Teretonga (means "Swift South" in Maori) is a 2.570 km (1.597 mi) motor racing circuit situated 8 km (5.0 mi) south-west of Invercargill, New Zealand. It is home of the Southland Sports Car Club. The circuit was established in 1957 and is the southernmost FIA-recognised race track in the world (the Autódromo Carlos Romero in Tolhuin, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) is further south but is not FIA recognised). It is also the country's oldest purpose-built venue.
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| Location | Invercargill, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC+12:00 |
| Coordinates | 46°26′26″S 168°15′39″E / 46.44056°S 168.26083°E |
| FIA Grade | 3 |
| Owner | Southland Sports Car Club |
| Broke ground | November 1953 |
| Opened | November 1957 |
| Major events | Former: FR Oceania (2005–2020, 2023) Toyota 86 Championship (2015–2020, 2023) New Zealand Grand Prix (2002–2007) New Zealand V8 (2000, 2003–2019) Tasman Series (1964–1975) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1966–present) | |
| Length | 2.570 km (1.597 miles) |
| Turns | 7 |
| Race lap record | 0:51.206 ( Greg Murphy, Reynard 92D, 1998, Formula Holden) |
| Original Circuit (1957–1966) | |
| Length | 2.414 km (1.500 miles) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 1:01.800 ( Jim Clark, Lotus 32B, 1965, F2) |
Regular racing programme includes rounds of the local Clubmans Series; featuring rounds of South Island Racing Registers and a very large Classic Car meeting in February of each year. The circuit is also used for Sprints and Motorkhanas. Other clubs run Motor Cycle and Drag Races at Teretonga. Regarded by many drivers as the best and safest track in the country, it has been up-graded on a continual basis.
History
- Since 1948, the Southland Sports Car Club Inc. has been one of the leading Clubs in the country. The Club entered the International motor race series in 1956 with the fastest-ever motor race on a road circuit at Ryal Bush. This led to the construction of Teretonga Park in 1957 at Sandy Point, the second purpose-built motor racing track in New Zealand. It was extended to its present configuration in December 1966.[1]
- In the golden age of NZ Motor Racing in the '60s and '70s, Teretonga hosted many of the world's greatest drivers for example, (Stirling Moss), Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Phil Hill, the list goes on. There is a fine display of memorabilia in the Clubrooms.
- Since 1981, the club has been actively engaged in the New Zealand Rally Championship.
- On 29 November 1998, the current outright lap record was set by Greg Murphy in a Formula Holden Reynard 92D The time was 51.206 at an average lap speed of 184 km/h (114 mph).
- The New Zealand Grand Prix was first held on Teretonga in 13 January 2002. A record number of entries were received for this event, and it had been held at Teretonga for 6 years until 13 January 2007
- On 16 February to Sunday 17 February 2008, the "Leitch Motorsport/Southland Times Speed Fest", which was one of the events of Southern Festival of Speed, was held at Teretonga.
The circuit
As of 2020, a lap was 2.570 km (1.597 mi) [2] long, and run in anticlockwise direction with an 800 m (870 yd) main straight and a very high speed loop with multiple apexes. It flows smoothly from turns 1 through to 5. The circuit is exposed to a strong sea breeze and often forces gearbox and setup changes.[3]
Lap Records
The official lap record for the Teretonga Park is 0:51.206, set by Greg Murphy in 29 November 1998.[4] As of January 2020, the fastest official race lap records at the Teretonga Park are listed as: