2000 New Zealand Grand Prix
| Company type | Motor racing event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Founded | 2 December 2000 |
| Headquarters | Pukekohe , New Zealand |
| Products | Formula Holden racing event |
The 2000 New Zealand Grand Prix for single-seater vehicles was held at Pukekohe Park Raceway near Auckland on 2 December 2000. This marked the forty-sixth running of the event and represented the return of the Formula Holden race to Pukekohe after a hiatus since 1991. It was also the final occasion this Grand Prix took place at this venue prior to the circuit's demolition in 2023.
Local competitor Andy Booth emerged victorious behind the wheel of a Reynard 95D, representing Arthur Abrahams' NRC International squad. His teammate Matt Halliday secured second place, while Australian driver Paul Dumbrell completed the podium in third.
This particular race served as the concluding round of the 2000 Tasman Cup and was also the last event of the revived Tasman Series for Formula Holden, which ceased after this season.
Race report
Entering as the favourite, two-time defending champion Simon Wills earned pole position by nearly eight-tenths of a second ahead of his teammate LeRoy Stevenson. Wills also claimed victory in the preliminary race held on Sunday morning.
At the green light, Wills took command of the race with Booth overtaking Stevenson for second position. Emerson Newton-John from the United States had a strong start from fourth but later spun and stalled his car, triggering a safety car period. Unexpectedly, Wills retired midway through the race despite leading comfortably in its early stages.
With Wills out, Booth assumed the lead as Halliday closed in behind him. Approaching lapped traffic, Booth was slowed by Ian Lloyd’s considerably slower vehicle, which caused Halliday to spin while attempting to avoid contact. Nevertheless, Booth maintained his advantage to claim both the New Zealand Grand Prix victory and the Tasman Cup title. Halliday recovered to finish in second place, followed by Dumbrell in third.
Qualifying
Race
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Andy Booth | NRC International | 40 | 38min 25.383sec | 3 |
| 2 | 19 | Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Matt Halliday | NRC International | 40 | ||
| 4 | ||||||
| 3 | 7 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Paul Dumbrell | Wynns Racing | 40 | ||
| 5 |
Emerson Newton-JohnGreg Murphy Racing
35
+5 laps
6
10
Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ian Lloyd
27
Retired
15
1
Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showallSimon WillsBirrana Racing
17
Retired
1
28
Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Roger Oakeshott
Sportsmed Racing
7
Retired
10
27
Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Terry Clearihan
Did Not Start
12
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Steve Owen | Hocking Motorsport | 40 | |||
| 7 | ||||||
| 66 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Peter Hill | Greg Murphy Racing | 40 | |||
| 8 | ||||||
| 75 | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Stuart Kostera | Hocking Motorsport | 40 | |||
| 9 | ||||||
| 8 | Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showall LeRoy Stevenson | Birrana Racing | 39 | |||
| 2 | ||||||
| 18 | Template:Country data NZLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Dean Cockerton | 39
+1 lap 14 |