10 Fast Facts: ITM Auckland SuperSprint
This year marks the eighth time drivers will compete for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy at Pukekohe since it was first introduced in 2013. Only two drivers have won the trophy more than once: Jamie Whincup (2015 and 2017) and Shane van Gisbergen (2016 and 2019).
2. This year is the 15th and final time the Repco Supercars Championship will visit Pukekohe as the circuit is set to be shut down in early 2023, a year that also marks the venue’s 70th anniversary. This weekend is the 20th time a championship round has been held in New Zealand since the first, also at Pukekohe, back in 2001. A street circuit in Hamilton hosted the Kiwi round from 2008 to 2012.
Two teams will register milestones in the opening race at the ITM Auckland SuperSprint. Brad Jones Racing will make its 700th ATCC/Supercars Championship start since its debut in the opening race of the 2000 season at Phillip Island, while the same race will also be Matt Stone Racing’s 150th since its first championship race as a wildcard at Queensland Raceway in 2017.
Jack Smith is on track to notch up a century of Repco Supercars Championship race starts at Pukekohe. The final race of the weekend is set to be his 100th race in the championship since making his debut at Symmons Plains in 2019.
Australian drivers still hold the edge over the locals on race wins at Pukekohe, claiming 25 of the 42 championship races held at the venue. New Zealand drivers have swept the last two Pukekohe rounds, however: Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen claimed a race win each in both 2018 and 2019.
Tickford Racing needs one more ARMOR ALL Pole Position to reach a milestone 100 Supercars Championship poles, but the Pukekohe circuit has not been a happy hunting ground for the Ford team in recent years. Its most recent pole at the venue came in 2017, when Cam Waters was awarded pole for the Saturday race based on combined Friday practice times after qualifying was washed out.
Mark Winterbottom will join Russell Ingall in third position on the all-time ATCC/Supercars Championship list of most race starts on 588, providing the IRWIN Racing driver starts all three races this weekend. Winterbottom posted the most recent championship race win of his Supercars career at Pukekohe in 2016 and won the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy in 2014.
Will Davison has taken eight ARMOR ALL Pole Positions so far in 2022, including the most recent one on offer for the final race at Sandown. However, he is yet to claim consecutive pole positions this season. Four of his 27 career Repco Supercars Championship pole positions were scored outside Australia, but he is yet to achieve one at Pukekohe.
The closest race-winning margin in the Supercars Championship at Pukekohe is 0.2896 seconds between Shane van Gisbergen and Mark Winterbottom in the second Saturday race in 2014. The current championship leader also holds the largest race-winning margin at the venue, beating Cam Waters by 12.6491 seconds in the Saturday race in 2019.
Cars driven by Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen will have completed 88,888km in Repco Supercars Championship races upon the completion of his 12th racing lap this weekend.
