David Russell, and TekworkX Motorsport, will take to Taupo Motorsport Park for the first time this weekend as the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship races overseas for just the second time in series history.

Taupo will be a new track for many drivers and teams but after racing for the better part of two decades, it marks a rare opportunity for Russell to tackle a new facility. The New Zealand circuit is located in the North Island, roughly three hours south of Auckland. It’s the first time Taupo will host a Supercars Championship event, with Carrera Cup Australia a headline act on the support bill for the weekend.

“It’s exciting heading across the ditch Taupo, I’ve never been there before,” said Russell.

“It’s also exciting to learn a new track, it’s been a while since I’ve had to learn a new place so that’s cool. Like many we were looking over footage to prepare. The thing with that is being able to get ourselves in a position where we’re comfortable and have something to rely on.”

Russell capped off his TekworkX debut at the season-opening weekend as part of the Australian Grand Prix with a stunning charge to the top five in race three. The Hire A Hubby entry finished up in fourth place, despite the knock-on effect of a heavily impacted qualifying session at the start of the weekend.

“It’s good to be part of the TekworkX team, we worked well together at the AGP and really got along well. We’ll look to pick that up again in Taupo and roll out of the truck with a good setup.”

The Taupo circuit packs 14 corners into its 3.321km layout, boasting a series of tight corners and little space for rest save for a pair of straights, separated by a chicane complex.

“The biggest thing is to make sure we’re feeling comfortable in the car, especially under brakes. It looks like a bit of a tricky circuit, with some undulation and surface changes. The tyre management will be really important as well, with a longer race on Sunday.

“We also have a 30-minute qualifying, which will be the key to make it a lot easier for ourselves as it looks like a difficult place to pass,” concluded Russell.

The Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup field will hit the track from April 19-21 as part of the ITM Taupo Super400. The weekend sees two practice sessions on Friday ahead of qualifying and race one on Saturday, and the final two races on Sunday.