Supercars crowds pack Ruapuna as Christchurch cashes in on bumper sporting weekend

Sunday, 19 April 2026

A record-breaking 65,800 people attended the three-day Supercars event at Ruapuna Raceway over the weekend.

Lara McMurray has been a fan of Supercars for years but could never afford to travel to watch a race live - until this weekend when the event landed in her backyard.

The Christchurch motorsport enthusiast and 65,800 others packed Ruapuna Raceway over three days of racing, in which Australian Broc Feeney captured the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy in Sunday’s 200km Supercars feature race.

It was one of several events over the weekend that boosted visitor numbers and spending, with ChristchurchNZ estimating 14,000 visitors to generate $10 million.

Christchurch motorsport fan Lara McMurray says the event has been absolutely fantastic for the city.

Supercar punters reported long wait times to exit the event and queues of up to 50 minutes for coffee and food, but still vowed to return next year.

McMurray said it was wonderful for Christchurch to host a Supercars Championship weekend.

“I’m so proud of Christchurch and I’m proud of the mayor.”

When McMurray arrived at the event for the first time on Friday, she said she thought to herself: “I am not in Kansas any more”.

It was her first time attending a Supercars race and she said she was “hooked.”

The event is the biggest ever held at Ruapuna Raceway.

“I never thought I’d be able to afford it. It’s $1000 cheaper than going to the North Island.”

Daymond Yee, another Christchurch-based motorsport fan, said he had attended similar events in the North Island and Australia since the 1990s and this event had a great atmosphere.

“It’s been a pretty amazing crowd. The behaviour has been really good.”

Yee waited 40 minutes for coffee on Sunday, and heard the queue for hotdogs was 50 minutes.

It took him between 60 and 90 minutes to leave the premium parking facility on Friday and Saturday. He paid $120 for the park over three days.

Yee decided to ditch the premium park on Sunday to park further away on the roadside, which he reckoned would save him about an hour.

However, he said the delays were no big deal and he would return next year.

Christchurch man Paul McDonald cooked his breakfast and dinner at his campervan to avoid the large crowds entering and exiting the event at the same time.

“I live in Avonhead. It doesn’t get much easier than that, does it?

Motorsport fan Paul McDonald avoided congestion by arriving early and leaving late, using his campervan to wait out the crowds.

After paying for priority parking, he drove his campervan there and cooked himself and his mates breakfast. At the end of the day he cooked dinner and had a few beers while waiting for the crowds to dissipate.

“One of the ladies will come out to drive us home.”

McDonald had been to Supercar events in Australia and Hamilton and said the Ruapuna event was “right up there”.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger races his 1988 Ford Sierra Cosworth during the Historic Touring Cars class at Ruapuna Raceway.

“I have never seen so many people at Ruapuna. It’s well organised and really good.”

Supercars chairperson and interim chief executive Barclay Nettlefold said the event was the biggest ever held at Ruapuna Raceway. It sold out on Saturday and Sunday.

“The passion, devotion and knowledge of the fans here at Ruapuna has blown us away.”

He said they were working closely with the hosts, Canterbury Car Club, to make the experience bigger next year.

The sun gets low and the dust rises during racing at Ruapuna this weekend.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said Supercars exceeded all expectations.

“There is a fun atmosphere. People from Aussie have come over to me to thank us for putting this on. It’s been very well patronised. Everyone is happy.”

Mauger is a big motorsport fan and raced his 1988 Ford Sierra Cosworth in the Historic Touring Cars championship over the weekend, finishing in the top half of the field for most of his races.

Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury branch president Jeremy Stevens said Supercars had a massive impact on hospitality in the city.

Business usually started to slow after Easter, but that had not happened yet this year, he said.

Bars and restaurants expected next weekend’s Super Rugby Round, the first event at the new stadium, to have a similar impact.

“Having events like this really lifts the city.”

Police conducted several checkpoints around the Supercars event over the weekend.

Christchurch metro area commander Superintendent Lane Todd said three drivers were given infringement notices for drink-driving on Friday, but police were pleased with the crowd’s behaviour overall.

Police were not able to provide figures for the number of people tested.

Todd said police worked closely with traffic management to ensure the checkpoints did not impede traffic flow.

Police also reported no issues of note surrounding the weekend’s other events, including the Wellington Phoenix football game on Saturday - the final event at Apollo Projects Stadium.