The Pukekohe 500 was an endurance motor racing event first held in 1963 at Pukekohe Park Raceway, Pukekohe, New Zealand.

New Zealand Pukekohe 500
Race Information
Venue Pukekohe Park Raceway
Number of times held 39
First held 1963
Last held 2022
Race Format
Race 1
Laps 172
Distance 500 km
Last Event (2022)
Overall Winner
RC Racing
Race Winners

History

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The Pukekohe 500 had its origins in the Wills Six-Hour race that was first held in 1963 as a production car race, soon after the circuit opened.[1][2] From 1967, the event mandated that New Zealand-built production cars can only be entered into the race.[3] Through the first decades of the race, the event became recognised as the second most significant race on the New Zealand motorsport calendar behind the New Zealand Grand Prix.[1] In the early 1980s, a three race endurance series was held with races also at Bay Park Raceway and Manfeild.[3]

In the mid 1980s, the race rose to international prominence when it adopted Group A touring car regulations and was linked with the Wellington 500 street race. The two races attracted Group A racing teams from Australia, Europe and Asia though until the end of the Group A era in the early 1990s.[4] The 1988 round was part of the Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship with Wellington, the Bathurst 1000 in Australia and the Fuji 500. The 1993 and 1994 events were held to Super Touring regulations before dropping off the calendar altogether with the demise of the Wellington 500.

From 2001, the predominant touring car event at Pukekohe was superseded by the Auckland SuperSprint, a round of the Australian Supercars Championship series held at the circuit. However, the Pukekohe 500 name was revived in 2012 as a V8SuperTourer endurance event, albeit held over three races.[5] The meeting proved popular with large crowds attending. Greg Murphy rekindled his success from the V8 Supercars era at Pukekohe by winning two of the three races. The V8SuperTourer series folded in 2015 and with it the running of the Pukekohe 500.

The event was revived in 2019 as a production event. In 2020, Mark Leonard and Peter Sprague, descendants of Leo Leonard and Ernie and Gary Sprague who won the race a combined 14 times, entered the race.[6] After the 2021 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held for a final time in 2022 prior to the circuit's closure in 2023.[7]

Winners

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1963–1966 layout
 
1967–1989 layout
 
1990–2012 layout
Year Driver/s Car Team Report
Six hours
1963   Ray Archibald
  Tony Shelly
Jaguar Mark 2
1964   Jim Palmer
  Paul Fahey
Lotus Cortina
1965   John Ward
  Rod Coppins
Jaguar Mark 2
1966   Ray Archibald
  Tony Shelly
Jaguar Mark 2
1967   Ernie Sprague
  Gary Sprague
Ford Zodiac
500 miles
1968   Leo Leonard
  Brent Hawes
Vauxhall Victor
1969   Leo Leonard
  Ernie Sprague
Vauxhall Victor
1970   Leo Leonard
  Ernie Sprague
Chrysler Valiant
1971   Leo Leonard
  Graeme Richardt
Chrysler Valiant
1972   Jim Richards
  Rod Coppins
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1973   Jim Richards
  Rod Coppins
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1974   Wayne Wilkinson
  Brian Innes
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1000 kilometres
1975   Leo Leonard
  Gary Sprague
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1976   Jim Little
  Graeme Richardt
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1977   Leo Leonard
  Ernie Sprague
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1978   Wayne Wilkinson
  Roy Harrington
Chrysler Valiant Charger
1979   Rod Coppins
  Jerry Clayton
Volkswagen Golf Mk1
1980   Rod Coppins
  Jerry Clayton
Holden VB Commodore
250 miles
1981   Leo Leonard
  Gary Sprague
Ford Fairmont
1982   Wayne Wilkinson
  Neville Crichton
Holden VH Commodore
1983   Denny Hulme
  Ray Smith
Holden VH Commodore
1984   Kent Baigent
  Neal Lowe
BMW 635 CSi H. Kent Baigent
1985   Neville Crichton
  Wayne Wilkinson
BMW 635 CSi John Andrew Motorsport Report
1986   John Harvey
  Neal Lowe
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Holden Dealer Team
19871   Larry Perkins
  Denny Hulme
Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Perkins Engineering
  Gianfranco Brancatelli
  Allan Grice
BMW M3 Mark Petch Motorsport
1988   Andrew Miedecke
  Steve Soper
Ford Sierra RS500 Miedecke Motorsport
1989   Dick Johnson
  John Bowe
Ford Sierra RS500 Dick Johnson Racing
1990   Peter Brock
  Andrew Miedecke
Ford Sierra RS500 Mobil 1 Racing
1991   Jim Richards
  Mark Skaife
Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R Gibson Motorsport
1992   Emanuele Pirro
  Joachim Winkelhock
BMW M3 Evolution Schnitzer Motorsport
1993   Paul Radisich
  Glenn Seton
Ford Mondeo Si Rousesport
1994   Julian Bailey Toyota Corona Toyota New Zealand
1995

2011
Not held
2012   Greg Murphy
  Jack Perkins
Holden VE Commodore M3 Racing
2013   Scott McLaughlin
  James Moffat
Holden VE Commodore Scott McLaughlin Racing
2014   Simon Evans
  Shane van Gisbergen
Holden VE Commodore Team 4
2015

2018
Not held
500 kilometres
2019   Alastair Wootten
  Greg Goudie
Toyota MR2
500 miles
2020   Karl Gaines
  Karl Weber
  Lance Gerlach
Honda Integra
2021 Not held
500 kilometres
2022 RC Racing
Notes
  • ^1 – Two separate events were held in 1987.

Multiple winners

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By driver

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Wins Driver Years
7   Leo Leonard 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1981
5   Rod Coppins 1965, 1972, 1973, 1979, 1980
4   Wayne Wilkinson 1974, 1978, 1982, 1985
  Ernie Sprague 1967, 1969, 1970, 1977
3   Jim Richards 1972, 1973, 1991
  Gary Sprague 1967, 1975, 1981
2   Ray Archibald 1963, 1966
  Tony Shelley 1963, 1966
  Graeme Richardt 1971, 1976
  Jerry Clayton 1979, 1980
  Neal Lowe 1984, 1986
  Neville Crichton 1982, 1985
  Denny Hulme 1983, 1987
  Andrew Miedecke 1988, 1990

By manufacturer

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Wins Manufacturer
9 Chrysler
8 Holden
6 Ford
4 BMW
3 Jaguar
2 Vauxhall
Toyota

Event sponsors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Stock, Mike (21 May 2011). "From the rack to the track". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  2. ^ Richards, Gerard (20 September 2015). "Winding back the clock to remember the Benson and Hedges 500/1000". The Motorhood. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b Holmes, Steve (22 October 2013). "The Roaring Season - Photos: The Allan Cameron Collection - Part 2". www.theroaringseason.com. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (1 November 2018). "Flashback: Supercars' first NZ adventure". Supercars. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  5. ^ "V8 SuperTourers' International 500 moves to Pukekohe | Scoop News". Scoop. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  6. ^ Sail, Doug (22 October 2020). "Leonard/Sprague combination back as Timaru racers emulate dad and grandad at Pukekohe". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  7. ^ Sampson, Matthew (14 October 2022). "One last dance for B&H Endurance Races at Pukekohe". VelocityNews. Retrieved 27 November 2022.