Hamilton 400
| Venue | Hamilton Street Circuit |
.svg.png) Hamilton Street Circuit | |
| Race Format | |
| Race 1 | |
| - Laps | 59 |
| - Distance | 201 km |
| Race 2 | |
| - Laps | 59 |
| - Distance | 201 km |
| Last Race (2012) | |
| Winning Driver | Will Davison |
| Winning Team | Ford Performance Racing |
| Winning Manufacturer | Ford |
The Hamilton 400 was a V8 Supercar motor racing event and one of three V8 Supercar events held outside of Australia. The race is held on the streets of Hamilton, New Zealand. The city streets are closed off in the days leading up to the event with various items of road furniture removed and concrete barriers, and a pit complex installed. The event was first held in 2008, replacing the long running New Zealand V8 International, held at nearby Pukekohe Park Raceway in Pukekohe.
End of Event
On the 30th of September 2011, it was reported that Hamilton City Council, the local governing body for Hamilton City where the race is held, chose to opt out of the Hamilton 400, with the final event due to take place in 2012. The council accepted a $1.25 million dollar payout from V8 Supercars Australia to renege on the seven-year contract. The event had reportedly been run at a significant loss in 2011, leading to the early-exit offer.[1][2] Following an audit in 2011 the ex major Michael Redman resigned after allegations of unwise spending were proven.The report showed that the total cost to Hamilton was about $40million of which at least $3 million was unauthorized expenditure. The report criticized the city council for being secretive about the massive mismanagement. Then-CEO Tony Marryatt also came in for criticism, despite his defence of the event.[3]
Past winners
| Season | Winning Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |  Garth Tander |
Holden VE Commodore | Holden Racing Team |
| 2009 | Jamie Whincup |
Ford FG Falcon | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| 2010 | Jamie Whincup |
Holden VE Commodore | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| 2011 |  Rick Kelly |
Holden VE Commodore | Kelly Racing |
| 2012 | Will Davison |
Ford FG Falcon | Ford Performance Racing |
References
- ↑ "V8 Supercars gone from Hamilton". Waikato Times. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- ↑ "FUTURE OF HAMILTON RACE DECIDED". V8 Supercars Australia Official Website. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
- ↑ CEO defends part in V8 fiasco