The clock is ticking closer towards the end of Pukekohe Park Raceway, as Australia's Supercars championship prepares to say goodbye to the iconic Kiwi circuit.
Earlier this year, it was announced Pukekohe would no longer be the home of NZ motorsport, as its operations shift to focus on thoroughbred racing.
Instead, motorsport will shift south to Hampton Downs, including the New Zealand leg of the Supercars Championship from 2023.
As a result, this weekend will mark the end of Pukekohe's tenure as a Supercars destination, with three races across Saturday and Sunday serving as a farewell at the Auckland SuperSprint.
With the championship almost entirely held in Australia, the NZ leg gives Kiwi drivers - including Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen, who've won the last four championships - the chance to race at home.
Absent from the Supercars calendar since 2019 due to COVID-19, this weekend will provide the current New Zealanders on the grid a chance to bif the track a fitting farewell.
Among them is Brad Jones Racing's Andre Heimgartner, who sits 10th in the championship, and is eyeing his first win of the season at the track where his love affair with motorsport began.
"To see Pukekohe leave is pretty sad," Heimgartner told Newshub. "For me, it's a lot of core memories.
"I learned to drive a manual car there, [and] did my first hotlap there with my dad. Fell in love with Supercars watching Greg Murphy and Mark Skaife race around there from a young age.
"For me, [it's] a sad one. I think a lot of people have a lot of memories - a lot of Kiwis. I raced a lot of categories there over the years, had some good success as well.
"It's going to be a weird feeling, I think. I personally didn't see it coming that the track was going to be taken out.
"Once we finish that last lap on Sunday, I think it might be a bit emotional. Hopefully though, we can hold the Jason Richards Trophy."
It's not just Supercars' Kiwi contingent sad to see the end of Pukekohe either.
Dick Johnson Racing's Will Davison won at Pukekohe in 2013, and holds fond memories of racing at the fabled circuit.
"It's the end of an era, I suppose," said Davison. "Pukekohe is a circuit rich with history, amazing history.
"[The] incredible character the circuit's got, there's not many circuits like it anywhere around the world.
"I'm glad I've been able to race here so many times."
Join Newshub for live updates of the Auckland SuperSprint from September 10
