KEY POINTS:
It's the day motorsport enthusiasts throughout the country have been getting all revved up about as the New Zealand leg of the V8 Supercar Series finally takes to the starting line in Hamilton this afternoon.
More than two years in the making, the Hamilton 400 promises an enormous festival of three days of motorsport and music.
The 3.4km circuit on the fringes of the business district has transformed the relatively quiet suburban area of Frankton into a mass of concrete fences, catering tents, temporary grandstands and sponsorship signs as the city gears up for one of the country's biggest annual events.
At least 160,000 fans are expected to attend over the next three days and a global television audience of 850 million people in 130 countries is predicted.
Yesterday workers were adding the finishing touches to the racetrack.
Among them was Gold Coast native Mark Weissel, who paints the series signs at circuits throughout Australia and was yesterday finishing off the last of the 30,000 litres of paint he had used around the Hamilton track over the past five weeks.
He said the circuit was up there with the best he had worked on.
"It definitely rates with the circuits in Australia, the structures are all brand new, actually it's probably better than any of them."
Event promoter Dean Calvert said many of the drivers had praised the circuit.
"They say they've never seen anything presented so well."
New Zealand motorsport ace Greg Murphy, who is currently seventh after two rounds of this year's V8 Supercar series, was among a group of V8 drivers who listened to several whaikorero (speeches) at a powhiri held in their honour by Tainui kaumatua and the Maori King, Tuheitia.
TODAY
* 7.30am: Gates open.
* 12.50pm: V8 Supercars on the course for testing.
* 4.55pm: Testing and qualifying ends.
* 5.15pm: Maori King Tuheitia to be taken around the course on a "hot lap" by a Supercar driver.
