NZ Burnout Pads
FIND SOMEWHERE TO SKID LEGALLY
A growing directory of burnout pads and venues across New Zealand — from established competition venues to grassroots facilities. This is a work in progress so bare with me.
Keep it off the street and put it on the pad.
North island
Mercury Baypark has become an important part of New Zealand’s burnout scene through AutoFest, bringing some of the country’s leading burnout cars to Mount Maunganui.
Unlike many of New Zealand’s purpose-built burnout facilities, Baypark uses a large sealed area within the venue complex that is transformed into a dedicated burnout competition area for the event.
Quick Info
Location: Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty
Venue: Mercury Baypark
Address: 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui
Facility Type: Event Burnout Area
Surface: Sealed
Current Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Event Specific
Permanent Burnout Pad: No
Pad Size: Not Confirmed
Major Events: AutoFest Burnout Competition / Pro Burnout Competition
About the Burnout Pad
The burnout area at Mercury Baypark is created within one of the large sealed areas of the venue rather than being a standalone permanent burnout pad.
For AutoFest, barriers and other safety infrastructure are installed to create a dedicated competition area and lead-in for the burnout cars.
The large open space provides plenty of room for competitors and has allowed Baypark to host a substantial field of burnout cars.
AutoFest
AutoFest brought its burnout competition to Mercury Baypark in 2025, establishing a new major burnout event in the Bay of Plenty.
The event returned in 2026, with both Open and Pro burnout competition as well as the introduction of a youth category.
AutoFest has quickly established Baypark as another significant stop on New Zealand’s burnout calendar.
About the Venue
Mercury Baypark is a large sporting and entertainment complex located at 81 Truman Lane in Mount Maunganui.
The complex includes Baypark Speedway, an indoor arena and extensive outdoor sealed areas that can be adapted for major automotive events.
Baypark Speedway has been operating at the site since 2001 and is one of the major speedway venues in the upper North Island.
The size and versatility of the wider Baypark complex has allowed AutoFest to create a dedicated burnout competition area without using the speedway oval itself.
Huntly International Speedway is another New Zealand speedway venue with a history of hosting organised burnout competitions.
The venue has hosted rounds of the New Zealand Burnout Championship, with competitors using a sealed burnout area within the Huntly Speedway complex.
Quick Info
Location: Huntly, Waikato
Venue: Huntly International Speedway
Address: 93 McVie Road, Huntly
Facility Type: Speedway / Burnout Pad
Surface: Sealed
Current Status: To Be Confirmed
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Pad Size: Not Confirmed
Major Events: New Zealand Burnout Championship
About the Burnout Pad
Huntly International Speedway has been used as a venue for dedicated burnout competitions, including events run as part of the New Zealand Burnout Championship.
One of the best documented examples is the NZBC WinterBash held at Huntly, which brought dedicated burnout cars to the venue and made use of the sealed burnout area within the speedway complex.
Photos from these events show a substantial sealed area specifically being used for burnouts, although reliable published dimensions for the pad have not yet been found.
New Zealand Burnout Championship
Huntly became part of the national burnout scene through the New Zealand Burnout Championship, which travelled to dedicated burnout facilities and motorsport venues around New Zealand.
The championship helped bring some of the country's leading burnout cars to Huntly and added another form of motorsport entertainment to a venue traditionally known for speedway racing.
About the Venue
Huntly International Speedway is located at 93 McVie Road in Huntly and is operated by the Waikato Stock and Saloon Car Club.
The current Huntly Speedway facility began taking shape during the 1980s, although organised speedway racing in Huntly dates all the way back to 1944.
The main speedway is a 380-metre red-clay oval and has hosted Stockcars, Superstocks, Saloons, Modifieds, Midgets and numerous national and regional championships.
Huntly International Speedway remains an active motorsport venue today, continuing to host a full programme of speedway racing.
Waikaraka Park Speedway in Onehunga has a long history of including burnouts as part of its motorsport entertainment programme.
Located only a short distance from central Auckland, Waikaraka has hosted burnout cars alongside Stockcars, Superstocks, Saloons, demolition derbies, jet cars and other forms of motorsport entertainment.
Quick Info
Location: Onehunga, Auckland
Venue: Waikaraka Park Speedway
Address: 175 Neilson Street, Onehunga
Facility Type: Speedway / Burnout Area
Current Status: Speedway Active
Burnout Competitions: Historically Yes
Known Events: Easter Spectacular and other special events
About Burnouts at Waikaraka
Waikaraka Park has hosted burnout cars and organised burnout displays as part of special events at the speedway.
Burnouts were particularly associated with some of the venue's major entertainment meetings, where burnout cars appeared alongside speedway racing, demolition derbies, jet cars and fireworks.
The Easter Spectacular is one documented example, with burnout cars forming part of the programme alongside the speedway racing and demolition derby.
Unlike some of New Zealand's purpose-built facilities, further research is needed to establish the exact history, dimensions and construction of the area used for burnouts at Waikaraka.
About the Venue
Waikaraka Park Speedway is located at 175 Neilson Street in Onehunga and is home to the Auckland Stock and Saloon Car Club.
The venue has been one of Auckland's major speedway facilities for decades and has hosted Stockcars, Superstocks, Saloons, Super Saloons, Ministocks, Streetstocks and other classes.
Waikaraka underwent a major redevelopment during 2025 as part of the consolidation of Auckland speedway activities following the end of racing at Western Springs.
The upgraded facility reopened for the 2025/26 season and continues to operate as one of Auckland's major motorsport venues.
Its history of burnout displays and competitions makes Waikaraka another venue worth documenting as part of New Zealand's wider burnout history.
Taupō International Motorsport Park is home to a new dedicated burnout pad, adding another purpose-built facility to New Zealand's growing burnout scene.
The new pad replaces the older burnout area previously used at the Motorsport Park and provides a modern facility for burnout competitions and automotive events.
Quick Info
Location: Taupō, Waikato
Venue: Taupō International Motorsport Park
Address: 463 Broadlands Road, Taupō
Facility Type: Dedicated Burnout Pad
Current Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Established: 2026
Previous Burnout Facility: Yes
About the Burnout Pad
The new burnout pad was established at Taupō International Motorsport Park in 2026 as part of the continued development of the venue.
Taupō already has a long history with organised burnouts, with the Motorsport Park hosting burnout competitions and automotive festivals for many years.
The new pad provides a dedicated modern area for burnouts and continues that history at the venue.
Taupō Burnout History
Long before the construction of the new pad, Taupō Motorsport Park was already an important stop on New Zealand's burnout calendar.
Events such as Lack-A-Traction Burnouts Taupō brought dedicated burnout competitions to the venue, while larger automotive events have also incorporated burnout sessions into their programmes.
The arrival of the new burnout pad in 2026 begins another chapter in that history and provides a new facility for future competitions.
About the Venue
Taupō International Motorsport Park is located at 463 Broadlands Road and is one of New Zealand's premier permanent motorsport facilities.
The venue features multiple circuit configurations and extensive pit, spectator and event infrastructure.
The main 3.32km circuit is FIA Grade 3 certified and the venue hosts everything from grassroots motorsport and automotive festivals through to the Supercars Championship.
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park is home to an active purpose-built burnout pad located within one of New Zealand’s premier motorsport facilities.
Situated in the Waikato between Auckland and Hamilton, the burnout pad provides a controlled environment for drivers to perform burnouts as part of organised automotive events.
Quick Info
Location: Waikato
Venue: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park
Address: 20 Hampton Downs Road, Te Kauwhata
Facility Type: Purpose-Built Burnout Pad
Current Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Location Within Venue: Club Circuit area
Known Events: ClubFest, Street to Track
About the Burnout Pad
The Hampton Downs burnout pad is located within the Club Circuit area of the motorsport park and is used for dedicated burnout sessions.
Unlike the venue’s wet skid pan, which is also available for drivers wanting to get sideways, the burnout pad is a separate area specifically used for burnouts.
The facility has become a regular part of ClubFest, with multiple burnout sessions held throughout the event weekend.
In 2026, Hampton Downs also introduced its Street to Track programme, which gives car enthusiasts access to burnouts, roll racing, grip sessions and track cruising within a legal and controlled motorsport environment.
Street to Track
Street to Track was created by Hampton Downs to provide car enthusiasts with an alternative to illegal street racing and burnouts.
The programme allows drivers to bring their own vehicles to the Motorsport Park and take part in burnouts on the purpose-built pad alongside other track activities.
The concept strongly promotes taking automotive activities away from public roads and into a controlled environment where drivers, passengers and spectators can enjoy car culture safely and legally.
About the Venue
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park is one of New Zealand’s premier permanent motorsport and entertainment facilities.
Located in the Waikato, the venue features multiple racing circuits along with a wet skid pan, go-kart track, driver training facilities and extensive pit, spectator and corporate infrastructure.
The Motorsport Park hosts everything from major national and international motorsport events through to grassroots track days, drifting, car club events and automotive festivals.
The dedicated burnout pad adds another dimension to the facility and provides an important legal venue for burnouts in the upper North Island.
The Home of RAPANATS
Masterton Motorplex is home to one of New Zealand’s best purpose-built burnout pads.
Located in the Wairarapa, the Motorplex is best known for its quarter-mile drag strip, but its dedicated burnout facility has become an important part of New Zealand’s burnout scene.
Quick Info
Location: Masterton, Wairarapa
Venue: Masterton Motorplex
Address: 21 Manaia Road, Solway, Masterton
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Pad Size: Approx. 40m x 40m
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Major Events: Rapanats, Smokefest & Bob's Burnouts
About the Burnout Pad
The Masterton burnout pad is a purpose-built facility measuring approximately 40 metres by 40 metres.
The pad is surrounded by a concrete wall approximately one metre high, with additional wire fencing above the wall helping separate spectators from the competition area.
The facility was developed to provide burnout competitors with a dedicated place to compete and to encourage people to take burnouts away from public roads and into a controlled motorsport environment.
Masterton has since become one of the best-known burnout venues in New Zealand, hosting events including Rapanats, Smokefest and Bob's Burnouts.
About the Venue
Masterton Motorplex is an established drag racing facility located in Solway, Masterton.
Alongside the burnout pad, the venue features a quarter-mile drag strip, large pit areas and dedicated spectator facilities.
The Motorplex hosts everything from grassroots motorsport through to major national drag racing meetings and burnout competitions, attracting competitors and spectators from throughout New Zealand.
Its purpose-built burnout pad and established motorsport infrastructure have helped make Masterton an important home for New Zealand's legal burnout scene.
rapanats burnout competition
Home to the Chrome Pro Burnout COmpetition
NAPA Auto Parts Dragway at Meremere is home to one of New Zealand’s best-known dedicated burnout pads.
Located between Auckland and Hamilton, the venue is primarily known for drag racing but has also become an important home for burnout competitions and other forms of motorsport.
Quick Info
Location: Meremere, Waikato
Venue: NAPA Auto Parts Dragway
Address: Dragway Road, Meremere
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Separate from Drag Strip: Yes
About the Burnout Pad
Meremere features a dedicated burnout pad located separately from the main drag racing strip.
The pad can be used for standalone burnout competitions, allowing promoters to hold dedicated burnout events without needing to use the drag strip itself.
Over the years, Meremere has hosted everything from grassroots burnout events through to major competitions featuring some of New Zealand’s top burnout cars.
The venue is also available for private and commercial event hire, with the burnout pad specifically available for standalone burnout competitions.
About the Venue
Meremere Dragway opened at Easter 1973 after a group of motorsport enthusiasts recognised the need for a permanent drag racing facility in the greater Auckland region.
The Pukekohe Hot Rod Club was instrumental in establishing the facility and remains responsible for its day-to-day maintenance, improvements and drag racing events.
Today, NAPA Auto Parts Dragway is one of New Zealand’s most established motorsport venues, hosting drag racing, burnouts and a range of other automotive events.
With its permanent burnout pad, extensive pit areas and established motorsport infrastructure, Meremere has become an important venue for New Zealand’s legal burnout scene.
MEremere DragwayKaikohe Burnout Pad
Kaikohe Speedway is home to one of Northland’s established permanent burnout pads.
Located within the speedway complex on State Highway 12, the pad has provided the Far North with a dedicated location for legal burnout competitions for many years.
Quick Info
Location: Kaikohe, Northland
Venue: Kaikohe Speedway
Address: State Highway 12, Kaikohe
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Pad Size: Approx. 30m x 30m
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Surface: Asphalt
Established: 2008
About the Burnout Pad
Kaikohe’s dedicated burnout pad was constructed inside the speedway track in October 2008.
Measuring approximately 30 metres by 30 metres, it was described by the club as the largest burnout pad in Northland when it was built.
The addition of the pad gave Kaikohe Speedway another form of motorsport alongside its traditional speedway racing and provided local drivers with a dedicated facility for burnout competitions.
Over the years, Kaikohe Burnouts have attracted a wide variety of cars and competitors, with dedicated burnout meetings becoming a well-supported part of the venue.
About the Venue
Kaikohe Speedway is an established motorsport facility in the Far North, featuring a dirt speedway track with the permanent burnout pad located inside the circuit.
The venue underwent significant development during the 2000s, including new clubrooms, improvements to the racing surface, concrete walls and safety catch fencing.
The burnout pad followed in 2008 and helped expand the range of motorsport activities available at the facility.
Today, Kaikohe Speedway continues to provide the Northland motorsport community with a controlled environment for both speedway racing and burnouts.
Kaikohe Burnouts
Dargaville was once home to an established concrete burnout pad that hosted organised burnout competitions in Northland.
The Dargaville Burnouts became a well-known event within the Northland car scene during the late 2000s and early 2010s, attracting competitors from around the region.
Quick Info
Location: Dargaville, Northland
Facility Type: Concrete Burnout Pad
Surface: Concrete
Current Status: Inactive / Historic
Burnout Competitions: Yes
Known Events: Kaipara Car Show / Dargaville Burnouts
Documented Use: At least 2009–2010
About the Burnout Pad
Organised burnout competitions were being held in Dargaville by at least 2009.
Contemporary coverage of the 2009 Kaipara Car Show describes competitors performing burnouts on a dedicated concrete pad.
The burnout competition formed a major part of the annual event, with competitors judged on their performances and significant prize money on offer.
The 2009 competition was won by Ange Aitken-Vuletich, who reportedly destroyed eight sets of tyres during the event.
Dargaville Burnouts returned in February 2010, with photographs from the event still providing a record of this period of Northland burnout history.
About the Event
The Kaipara Car Show combined a traditional automotive show with the burnout competition and other entertainment.
Organiser Shane Vuletich was involved with the event, which was also run in memory of his mother and raised money for the Breast Cancer Foundation.
The Dargaville burnout competitions are another example of the strong organised burnout scene that developed throughout Northland during this period, alongside facilities such as Kaikohe.
Although the Dargaville pad is no longer an active burnout venue, its events form an important part of the history of organised burnouts in the region.
Morrinsville Burnout Pad
The Morrinsville Burnout Pad was a purpose-built private burnout facility near Morrinsville in the Waikato and became home to one of New Zealand’s best-known grassroots burnout competitions.
Built on private property by local burnout enthusiast Dion D’Anvers, the pad developed from humble beginnings into a facility capable of hosting some of New Zealand’s leading burnout cars.
Quick Info
Location: Morrinsville, Waikato
Event: Scrap Palace Morrinsville Burnout Comp
Facility Type: Private Purpose-Built Burnout Pad
Purpose Built: Yes
Original Layout: Square
Later Layout: Octagonal
Competition Era: More than 10 years
Last Major Competition: 2016
About the Burnout Pad
The Morrinsville pad began after Dion D’Anvers saw the potential for a dedicated place to hold legal burnout competitions.
With the help of friends from the concreting and automotive communities, a square concrete skid pad was initially constructed on his property.
The original pad was relatively small and better suited to stationary burnouts, so it was later expanded by adding four additional sides, transforming the pad into an octagonal layout and giving competitors considerably more room to move.
As the competition developed, so did the facility. In 2016 a new lead-in was added to the burnout pad, allowing drivers to perform faster Australian-style tip-ins before entering the main competition area.
About Morrinsville Burnouts
The Scrap Palace Morrinsville Burnout Comp grew from a small local gathering into one of New Zealand’s best-known burnout events.
By 2015 the competition was into its eighth running and was attracting some of the country's leading burnout cars and drivers.
Despite being held on private property, the event developed into a professionally organised competition with an emphasis on competitor and spectator safety.
The final Scrap Palace Morrinsville Burnout competition was held in 2016, bringing to an end more than a decade of events at this unique private burnout facility.
The Morrinsville pad remains an important part of New Zealand burnout history and is a great example of how a grassroots private facility helped contribute to the development of the country's organised burnout scene.
Morrinsville Burnouts
Meeanee Speedway – Napier
Meeanee Speedway in Napier is home to a former burnout pad that played a part in the development of the Hawke's Bay burnout scene.
While the speedway itself remains active today, the burnout pad is no longer used for organised burnout competitions.
Quick Info
Location: Napier, Hawke's Bay
Venue: Meeanee Speedway
Address: 59 Sandy Road, Meeanee, Napier
Facility Type: Burnout Pad
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Current Status: Inactive
Known Events: Lack-A-Traction Winter Blow Out
About the Burnout Pad
Meeanee Speedway hosted dedicated burnout competitions during the mid-2010s and became an important venue for Hawke's Bay burnout competitors.
One of the best documented events was the Lack-A-Traction Winter Blow Out held in June 2016.
The event attracted 43 vehicles, with competitors travelling from as far away as Auckland and Wellington. A strong local crowd also turned out, filling the speedway grandstand for the competition.
The 2016 Winter Blow Out was reported as the second Lack-A-Traction event held at the venue.
Current Status
The Meeanee burnout pad is no longer active for organised burnout competitions.
Although its time as an active burnout venue was relatively short, Meeanee deserves a place in New Zealand's burnout history as one of the dedicated locations used during the growth of organised burnout competitions around the country.
About the Venue
Meeanee Speedway is located on Sandy Road in Napier and is home to the Hawke's Bay Speedway Club.
The main speedway is a 400-metre clay, sand and lime oval and continues to host a wide range of Speedway New Zealand classes.
Its established grandstands, pits and motorsport infrastructure made the venue well suited to hosting burnout competitions alongside its traditional speedway programme.
Today the speedway remains active, while its former burnout activities represent another chapter in the history of New Zealand's legal burnout scene.
Pipiwai Bush Burnouts
Pipiwai Bush Burnouts is a grassroots burnout facility located in rural Northland, inland from Whangārei.
Set amongst the bush at Pipiwai, the venue provides Northland burnout enthusiasts with a dedicated place to get together, put on a show and enjoy burnouts away from public roads.
Quick Info
Location: Pipiwai, Northland
Venue: Pipiwai Bush Burnouts
Address: 125 Henare Road, Pipiwai
Facility Type: Dedicated Burnout Pad
Status: Active
Burnout Events: Yes
Grassroots Events: Yes
Major Events: BurnOut MadNess / Annual New Year Burnout
About the Burnout Pad
Pipiwai Bush Burnouts is a dedicated grassroots burnout venue located on Henare Road in the rural Pipiwai area of Northland.
Unlike many New Zealand burnout pads that form part of a drag strip or speedway complex, Pipiwai has developed its own identity as a standalone burnout destination.
The venue regularly brings together local cars, clubs and burnout enthusiasts for relaxed grassroots events, with an emphasis on getting cars onto the pad and putting on a show.
Events have featured multiple rounds of burnouts, giving drivers plenty of opportunities to get onto the pad throughout the day.
About the Venue
Pipiwai Bush Burnouts has built a strong following within the Northland car scene and has attracted cars and spectators from outside the immediate area.
The venue continues to host events including BurnOut MadNess and its annual New Year burnout gathering.
Its rural bush setting and grassroots atmosphere make Pipiwai very different from New Zealand's larger commercial motorsport venues and give the pad its own unique character within the country's burnout scene.
Pipiwai Bush Burnoutssouth island
Sunset Speedway in Westport is home to a burnout pad within the speedway complex, providing another dedicated location for burnouts on New Zealand's West Coast.
Located near North Beach, Sunset Speedway has been a home for grassroots motorsport in the Buller District since the late 1980s.
Quick Info
Location: Westport, West Coast
Venue: Sunset Speedway
Address: Craddock Drive, North Beach, Westport
Facility Type: Burnout Pad
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Location Within Venue: Speedway Complex
Current Status: To Be Confirmed
Pad Size: To Be Confirmed
About the Burnout Pad
A burnout pad is located within the Sunset Speedway complex at Westport.
The facility adds another dedicated burnout location to the South Island and is particularly significant because of Westport's relatively isolated location on the West Coast.
Further information on when the pad was constructed, its dimensions and the burnout events held at the facility is still being researched.
About the Venue
Sunset Speedway was established in 1987 after a group of local motorsport enthusiasts approached the Buller District Council about developing a speedway near North Beach.
Local contractors Colin and Roy Wishart of Wishart Construction helped develop the site, which became known as Wishart Raceway.
Today the venue is known as Sunset Speedway and operates under the Circle Track Racing Association.
The main speedway is approximately 302 metres long with banked corners and concrete walls around much of the circuit.
Alongside its speedway racing history, the presence of the burnout pad makes Sunset Speedway another interesting part of the wider history of grassroots motorsport on the West Coast
Beachlands Speedway in Dunedin is home to an active burnout pad that has become an important venue for the South Island burnout scene.
Located at Waldronville on the outskirts of Dunedin, the speedway provides an established motorsport environment for dedicated burnout competitions alongside its traditional speedway programme.
Quick Info
Location: Dunedin, Otago
Venue: Beachlands Speedway
Address: 130 Friendship Drive, Waldronville, Dunedin
Facility Type: Burnout Pad
Current Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Burnout Competitions: Yes
Major Events: 6 Banger Burnout Nats South Island, Yeah the Girls and other burnout competitions
About the Burnout Pad
Beachlands Speedway has developed into an important burnout venue for competitors from Dunedin and throughout the South Island.
The pad has hosted dedicated burnout competitions featuring everything from grassroots cars through to some of New Zealand's established competition burnout cars.
In March 2024, a dedicated burnout competition at Beachlands attracted more than 30 entrants.
The venue has also hosted Yeah the Girls, a dedicated women-only burnout competition created to give both beginner and experienced female drivers an opportunity to compete on the pad.
6 Banger Burnout Nats
In March 2026, Beachlands Speedway became home to the first South Island 6 Banger Burnout Nats.
The event brought the six-cylinder-only competition to the South Island for the first time, with competitors travelling to Dunedin to battle for the South Island title.
Beachlands also hosted Pro Burnout demonstrations alongside the 6 Banger competition, bringing another major burnout event to the venue.
About the Venue
Beachlands Speedway is located at 130 Friendship Drive in Waldronville, Dunedin.
The speedway dates back to the 1960s and today features a 408-metre clay oval hosting Stockcars, Super Saloons, Saloons, Sprintcars, Streetstocks, Production Saloons and Youth Saloons.
Its established spectator areas, pits and motorsport infrastructure make Beachlands well suited to hosting dedicated burnout competitions.
With an active burnout pad and a growing list of events, Beachlands Speedway has become an important part of the legal burnout scene in the lower South Island.
Add your content hentral Motor Speedway in Cromwell is home to a purpose-built burnout pad located in the centre of the speedway track.
Surrounded by the natural amphitheatre of Central Motor Speedway, the pad provides excellent viewing for spectators and has become an established home for burnout competitions in Central Otago.
Quick Info
Location: Cromwell, Central Otago
Venue: Central Motor Speedway
Address: Sandflat Road, Cromwell
Facility Type: Purpose-Built Burnout Pad
Current Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Location Within Venue: Centre of Speedway
Major Event: Central Motor Speedway Annual Burnout Competition
About the Burnout Pad
Central Motor Speedway describes its facility as a custom-built burnout pad located directly in the centre of the speedway track.
Its location makes the pad particularly spectator-friendly, with viewing available from around the speedway arena and the surrounding natural embankments.
The facility provides a controlled environment for dedicated burnout competitions and has attracted competitors from throughout the South Island and further afield.
The annual Central Motor Speedway Burnout Competition has become an established event on the venue's calendar, bringing together everything from grassroots skid cars through to some of New Zealand's well-known competition burnout cars.
Annual Burnout Competition
Central Motor Speedway traditionally holds its annual burnout competition near the beginning of the speedway season.
The competition has continued to grow over the years, attracting increasingly strong fields of purpose-built burnout cars.
Past competitors have travelled from throughout the South Island as well as the North Island to compete at Cromwell.
The venue continues to support burnouts in 2026, with the Central Motor Speedway Burnouts scheduled for 26 September 2026.
About the Venue
Central Motor Speedway is located on Sandflat Road in Cromwell and has been home to speedway racing in Central Otago since 1980.
The main speedway is a 446-metre clay oval and hosts classes including Sprintcars, Stockcars, Super Saloons, Saloons, Production Saloons, Six Shooters and Youth Ministocks.
The venue's natural amphitheatre provides excellent viewing around the arena, while established pits, spectator areas, lighting and event infrastructure allow it to host major motorsport events.
With its purpose-built pad and long-running annual competition, Central Motor Speedway has become an important part of the South Island's organised burnout scene.ere.
A new burnout pad was established at Euromarque Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in Christchurch in 2026, giving Canterbury a new active burnout facility alongside the circuit.
The new pad is located on the Raceway side of the wider Ruapuna motorsport complex and should not be confused with the old burnout pad located inside Ruapuna Speedway.
Quick Info
Location: Christchurch, Canterbury
Venue: Euromarque Motorsport Park – Ruapuna Raceway
Address: 107 Hasketts Road, Templeton, Christchurch
Facility Type: Dedicated Burnout Pad
Established: 2026
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Major Event: Prowear Chrome Expression Session
About the Burnout Pad
The new Christchurch burnout pad made its debut in 2026 as part of the Prowear Chrome Expression Session at Euromarque Motorsport Park.
The new facility provided Chrome competitors with a dedicated area for burnout sessions and marked the return of an active burnout pad to the Ruapuna motorsport complex.
The 2026 Chrome Expression Session attracted a record turnout, with the newly established burnout pad becoming one of the major features of the event.
The pad forms part of the Raceway facility rather than Ruapuna Speedway, meaning it is completely separate from Christchurch's original purpose-built burnout pad.
Christchurch's Two Burnout Pads
Ruapuna now has an interesting place in New Zealand burnout history, with two separate burnout pads having existed within the wider motorsport complex.
The original pad was constructed inside Ruapuna Speedway in the early 2000s with support from Christchurch City Council. That facility eventually became inactive, although the concrete pad still remains.
More than two decades later, a new burnout pad was established across at Euromarque Motorsport Park in 2026, once again providing a dedicated area for organised burnouts at Ruapuna.
About the Venue
Euromarque Motorsport Park is owned and operated by the Canterbury Car Club and is one of New Zealand's major permanent motorsport facilities.
The circuit has seven different track configurations and regularly hosts circuit racing, drifting, drag racing, driver training and automotive festivals.
In 2026 the venue also became the Christchurch home of the Supercars Championship, further establishing Ruapuna as one of New Zealand's major motorsport destinations.
The addition of the new burnout pad adds another chapter to Ruapuna's long history and once again gives organised burnouts a home within the Christchurch motorsport complex.
Christchurch Burnout Pad – Ruapuna
The Christchurch Burnout Pad is a purpose-built facility located within Ruapuna Speedway at Ruapuna Park in Christchurch.
Although the pad is no longer active for burnout events, the physical pad still remains, making it an interesting part of New Zealand's burnout history.
Quick Info
Location: Christchurch, Canterbury
Venue: Ruapuna Speedway
Address: Hasketts Road, Templeton, Christchurch
Facility Type: Permanent Purpose-Built Burnout Pad
Pad Size: Approx. 30–35m diameter
Surface: Reinforced Concrete
Concrete Thickness: Approx. 125mm
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Established: Early 2000s
Current Status: Inactive – Pad Still Exists
About the Burnout Pad
Plans for a dedicated Christchurch burnout facility date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Christchurch City Council investigated providing enthusiasts with a controlled alternative to illegal street burnouts.
In 2001, plans were developed for a permanent burnout pad in the centre of Ruapuna Speedway.
The pad was approximately 30 to 35 metres in diameter and constructed from approximately 125mm-thick reinforced concrete.
Its position in the centre of the speedway provided separation between the burnout area and the speedway racing surface, while the existing speedway infrastructure could be utilised for spectators, competitors and event safety.
Why It Was Built
One of the main motivations behind the Christchurch burnout pad was to provide a legal and controlled alternative to burnouts taking place on public roads.
Christchurch City Council committed funding towards establishing the facility, with the intention that organised burnout events and demonstrations could be held at Ruapuna.
The facility is an interesting example of a local council recognising the need for somewhere enthusiasts could legally participate in burnout events rather than simply attempting to prevent the activity.
What Happened to the Pad?
Despite the investment and intentions behind the project, the Ruapuna burnout pad eventually fell out of regular use.
Later reporting indicated that health and safety requirements and the organisation required to operate sanctioned burnout events contributed to the facility being seldom used.
Today the burnout pad is no longer active for regular burnout competitions.
However, the physical concrete pad remains within Ruapuna Speedway, providing a visible reminder of Christchurch's organised burnout scene and an interesting piece of New Zealand burnout history.
About the Venue
Ruapuna Speedway forms part of the wider Ruapuna motorsport area at Templeton on the outskirts of Christchurch.
The area has been an important home for Canterbury motorsport for decades, hosting speedway, circuit racing and numerous other forms of motorsport.
While burnouts are no longer regularly held on the dedicated pad, the facility remains one of New Zealand's more interesting examples of a purpose-built burnout pad developed with local government support.
The Lawrence Burnout Pad is a purpose-built facility located at the Wetherstons Gully Gymkhana Grounds near Lawrence in Otago.
Built with strong support from the local community, the pad provides a permanent home for burnout competitions in the area and has helped establish Lawrence as another destination on the South Island burnout calendar.
Quick Info
Location: Lawrence, Otago
Venue: Wetherstons Gully Gymkhana Grounds
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Purpose Built: Yes
Major Events: Lawrence Rev, Rock & Hop and other burnout competitions
About the Burnout Pad
Plans for a dedicated burnout pad at Wetherstons Gully were underway by 2019, with local supporters and businesses helping raise funds towards construction of the new facility.
The purpose-built pad formed part of the development of the Gymkhana Grounds as a home for a range of motorsport and recreational activities.
The first burnout competition associated with the expanded Lawrence Rev, Rock & Hop event was held at the grounds in November 2020, attracting experienced burnout competitors from around the South Island.
Since then, the pad has continued to host burnout events, providing competitors with a dedicated and controlled location to take part in the sport.
About the Venue
Wetherstons Gully Gymkhana Grounds is a community recreation and motorsport facility located near Lawrence.
The wider grounds accommodate several different activities and clubs, with the burnout pad becoming one of the more recent additions to the facility.
Clutha District Council's Lawrence-Tuapeka Reserve Management Plan specifically recognises the burnout pad as one of the improvements made to the Gymkhana Grounds by the local community.
The Lawrence facility is another important part of the growing network of dedicated legal burnout venues throughout the South Island.
Lawrence Car Club
Home of Muscle Car Madness
Muscle Car Madness is home to one of New Zealand’s most unique permanent burnout pads, located within the Rangiora A&P Showgrounds in North Canterbury.
While considerably smaller than many of the country’s modern competition pads, its tight circular layout has become a distinctive part of the annual Muscle Car Madness event.
Quick Info
Location: Rangiora, North Canterbury
Venue: Rangiora A&P Showgrounds
Event: Muscle Car Madness
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Pad Size: Approx. 20m diameter circle
Status: Active
Dedicated Burnout Area: Yes
Major Event: Muscle Car Madness Burnout Competition
About the Burnout Pad
The Muscle Car Madness burnout pad is a dedicated circular pad measuring approximately 20 metres across.
Before the dedicated pad was constructed, burnouts at Muscle Car Madness were held on a small section of paved car park near the public road.
As the burnout competition grew in popularity, a dedicated circular burnout pad was constructed towards the back of the Rangiora Showgrounds, providing a permanent area for the event.
Its small 20-metre layout makes it very different from many other New Zealand burnout pads. Drivers have limited room to work with, putting an emphasis on car control and driver skill.
Muscle Car Madness even reminds competitors that putting a wheel onto the grass means the end of their run.
About the Event
Muscle Car Madness is one of New Zealand’s longest-running automotive festivals and has been held in Rangiora for more than three decades.
The annual event brings together muscle cars, hot rods, classics, street machines and modified vehicles from throughout New Zealand.
Burnouts have become one of the major attractions of the weekend, with qualifying taking place on Saturday before the top competitors return for the finals on Sunday.
The combination of a compact permanent burnout pad, large crowds and the atmosphere of Muscle Car Madness has made the Rangiora pad one of the more recognisable burnout venues in the South Island.
Muscle Car Madness
The Home of Rev South
Riverside Speedway in Invercargill is home to one of the South Island’s established permanent burnout pads.
Located at Sandy Point, the venue is primarily known for speedway racing, but it has also played an important role in New Zealand’s burnout scene over the years.
Quick Info
Location: Invercargill, Southland
Venue: Riverside Speedway
Address: 190 Sandy Point Road, Invercargill
Facility Type: Permanent Burnout Pad
Status: Active
Major Events: RevSouth, NZ Burnout Championship
About the Burnout Pad
The burnout pad was already in use by 2017, when it was extended and reshaped ahead of a round of the New Zealand Burnout Championship.
Since then, Riverside has continued to host dedicated burnout competitions, including RevSouth, with everything from grassroots cars through to high-powered Pro burnout machines competing at the venue.
About the Venue
Riverside Speedway has operated at Sandy Point since 1977 and is home to the Southland Stock Car Drivers Association.
The venue includes established spectator areas, pits and motorsport infrastructure, making it well suited to large burnout events.
Its location in Invercargill also makes Riverside an important facility for the lower South Island burnout community, giving competitors a dedicated venue to compete in a controlled and legal environment.
REV SOUTH