The owner of the motorsport park which hosted Taupō’s first Supercars race over the weekend has flipped the bird at “all those people” who said a Supercars event could never happen in the town.
During a live on-air press conference after the second ITM Taupō Super400 race today, Taupō International Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn spoke of the overwhelming success of the weekend’s races.
Quinn described it as a “fantastic weekend for everybody”.
“For the fans, the result, for the Government, the success of the track,” he said.
Quinn then proceeded to flash his middle finger at “all those people that said, when it was announced, that it could never happen in Taupō”.
The rest of the panel erupt into laughter after Quinn’s act.
Kiwi driver Andre Heimgartner won the first ITM Taupō Super400 race on Saturday in a popular result for the return of the Supercars Championship to New Zealand.
The constant rain of the first day didn’t deter most ticket holders from turning up, huddling under ponchos and umbrellas to watch Heimgartner triumph.
Although Taupō couldn’t serve up a dry track for Race 7 of the Supercars Series, Quinn said the town had everything else.
“Taupō is one of the prettiest towns that I’ve been to and I’m not saying that because I’m standing here… Taupō has got everything and it’s got a racetrack that’s five minutes from the coffee shop and the lake. You can sit having a coffee, overlooking the lake.”
He said there could be some additional events coming to the town soon, “probably” a transtasman motorbike race and they also had plans to develop the Historic Grand Prix which was held at the track every two years.
Sunday’s race saw a return to the status quo with the Red Bull Racing duo of Will Brown and Broc Feeney finishing first and second.
“It was awesome racing between me and Broc and I hope everyone watching enjoyed it,” said Brown. “I was buggered at the end of it and was just pleased to get past him. A mega day and I had a lot of fun fighting with Broc.
“I might have touched him once but tried not to too much. I was so much faster than him mid-corner and it was one of my best races of my life.
“I didn’t want to bump him and put both of us off, so had to concentrate really hard. I’m so pleased we came back to New Zealand and hope we get two rounds here at some stage.”
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