitoring, pit lane speed monitoring and large outdoor LED information displays. Most day-to-day operations are now fully automated including a vehicle safety system that monitors all vehicles on track and alerts the operator within 30sec if a vehicle stops on track.

## The circuit

The track consists of two independent circuits that can be combined to form one large circuit. The direction of the circuits are clockwise. The track has a very smooth surface, and a mix of blind bends and crests which make it a challenging circuit for drivers. The front straight is 950 m (3,120 ft) long with a kink in the middle and has an 11 m (36 ft) rise and fall, and the back straight is 750 m (2,460 ft) long. The National circuit, which incorporates the long front straight and pit facilities, is 2.700 km (1.678 mi) long with seven corners. The club circuit is 1.200 km (0.746 mi) long with four corners. Both tracks can combine into a 3.800 km (2.361 mi) circuit with six right-hand and four left-hand corners.
* National Circuit (2009–present)
* Club Circuit (2016–present)
* International Circuit (2016–present)

## Accommodation

The 450 ha (1,100 acres) includes 80-trackside apartments set in four blocks on the main straight, all of which were sold out within three weeks during September 2004. Many of the apartments are offered to rent as part of a motel and are able to accommodate up to six people.

## Track facilities and specification

The track has been designed for FIA Level 3 usage. Apart from racing, there will be an emphasis on the testing and driver training facility. Downforce will run driver training (instructed by A1GP veteran Jonny Reid) and corporate events at Hampton Downs. California Superbike School have signed up and base its New Zealand fleet of Suzuki GSX-R600s at Hampton Downs to deliver professional rider training between-races events at Hampton Downs, as an extension of its worldwide network.

## Virtual models
### Demonstrations

The track had been modeled in 3D by Rmedia featuring a BMW Formula One car. Its full simulation also had been analysed by FIA.

### Games

The Hampton Downs circuit was immortalised in the rFactor game by way of third-party generated content based on the early plans made before construction was initially complete. This content is available to download for public use.

## Track events

The track has hosted several major events since it opened in 2009. The circuit also hosts a round of the Toyota Racing Series each summer (except 2022), with three races being held during the event and the New Zealand Motor Cup being contested over the final race. The V8SuperTourer series held two yearly events at the circuit from its inception until its demise. The newly formed NZ Touring Car Championship now contests there annually. Many other events are held other the year including national events as well as local events. The circuit also hosts the New Zealand Grand Prix in 2021 and 2023.
It also hosted the 2016 Hampton Downs 101, an endurance race as part of the 2016 Australian GT Championship.

### Event list
#### Current

* January: Formula Regional Oceania Championship Alliance Services Hampton Downs International, Bridgestone GR86 Championship, Super V8 Series, Legends of Speed
* February: Super V8 Series
* March: New Zealand Formula Ford Championship DAYLE ITM Hampton Downs Grand Finale, Bridgestone GR86 Championship, Super V8 Series Thunder at the Downs
* May: Super V8 Series HRC Season Finale
* November: GT World Challenge Australia, GT4 Australia Series

#### Former

* Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific (2018)
* Formula Regional Oceania Championship
** New Zealand Grand Prix (2021, 2023)
* Suzuki Swift Sport Cup (2013)
* V8SuperTourer (2012–2015)

## Lap records

As of January 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
| International Circuit: 3.800 km (2016–present) |||||
| Formula One | 1:27.637 | Michael Lyons | McLaren M26 | 20 January 2017 |
| Formula Regional | 1:28.340 | Arvid Lindblad | Tatuus FT-60 | 19 January 2025 |
| GT3 | 1:30.014 | Peter Hackett | Mercedes-AMG GT3 | 30 October 2016 |
| Ferrari Challenge | 1:35.467 | Louis Prette | Ferrari 488 Challenge | 15 April 2018 |
| Toyota GR86 Championship | 1:50.116 | Cooper Barnes | Toyota GR86 | 19 January 2025 |
| National Circuit: 2.700 km (2009–present) |||||
| Formula 5000 | 0:59.444 | Ken Smith | Lola T332 | 25 January 2019 |
| Toyota Racing Series | 0:59.636 | Enaam Ahmed | Tatuus FT-50 | 29 January 2017 |
| Formula Regional | 1:01.280 | Liam Lawson | Tatuus FT-60 | 1 February 2020 |
| Toyota 86 Championship | 1:14.210 | Tom Alexander | Toyota 86 | 3 May 2014 |