By Shaun Summerfield
After five years of battling bad weather, red tape and the financial crisis, the Hampton Downs Circuit south of Auckland is finally nearing completion.
The downs will host its first race in November and it has already received top marks from one of New Zealand's top V8 supercar drivers Greg Murphy.
“There are circuits all over the world that would give anything to have five percent of the character of this track - I'm very excited,” he says.
The new track is not without its critics, with some opposing the 60 million dollar mission to build New Zealand's first new circuit in 30 years.
Circuit developer Tony Roberts says when the idea first emerged, many people were unimpressed.
“They said ‘who were there two clowns’,” he says.
The two clowns were Tony Roberts and Chris Watson, who five years ago announced their plans to turn a cow paddock into Australasia's top motor sport venue.
Construction on the track has been slow, with various pot holes along the way.
It took three years to gain resource consent and two years to build 40 apartments and the first part of the 3.8 kilometre circuit, which will be ready for action in two months.
Mr Roberts says the development team were called dreamers.
“They said we were dreamers, tossers - well we proved them wrong,” he says.
He says the secret to success was a passion for motorsport and the simple motto ‘get it done’.
3 News