The 2026 Supercars Championship heads across the Tasman this weekend for the ITM Taupō Super 440. The first race of the New Zealand double header, the weekend is shaping up to be extremely competitive.
The circuit
Taupō International Motorsport Park is one of the shorter circuits on the calendar, measuring just over 3.3 km. That means lap times are relatively quick, but it also packs the field tightly together, especially across sprint races.
The layout is quite technical. There’s a mix of flowing sections and tighter corners, with a couple of heavy braking zones that create limited overtaking chances. Because of that, qualifying is expected to play a big role and starting near the front is a big advantage here.
This weekend will feature three races, with two 37 lap races and a 60 lap race. The shorter races adds extra pressure onto the drivers to maximise every lap rather than relying on strategy.
One of the biggest variables this year is the introduction of the super soft tyre at Taupō. With the circuit already known for tyre wear, the softer compound is likely to increase degradation and force drivers to manage their pace more carefully across each race.
Heading into Taupō Supercars round
There are a few clear storylines heading into Round Three. Broc Feeney has shown strong speed early in the season, leading laps across the opening rounds. However, multiple incidents in Melbourne have dropped him down the standings. He comes into this weekend looking to convert pace into results.
Brodie Kostecki has taken a more consistent approach. While not always the outright fastest, he’s regularly finished at the front and benefited from races where attrition played a role. That consistency has kept him well placed at the top of the standings.
Chaz Mostert is another key contender. He’s traditionally strong in races where strategy and tyre management come into play. Mostert’s experience could be crucial this weekend given the expected degradation from the super soft compound.
Matt Payne headlines the Kiwi contingent at Taupō, with Ryan Wood and Andre Heimgartner also looking to impress on home soil. Additionally, Cooper Murray and Thomas Randle have stepped into new roles within the Supercars Drivers Association.
The 2026 Supercars season so far ahead of Taupō…
After the opening rounds in Sydney and Melbourne, the championship is still very close. However, a dominant display in Melbourne has allowed Kostecki to build a small points gap. 28 points ahead of Waters, consistency has been key for the Former Champion.
Feeney sits inside the top group in the standings, the Triple Eight driver is currently third in the standings with 442 points. While he has banked three race wins and two pole positions so far this season, Feeney has been inconsistent in the other four races, losing valuable points due to incidents or misfortunes.
Further down the order, there are several drivers still within striking distance. With only small margins separating multiple positions in the championship, a single strong weekend, or a bad one, can shift a driver several places up or down the standings.
With Taupō hosting multiple races and offering limited opportunities to recover from mistakes, it becomes an important round early in the year. Drivers who can string together clean results across all races will likely leave New Zealand in a much stronger championship position.
Taupō’s revised schedule
Supercars has also confirmed a revised schedule for Taupō. This is due to an extreme weather forecast expected to impact Sunday’s running. As a result, Saturday’s program has been brought forward by 30 minutes, with the second race upgraded to the longer 200km event.
Sunday’s Top Ten Shootout has been removed to fit the revised timetable and the schedule is now tentative. However, qualifying set for 8:00am and the final 120km race scheduled to start at 9:55am NZST.
