Drivers learn from All Blacks in Auckland

Veteran Supercars drivers have commenced their New Zealand visit with a brush with All Blacks fame and history.

Shane van Gisbergen, Chris Pither and Lee Holdsworth took to the All Blacks Experience on Wednesday.

The drivers are in town for this weekend’s ITM Auckland SuperSprint.

Van Gisbergen and Pither are lapping up every second of being on home soil.

Van Gisbergen is an Auckland native, with Pither born in Hamilton.

Pither is making his first visit to his homeland since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The All Blacks Experience opened in the SkyCity Entertainment Precinct in late 2020.

The Experience is a fully guided, interactive showcase of New Zealand’s all-conquering rugby union team.

There, the drivers were taken behind-the-scenes of one of world sport’s most dominant outfits.

The Experience offers the first-hand excitement and emotion of game day.

It also demonstrates the full force of the haka from inside a crowded stadium on a four metre high screen.

The three drivers, all rugby tragics, were given the tour by All Black #902 Ian Jones, thanks to Auckland Unlimited.

Jones played 79 Tests for the All Blacks between 1989 and 1999.

The rugby legend presented the drivers with personalised All Blacks jerseys complete with surnames and racing numbers.

They also acquainted themselves with the Bledisloe Cup, which is fought between New Zealand and Australia.

It was a bittersweet experience for Australian Holdsworth considering the All Blacks have held the trophy since 2003.

This year's first Bledisloe match is next Thursday in Melbourne, with the return leg a week later at Auckland’s Eden Park.

New Zealand (1987, 2011, 2015) and Australia (1991, 1999) combine for five Rugby World Cup wins.

The drivers now shift their focus to this weekend’s event, with cars on track from Friday.

This weekend’s 10th round of 2022 is also the final ever Supercars round at Pukekohe.

Van Gisbergen, who leads by 500 points, has extra incentive to win this weekend.

Should van Gisbergen win all three races, he will break countryman Scott McLaughlin’s 2019 record of 18 race victories in a season.

The ITM Auckland SuperSprint will be shown will be live on Sky Sport in NZ from Friday to Sunday.

It will be live on Fox Sports and Kayo in Australia. Highlights of the event will be broadcast on the Seven Network.

Limited tickets are still available for this weekend’s event through Ticketek and Supercars.com.