First details have been revealed of a new motorsport and driver training facility (Thunder Ridge Motorsport Park) in the Bay of Plenty’s TECT Park.
The facility is the brainchild of Hampton Downs co-creator Tony Roberts, racer Roger Williams and motorsport organiser Gary Stirling.
Plans for the facility off State Highway 36 halfway between Tauranga and Rotorua are well advanced. The objective is to create a flexible Bay of Plenty facility for the region, the wider motorsport community and automotive industry events.
The 3.2 km circuit will have eight corners and a 26m elevation variation. It will include high speed banked corners designed by racing drivers.
A club house, rest rooms, café and camping grounds are also planned. Motor homes will be welcome in the forest setting which is set to be one of the most scenic automotive facilities in Australasia.
The circuit will not require any public funding and will be fully compliant with the FIA’s stringent high standards.
“Our vision is for Thunder Ridge to be the place where young people and the average man in the street can participate in motor racing. Or they can just indulge their passion for cars or bikes. It will be just like the old Bay Park experience at Mount Maunganui” explained Roberts.
“The circuit, combined with the supporting facilities, will be a driver’s paradise. Planning permission has been granted and the project now just needs a finalised lease before work can commence.”
The 70 hectare facility will cater for a diverse range of interests. It will be available for grass roots motorsport events, car club events, or track days.
Thunder Ridge will also offer on-site garaging for race cars. But it’s the wide range of what will be on offer that Roberts, Williams and Stirling believe will appeal.
Roberts explained “It’s going to be a place where everyone with an interest in cars, bikes or even cycling and running competition will be welcome to indulge their passion.
“Everyone will be made to feel welcome because it’s going to be a place that was conceived and designed with that philosophy at its core.
“This is a place where new drivers can learn under expert tuition at an affordable price. It is also a place where our younger generation can come along and play with their cars safely. That alone will be of huge benefit to the wider region Thunder Ridge will serve.”
Club level motorsport weekends that include Fridays, Saturday and Sundays within the price will be a mainstay.
“Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Councils had the foresight to purchase land and process consents for the mixed utilisation of this land, including motorsport,” added Williams.
“We are three directors with a love of motorsport. We want to build this facility and to work with the other like-minded clubs at TECT Park.
“Lately, motor racing and circuit access in New Zealand have become out of reach for many because of rising costs. The sad demise of Pukekohe Park only made that problem worse and heightened the need for something new.
“Some of our international superstars, including Liam Lawson, Scott Dixon and Mitch Evans, started at grass roots level. They relied on everything being affordable.
“When the vision becomes reality, we should be welcoming our first customers in 2026.”
