Motorsport: Circuit development puts Taupo Motorsport Park into international league

The Taupo Motorsport Park circuit has undergone changes to the corners at the end of the main straight.

The previous fast left-right-left sequence of corners before the pit straight has been reconfigured into a tight left-hander, followed by an even tighter right-hander.

A1 Team New Zealand driver Jonny Reid, in third place on the A1GP championship table, believes January's race on the changed circuit will be more exciting when coupled with recent rule changes.

"You can see the strategy immediately," Reid said. "Cars will now be subjected to heavier braking, which opens up more opportunities to pass. If drivers are prepared to push hard, and they're good enough, they should be rewarded.

"It's wicked we'll be hitting that sort of corner more often than usual given the Taupo track is three-and-a-half km long, compared to the five-km monsters you can get in Asia."

The most pleasing aspect of the track change for A1GP Taupo's Gary Dawson was the proximity to 85 per cent of the seated audience.

"The change hasn't been made in the in-field, it is directly in front of the main stand seating 8500 people," Dawson said.

TMP managing director David Steele said the track change was part of the venue's commitment to ensuring the most exciting racing.

Steele said "truckloads" of traffic had been over the track since the inaugural A1GP event, leaving the surface with a good rubber base that provides more grip.

Another positive a year on is less dust and grit will be dragged on to the circuit from cars cutting corners.

The grass is now well established on the infield and the competitor set-up area has been re-sealed, as well as the main entranceway. These improvements cut down on the amount of debris carried on to the track surface.

Taupo's $3 million race control and pit lane building, now with a row of second-floor corporate suites above, has also turned what was once a rural circuit into something that can be compared favourably with overseas circuits.

The fifth round of the season, Taupo will be the first A1GP event of the New Year and Reid is urging Kiwis to "'Black Out' the track and experience the thrills up close and personal".