Young and old, male and female, they are a growing band of motor-sport fans who are flocking to the races, drawn by the A1GP concept which pits nation against nation.
And there is an added drawcard - Jonny Reid.
He has the right mix of steely determination, talent and good looks to win over fans from all walks of life.
Die-hard petrol head Steve Taylor says Reid is a "fantastic driver and a good bloke".
Seventeen-year-old Anastasia Murray is only just getting into the racing, but thinks Jonny is "quite hot".
"He's good looking but a bit old for me - but anyone who is racing is hotter anyway."
Reid gets off to a great start, winning the morning sprint race which gives him valuable points in the race for the series championship.
New Zealand are third at the start of the day, behind Switzerland and France, but Reid is hoping to climb the table with five races left in the 10-race championship.
And the crowd is praying for a podium finish in the feature race.
A lengthy opening ceremony - with a kapa haka group, fireworks and the Red Checkers - is attractive, but the tension is palpable and the crowd hungry with expectation.
Close-up in the pit lane, the cars look a world away from the speedy go-karts they look like on screen.
They are monstrous, seething beasts of power.
Under A1GP rules, all cars are the same, unlike in the better-known Formula One. This means driver skill is everything.
Prime Minister Helen Clark starts the 3pm, 52-lap race: "Gentlemen, for the pride of your nation, start your engines."
Disaster strikes. Reid, fifth on the starting grid, has the most woeful start. In fact, his car barely starts and he drops to eleventh.
"He started like I do," says Steve Taylor, trying to make light of the situation. "He can still do it. They'll make it up in the pit stops."
Mr Taylor seems to be right. After a series of cars make stops, Reid weaves his way up to eighth.
There are cheers every time the cars pass one of the stands surrounding the track. The cheers get louder every time Reid overtakes a rival.
But then Reid needs a pit stop - and Steve Taylor's confidence drops. "We need to be less than 30 seconds in the pit," he says.
It takes the team almost 35 seconds to get the car back on the track.
"Too slow in the pits," worries Lois Jones. "But there's still a long way to go."
Then a stroke of good fortune for the home fans. Series leader Switzerland spins off the track and loses a healthy lead.
"That was Switzerland's chance of points evaporating, barring the biggest miracle of all time," says the commentator with undisguised joy.
There's more good news for all New Zealand fans - Australia spin into the dirt. Reid manages another couple of daring moves and takes sixth place.
With 17 laps to go, most leading cars go for a second pit stop. This time the New Zealand team makes it count, and Black Beauty moves up to fourth.
By now the crowd are on their feet and screaming each time the black car drives by.
Rose Wallace is still sceptical, though. "It's too hard a call coming back from eleventh. He just hasn't got enough time."
And she is right.
Reid finishes fourth, one place off the podium finish he wanted on home soil.
But the drama isn't over. A quick tot up of the points reveals New Zealand is in top spot overall, two points ahead of Switzerland and France.
Reid lost the battle but is winning the war. And as far as the fans are concerned, his star is still rising.
"From eleventh to fourth," says Billy Turner. "Imagine what he will do with a good start."
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