Supercars officials have announced the cancellation of the final race in Taupō, New Zealand, due to the imminent arrival of Cyclone Vaianu. Originally scheduled for Sunday, this third race of the event was rescheduled in hopes of avoiding adverse weather conditions; however, the cyclone is expected to make landfall sooner than previously anticipated.
The planned top-10 shootout has been removed from the event schedule, and the primary race, consisting of 60 laps covering 200 kilometers, will now occur later today.
In light of the cyclone threatening the North Island, Supercars has opted to forgo all racing activities on Sunday. The Taupō race, which was intended to be the tenth of the season, is now set to take place next weekend during the historic round in Christchurch.
Barclay Nettlefold, the interim leader of Supercars, expressed disappointment over the unprecedented circumstances affecting the championship. “This situation is unlike anything we’ve faced in the history of the Supercars Championship,” he stated. “It’s unfortunate to witness a weather event of such magnitude disrupt what we anticipated would be an exhilarating final day of racing. We sincerely apologize to our fans who have traveled to Taupō for this event. However, given the severity of the cyclone, we must prioritize the safety of everyone at the venue.” Nettlefold also indicated that efforts would be made to compensate fans and partners by adding a race to the Christchurch event.
Conditions appeared ideal on Friday, with local favorite Ryan Wood leading practice two, but a significant shift in the weather was predicted for later Saturday. In response to the expected severe winds and rainfall, Supercars officials made substantial adjustments to the schedule. Saturday’s two races were moved up by 30 minutes, and the top-10 shootout was eliminated from the agenda. The main race has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon instead.
Leading the championship, Brodie Kostecki will begin the first race on Saturday from the pole position, while Wood earned the fastest qualifying time for the second race.
