TODAY, a pair of Supercars drivers will line up on the front row of the grid for New Zealand’s most prestigious and historic race.

They will be joined on the grid by a young-gun from England who will certainly be behind the wheel of a Formula One car later this year and a host of other young drivers all looking for much of the same thing down the road.

Such is the makeup of today’s 69th New Zealand Grand Prix, to be held at the Highlands Motorsport Park circuit in the breathtaking Central Otago region of New Zealand’s South Island.

The NZGP is unique in the world of motorsport in that it is one of just two races afforded the title of ‘Grand Prix’ without being for Formula 1 machinery – the other, of course, being the iconic Macau Grand Prix.

First held in 1950, the Grand Prix’s early history somewhat mirrors that of the pre-F1 Australian version with it’s formative years comprising part of the Tasman series, where all the great stars of global motorsport would head Down Under during the European winter.

New Zealand Grand Prix Circuits:

• 1950: Ohakea Circuit (RNZAF Air Base)
• 1950-1962: Ardmore Circuit (RNZAF Air Base)
• 1963-1973: Pukekohe Park
• 1974: Wigram Airfield circuit
• 1975-1991: Pukekohe Park
• 1992-1995: Manfield
• 1998-1999: Ruapuna
• 2002-2007: Teretonga Park
• 2008-2020: Manfield
• 2021, 2023: Hampton Downs
• 2024- : Highlands Motorsport Park

Stan Jones won it, Sir Jack won it three times and Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Bruce McLaren – of course – Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart all claimed wins in the early times across events held on the Ardmore airfield and, from the early 1960s, Pukekohe.

Much as in Australia, F5000 followed with a period of domination from Australia’s open wheel greats coming at the same time: Neil Allen, Frank Gardner, John McCormack and Warwick Brown all claiming wins in the early 1970s.

A pre-F1 Keke Rosberg won it twice in the late ’70s following a shift to Formula Pacific regulations as F500 waned, while the early to mid 80s saw domination from American drivers like Davy Jones and Ross Cheever.

Struggles followed in the 1990s. Formula Holden, which for a time raced on both sides of the Tasman, allowed for Craig Baird and Greg Murphy to commence their Kiwi legacies with Grand Prix wins – and in Murph’s case, an enormous crash at Ruapuna in his Shell-liveried car while trying to defend his crown – and then a pair of wins for Simon Wills in 1998 and ’99, beating Scott Dixon to the NZ GP crown in the process.

The lack of an appropriate wings and slicks formula following Formula Holden’s demise allowed for Formula Ford to take the point for four years in the early 2000s, but it was the introduction of the Toyota Racing Series that delivered the Grand Prix back to it’s early-era glory days as a place where all the internationals came to race.

It’s recent history as a star-maker for international talent has been well documented: Earl Bamber, Mitch Evans, Lando Norris and more recently Liam Lawson among it’s biggest exports.

Recent history, however, appears to point the Grand Prix back in a direction to where it began: the best drivers from both sides of the Tasman racing guns from Europe and America in a proper international fight.

Shane van Gisbergen’s remarkable win at Hampton Downs in 2021 was remarkable and proved that Touring Car drivers could absolutely claim the race.

Will Brown and Broc Feeney hope to do the same this weekend.

Under the stewardship of Tony Quinn’s group at Highlands and Toyota New Zealand’s remarkable and ongoing support of Kiwi motorsport, it appears the Grand Prix is in good shape for years to come.

And the 69th running could prove to be one of the most compelling yet, among a storied history dating back all the way to that first race in 1950.

You can watch the 69th running New Zealand Grand Prix live and free anywhere in the world as part of the coverage of the NEXT GEN NZ Championship event at Highlands Motorsport Park, via the Stuff SpeedHub: head to www.stuff.co.nz/speedhub.