Timaru International Motor Raceway | |
Location: | Timaru, New Zealand |
Coordinates: | -44.2972°N 171.2028°W |
Fiagrade: | 3 |
Owner: | South Canterbury Car Club |
Broke Ground: | 1967 |
Opened: | November 1967 |
Former Names: | Levels Raceway |
Events: | Current: NZ Super Truck Championship South Island Endurance Series Former: Toyota Racing Series (2005–2014) New Zealand V8 (2002–2014) |
Layout1: | Long Circuit (1988–present)[1] |
Length Km: | 2.400 |
Length Mi: | 1.491 |
Turns: | 10 |
Record Time: | 0:56.260 |
Record Driver: | Greg Murphy |
Record Car: | Reynard 92D |
Record Year: | 1995 |
Record Class: | Formula Holden |
Layout2: | Short Circuit (1988–present) |
Length Km2: | 1.600 |
Length Mi2: | 0.994 |
Turns2: | 5 |
Record Time2: | 0:43.721 |
Record Driver2: | James Munro |
Record Car2: | Mygale SJ08a |
Record Year2: | 2012 |
Record Class2: | Formula Ford |
Layout3: | Original Circuit (1967–1987) |
Length Km3: | 1.600 |
Length Mi3: | 0.994 |
Turns3: | 7 |
Timaru International Motor Raceway is a motor racing circuit situated about 10 minutes or 8km (05miles) outside of Timaru, New Zealand. The circuit is accessible from either State Highway 1 or the Timaru-Pleasant Point Highway. It is often called Levels because of its previous name Levels Raceway. The Timaru International Motor Raceway holds some of the major sporting events on New Zealand's motorsport calendar.
Before Timaru International Motor Raceway was born there was The South Canterbury Car Club Inc, which was formed in 1947 and were only running hillclimbs and paddock events at the time. The club progressed from this to running the Waimate 50 Street Race on the streets of Waimate until 1966. In 1967 a street event was run in Timaru in the Craigie Avenue area. Land was then purchased at Falvey Road and a permanent circuit built, the first event held there was in November that year. The club continued to develop the venue running club and National Championship racing.
In 1988 the circuit length was increased to and develop to the international FIA category 3 standard that it is today, allows the South Canterbury Car Club to run international events as well as National Championships including the NZ V8 Touring Cars and Super Truck Racing. One of the events of Southern Festival of Speed, Bruce Pigeon Memorial, was held on 9 February to 10 February 2008.
The car racing track's surface is hard on tyres and brakes because it is chip tarmac. It has a mixture of tight "first and second" gear and fast flowing corners.[2] It is rated FIA grade 3.[3]
The official lap record for the Timaru International Motor Raceway is 0:56.260, set by Greg Murphy in January 1995.[4] As of October 2021, the fastest official race lap records at the Timaru International Motor Raceway are listed as:
Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Long Circuit: 2.400 km (1988–present) | ||||
0:56.260 | January 1995 | |||
0:57.693[5] | 19 January 2014 | |||
1:00.390 | 16 October 2021 | |||
1:03.689 | 19 January 2014 | |||
1:04.056 | 16 October 2021 | |||
1:05.240 | January 2009 | |||
1:06.330 | 22 January 2012 | |||
Short Circuit: 1.600 km (1988–present) | ||||
0:43.721 | January 2012 | |||