Mark Wedderall: Canterbury Car Club general manager on Supercars making its debut in Christchurch for the first time

There's excitement among Christchurch-based racing fans as the Supercars circuit looks to make its debut in Christchurch for the first time.

Canterbury Car Club general manager Mark Wedderall joined Piney to discuss.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Supercars coming to the South Island for the very first time.
Ruapoona Motorsport Park in christ Church will stage a Supercars event.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
For three years starting next year.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
The decision forms part of a North and South Island
double header, with Toeport to remain on the circuit through
until twenty twenty eight. The move marks the first time
New Zealand has hosted two events since Supercars began in
nineteen ninety seven.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Rupoon A Raceway is a proud club run.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Venue with deep local routs and a passionate motorsport community,
now poised to shine on the international stage. Mark Wetterall
is the general manager of the Canterbury Car Club. He
joins us now, Mark, thanks for taking the time and
congratulations on this news that came through in the last
couple of days. How significant is this for motorsport in

(00:59):
your region?

Speaker 4 (01:01):
This is wh This just opens up doors for funding
opportunities to help developed the park and improved the track
for you know, for decades to come.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
What sort of work has gone on behind the scenes
to get the steal across the line.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
There's been a lot of a lot of hard work, meetings,
track inspections and back and forward. You know, we've got
good local support with closures in the in the council
and some government support there, so you know, it's all
come together. Definitely a team effort from from everyone involved.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
As the conversations were going on, did you did you
get the feeling that Supercars liked what they were seeing?

Speaker 4 (01:40):
Absolutely from from the first visit. There was a lot
of positivity that came out of it. And then I
guess we just knew, you know, the location of christ Church,
close to the port, close to the airport, we've got
good accommodation and restaurants and stuff. We felt it was
the right place. But you know we might be a little.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
By Well, I don't think so at all.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
As you say, you're not far from you know, from
christ Church, infrastructure, accommodation, It seems so obvious.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
I kind of wonder why it hasn't happened before now.

Speaker 4 (02:10):
Yeah, Well I've been in the role eleven years and
probably it's been something that I've wanted to see happen,
but I probably just thought it was a dream and
one of those things that just you know would never
happen at a little club own circuit, but yeah, really
cool to see it, you know, come to come to
through a.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Fruish how much development now needs to be done on
the track and the surrounds to upgrade to get things ready.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
For next year.

Speaker 4 (02:34):
It's not a huge amount. In year one. We've just
got some safety upgrades on the track if it of,
you know, like tire bundles and gravel traps, some a
realignment of pit entry. A lot of the other things
that people probably think we need to do don't have
to be done. We've got a sort of the board's
got a ten year vision strategy that we're hoping to

(02:55):
do in the next sort of three to five years.
And then that includes the epelane garaging, some corporate facilities,
new race control building and that. So they sort of
they're not align with supercars. Well they're aligned, but they're not.
They don't form the Supercars deal.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
So the fact that this is a three year deal though,
surely gives you the chance to progress that plan with
a high degree of certainty.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
Mark that is what we hope it will do. And
you know, like a lot of the conversations we've been
having have been waiting and hinging on the supercars decision.
So you know, I'd like to be able to, hopefully,
you know, in a year's time, say hey, we're on
tractor to get everything done, and that would be the ultimate,
you know, the whole for me.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
The track itself, how much works needed? Do you need
to widen it in certain areas for example?

Speaker 4 (03:42):
No funny, a lot of the social media chat and
the experts that know what's going on the track will
stay as it is. It's yeah, that is narrow. They
you know, I think stock blotsam you know, focused on
that that it is narrow, but they creates passing opportunities,
different kind of racing and NDEDB eight and then we
had the Supertours say race sign on the track as

(04:04):
it was.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Do you have to up spectator facilities at all?

Speaker 2 (04:08):
I get the feeling you want what twenty thousand there
when the event rolls around.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
Look, I think in the first year we'll be looking
at some temporary grandstands, but by year two we hope
to have permanent grandstanding around the park, so that will
accommodate a lot more.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Seats for those who have never been to or opponent
and this is an opportunity for you to really do
a cell job for us.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
What makes it such a good race track in your view?

Speaker 4 (04:37):
I think it's a real real balanced technical track. You know,
you've got you've got a couple of far sections and
then we've got the infield which is a bit winding,
a bit technical, and I think you know that's where
a lot of the good passing maneuvers sort of happen.
And so yeah, the track's a lot of a lot
of fun to race and you know, we've had a
lot of positivity from professional drivers that seem to enjoy it.

(04:59):
And we obviously host the South London Endurance Series most
years and we get a lot of international drivers that
will turn up to that and they our praises all
the time.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
And no dates confirmed yet for next year. Topau was
in April this year. Is it likely to be consecutive weekends?

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Is that?

Speaker 2 (05:16):
Has that been confirmed that they'll be? Is that what
a double header means? Consecutive weekends?

Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah, I don't think anything. Crock Den was that yet.
I think they'll wait for the Formula One calendar to
come out and then'll oft in the Australia round and
then they'll they'll work out how the two New Zealand
rounds work. April it will be that most likely time.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Have you thought about what it might be like to
get a Kiwi winner on your track?

Speaker 4 (05:39):
Ah ho?

Speaker 2 (05:39):
How cool?

Speaker 3 (05:40):
That'd be so good?

Speaker 2 (05:43):
We have one earlier this year, didn't were the Jason
Richards Memorial Trophy going the way of a Kiwi? So
who knows? Maybe you'll get a similar scene at Royapoona
next year. Mark, terrific news this week. Congrats to you
and your team who I know I've put in a
huge amount of work behind the scenes and with support
from your local council and others in the christ Yeage region.
Can't wait to see how do a Poona goes next

(06:03):
year and beyond excellent. Thank you very much, no, thank
you Mark for joining us. Mark, wead to all General
manager of the Canterbury Car Club. Superb News, so two
Supercars events in twenty twenty six for at least three years,
Topor and Ruapoona a double header, so back to back
weekends probably I think we can safely assume in April

(06:24):
of twenty twenty six. Those dates will be confirmed a
bit later in the year. They're great to have supercars
coming to the South Island for the very first time
at Ruapoona in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
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