Teretonga Park

Teretonga (means "Swift South" in Maori) is a motor racing circuit situated 8 kilometres (4.97 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.

Teretonga Park
LocationInvercargill, New Zealand
Time zoneGMT +12
Coordinates46°26′26″S 168°15′39″E
OwnerSouthland Sports Car Club
Major eventsF5000
Formula Ford
NZ V8's
Porsche GT3 Cup
Southern Festival of Speed
TRS
New Zealand Grand Prix
Length2.62 km
Turns7
Race lap record0:51.206 (Greg Murphy, Formula Holden Reynard 92D, 1998)

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
Teretonga Park viewed from the air
  • 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 1966.
  • In the golden age of NZ Motor Racing in the '60s and '70s, Teretonga has 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.
  • The New Zealand Grand Prix was first held on Teretonga in January 2001. A record number of entries were received for this event, and it has again been held at Teretonga since 4 & 5 January 2003.
  • 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 2.62 kilometres (1.63 mi) [1] long, and run in anticlockwise direction with an 800-metre main straight and a very high speed loop with multiple apexes. It flows smoothly from turns 1 through to 5 and is generally recognised as the second fastest circuit in Australasia. The circuit is exposed to a strong sea breeze and often forces gearbox and setup changes.[2]

References
  1. http://www.teretonga.org.nz/
  2. "On track for competitive driving". toyotaracing.co.nz. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
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