Career-best Stanaway, Brock Trophy set for NZ visit

Richie Stanaway will make a make a triumphant return to his hometown of Tauranga, with the coveted Peter Brock Trophy in tow, following his impressive return to solo Supercars racing.

Stanaway, who won last October’s Repco Bathurst 1000 with Shane van Gisbergen, returned to Mount Panorama last weekend for the 2024 season-opening Thrifty Bathurst 500.

In his first solo race since 2019, Stanaway steered his #26 Penrite Ford to fourth in Saturday’s race, which was his best solo Supercars race finish. It came a day after Stanaway crashed in Practice 1.

The Kiwi's previous best solo start was ninth, at Winton (2018) and Pukekohe (2019).

“It was great to have a new experience with Richie, we hit the ground reasonably well running," Race Engineer Alistair McVean said after Sunday's race.

“We didn’t qualify so well today, but it was great to get him his best sprint result yesterday in his first race back.

“Really looking forward to progressing now, and moving forward."

The iconic Peter Brock Trophy will be showcased at the Repco store in Mount Maunganui this Friday, beginning from 12:00pm NZDT. This public exhibition will offer fans a rare opportunity to see the iconic trophy up close and personal.

Stanaway will be joined by his Penrite Racing teammate, Matt Payne, as they meet fans and sign autographs next to the sport’s greatest prize.

The two Kiwis hold fourth and eighth in the championship following the season-opener, with the Grove squad sitting second in the teams’ championship.

The event is part of a larger initiative to promote the upcoming ITM Taupō Super400, Supercars’ first visit to Taupō International Motorsport Park.

Scheduled for April 19-21, 2024, the in-demand event will be Supercars’ first event in New Zealand since 2022.

Fans can attend the free event from 12:00pm NZDT at Repco Mount Maunganui. Tickets for the ITM Taupō Super400 can be purchased via Ticketek and Supercars.com.