Highlands Motorsport Park, Racing Circuit

Highlands Motorsport Park is a modern circuit near Cromwell, in the Central Otago region of New Zealand's South Island. Plans for the venue were first raised in 2006 when a supporters' trust bought land from the district council, and after several stalled years the project was revived in 2012 when Australian businessman Tony Quinn, who built his fortune on the VIP pet food brand, acquired the trust company. A keen racer himself, Quinn revised the layout to make it more challenging, adding banked corners, fast sweepers and a crossover bridge. Built largely by local contractors, the NZ$25 million complex on 88 hectares of land opened in April 2013, with Kiwi racing legend Jim Richards turning the first lap and describing it as world class. The full course offers a demanding, old-school lap, and the site provides six configurations, three of which can run simultaneously. The flagship event is the annual Highlands 101 endurance race, pitched as New Zealand's answer to Bathurst, featuring GT and touring car machinery over 101 laps with a Le Mans-style co-driver start. Beyond racing the park hosts testing, manufacturer days and experience drives, and includes a motorsport museum, restaurant, winery and a Bathurst-shaped crazy golf course. It is consistently rated the top activity in its region and open seven days a week. The nearest airport is Queenstown, around 45 minutes' drive away.

Operated by: Highlands Motorsport Park Ltd.