Motorsport: V8 Supercars heading back to Hamilton

V8 Supercars holds a seven-year resource consent for the Hamilton event. Next April will be its fifth year staging the races in the city. Photo / Alan Gibson

V8 Supercars will roar around the streets of Hamilton next April for the fifth year.

Organiser and promoter V8 Supercars Australia has confirmed it will be back and is now deciding on an international act to play on the Saturday night of the three-day event as part of its Race n' Rock format.

An announcement on event plans is expected in the next day or so.

The race dates are likely to be approved as part of a V8 Supercars Australia meeting with the Hamilton City Council, and the series calendar will be announced at the Bathurst event on October 9.

Tickets for the Hamilton racing are expected to go on sale soon after.

V8 Supercars New Zealand event manager Greg Mosen said planning was going well. Some changes, including a new grandstand at the entry to Turn 2, were being looked at to make the event more interesting for returning race fans.

"I have got some really exciting things on the horizon. There will be plenty of support categories coming back, the drift cars are coming back and there will be some great off-track entertainment. I'm looking to add some colour to the track."

The number of concerts had been scaled back from two to one on the Saturday night and an international band would be supported by two opening acts.

Mr Mosen confirmed V8 Supercars Australia had met city council chief executive Barry Harris and worked through the review, focusing on details such as noise levels and recycling.

Plans had been held up while the company waited for Mr Harris to settle into the role and V8 Supercars Australia was sold.

V8 Supercars holds a seven-year resource consent for the Hamilton event and would have to begin applying for a new consent next year if it wanted to return to the city after 2014 as the consent process can take up to two years to complete.