Triumphs @ Taupo 

An Explanation

What is Triumphs @ Taupo?

Organised and run by the Wellington Triumph Sports Car Club, Triumphs @ Taupo is two events run at the same time at the motor racing track in Taupo –the two events are Single Car Sprints and Dual Car Sprints.

Single Car Sprints involve one car at a time leaving the start line (with a minimum of five seconds before the next car starts) and completing three laps of the circuit – the total elapsed time over the three laps is what is taken into account in the final results.  While we do record all individual lap times, and they are what most people concentrate on, the total elapsed time of each run rewards consistency as well as pure speed. As the Taupo track is quite short, there are only 4 or 5 cars on the track at one time.

Dual Car Sprints only differ from Single Car Sprints insofar as two cars leaving the start line together (with a minimum of five seconds before the next two cars start). Again, the total elapsed time over the three laps is what is taken into account in the final results.  For Dual Car Sprints there are only 6 or 8 cars on the track at one time.

So this is a fairly safe form of motorsport?

It is indeed. The 5 second gaps reduce the possibility of cars (or pairs of cars) catching each other so you usually only have to watch yourself and maybe one other car.  If another car is catching you, the flag marshals around the track indicate this to you by waving a blue flag at you.  We run under MotorSport New Zealand regulations too, so there are rules and regulations governing the running of the day, the standard of vehicles that can compete on the track and what constitutes improper behaviour!

I’ve watched motor racing on TV and there seems to be a lot of crashes and people purposefully driving into each other – care to comment?

In the years since this event has been run (since 1986) there have been no cars touching each other and (without wanting to tempt fate here!) no crashes.  There have been a couple of suspension breakages, but these are things that do happen to people on the roads.  Anyone who drives like they are in the NZ V8 Touring Car Championship does not belong at Triumphs @ Taupo.

I suppose I’ll need some heavily modified rocketship to enter?

Not likely. We’ve had unmodified Heralds run in the past.  There is also more than one unmodified 2000 or 2500TC every year.  Rest assured, not everyone is a weekend warrior and if you can’t be fast then try and be consistent.  You will want to check over your car before the event as any faults will quickly come to light and you’ll want to be driving rather than fixing your car on the day.  Having a recently issued Warrant of Fitness is a start for ensuring your car is safe enough – talk with members of your club (or us) to see if there is anything else that you should deal with before the day.  If you are thinking of using a car which has had the battery relocated, the driver’s seat changed, harness seat belts fitted or any other alteration done then we can provide you with the relevant regulations to which those alterations must conform.

So what do I need to do to get the car on the track?

The absolute minimum for a car with a fixed roof is to fit an approved fire extinguisher in the approved manner and for the driver to have an approved crash helmet and approved overalls.  For a convertible, it is necessary to have a MotorSport New Zealand homologated roll hoop. The fire extinguisher will cost about $70 and will last you a few years – the minimum acceptable helmet (if you can’t borrow one) is about $100 and the minimum acceptable overalls about $75. Looked after (and kept clean), the helmet and overalls will last several years.  Entry on the day is expected to be about $50 – if you need to join a MSNZ affiliated club we can swing it for $5 and a day licence (only needed for the Dual Car Sprints) is $18.  Assuming nothing goes kaput, you’ll get practice and three official runs during the day (although we’ve had some drivers get up to 5 more unofficial runs in the past few years).

What about spectating?

Spectating is free. There’s currently not much in the way of facilities at the track, but there is a large embankment that you can park your car on and see the whole track from.  We have the competing cars park in the middle of the track so you can see them from the spectator embankment and so the competitors can follow what is happening on the track as well.

How do I find out more – like the specifics of the extinguisher, helmet and overalls?

We’ll be sending information out to clubs in November, but if you want to get things underway now then you can get hold of us using any of the following: