The ITM 400 Auckland will come with a new race format. There will be two 100km races on both Saturday and Sunday, each with its own 15-minute qualifying session.
The format means there will be no mid-race fuel stops, just 30 laps of action on the Pukekohe raceway. While there will be no-holds-barred sprint action, the format also demands endurance from both machine and driver with 400km of racing.
"It's going to be full-on. Nailing the setup of the car straight off the plane in the first practice session will be the absolute key to an overall result," said ITM 400 Auckland ambassador Greg Murphy.
"Qualifying is always vital and getting the high-speed balance right is essential because Pukekohe is such a fast and flowing circuit. It's been five years since V8 Supercars have been there and there have been some significant changes.
"They will need to get to grips with that very quickly while still learning the new cars."
Shane Howard, V8 Supercars chief operations officer, says the format changes are designed for the teams and drivers to race hard and fight for every position.
"With the new marques joining Ford and Holden in 2013 it was an opportunity for a change across the board while continuing the great traditions of our signature events."
The V8 Supercars will complete two hours of practice in four 30-minute sessions on Friday, with qualifying and Top 10 Shootout before two 100km races on each of Saturday and Sunday.
