The following are brief statements from leading New Zealand V8 Supercar drivers Greg Murphy and Jason Richards. Murphy has won the past two events at Pukekohe and the last two Bathurst 1000 races at Mount Panorama:

Greg Murphy:

"This is fantastic news for all the Kiwis involved in the V8 Supercar Series. Not only is it the logical decision to be going back to Pukekohe, it is also the right one.

"In Darwin recently I expressed my personal concerns to [AVESCO Chairman] Tony Cochrane about the need for a race in New Zealand and I am delighted that he has backed up his promise to me that the New Zealand fans are important to the series by securing this deal.

"Pukekohe holds a special place in my heart; we’ve had five successful years there, four of which I’ve had the pleasure of standing on the top step of the podium, I’m glad to be going back.

"It was vital that we continue to race in front of them while we continue to look for other options such as a street race. It’s not only a case of us wanting a street race - New Zealand fans deserve an event like that."

Jason Richards:

"It’s great to see the race stable back in New Zealand,"

"Obviously there has been a major political side to things but it’s incredibly important for not just me on a personal level, but also for our Dodo Racing team, which features strong Kiwi backing.

"There was a very really threat we may not have been racing in New Zealand but common sense has prevailed and we can head back to Pukekohe, which is a fantastic racetrack and always turns on a good race.

"Now we can power on and make it more and more successful as the years go by. It’s a win-win for both Pukekohe and New Zealand – there was absolutely no way we could afford to lose V8 Supercars."