The pandemic put paid to what is usually an annual trek across the ditch for the past two seasons, the 2020 and 2021 events both called off due to border restrictions,
It's only this year that New Zealand has been able to return to the Supercars schedule – and just in the nick of time.
This will be the final time that Supercars will race at its traditional Kiwi home, Pukekohe Park, before the iconic circuit is shut down by the Auckland Thoroughbred Racing.
Given both the lengthy break between NZ races and the Pukekohe farewell, a bumper crowd is expected to file through the gates this weekend.
The chances of seeing a Kiwi victory are high given the rich vein of form that Shane van Gisbergen continues to show.
Van Gisbergen is a full 500 points clear of the chasing field led by Cam Waters.
Another Kiwi to watch is Andre Heimgartner who has been in solid form for Brad Jones Racing for most of the season.
Heimgartner would be a fitting winner of the final Jason Richards Trophy to be awarded at Pukekohe given he races the #8 entry for BJR raced by Richards before he was sidelined by the terminal illness that took his life in 2011.
Supercars will be on-track for all three days of the Auckland SuperSprint starting with a single practice session on Friday afternoon.
Practice continues on Saturday morning followed by a three-part qualifying session to set the grid for the opening 120-kilometre race.
On Sunday there will be back-to-back qualifying sessions followed by another two 120-kilometre races.
2022 Supercars Auckland SuperSprint session times
All times local (GMT+12)
Friday September 9
10:35-10:55 Historics – Practice 1
11:05-11:25 Toyota 86s – Practice 1
11:35-11:55 Central Muscle Cars – Practice
12:05-12:25 Formula Ford – Practice 1
12:35-12:55 Toyota 86s
13:05-13:25 Historics – Practice 2
13:35-13:55 Formula Ford – Practice 2
14:05-14:25 Toyota 86s – Qualifying
14:40-15:10 Supercars – Practice 1
15:25-15:40 Central Muscle Cars – Qualifying
15:50-16:10 Historics – Qualifying
Saturday September 10
10:05-10:25 Toyota 86s – Race 1
10:35-10:50 Historics – Race 1
11:00-11:20 Central Muscle Cars – Race 1
11:35-12:05 Supercars – Practice 2
12:30-12:50 Formula Ford – Qualifying
13:00-13:15 Historics – Race 2
13:25-13:45 Toyota 86s – Race 2
14:00-14:10 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 1)
14:15-14:25 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 2)
14:30-14:40 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 3)
15:10-15:25 Central Muscle Cars – Race 2
15:35-15:55 Formula Ford – Race 1
16:40-17:43 Supercars – Race 1
Sunday September 11
9:45-10:00 Central Muscle Cars – Race 3
10:10-10:30 Formula Ford – Race 2
10:45-10:55 Supercars – Qualifying (Race 2)
11:05-11:15 Supercars – Qualifying (Race 3)
11:40-11:55 Historics – Race 3
12:55-13:58 Supercars – Race 2
14:20-14:40 Central Muscle Cars – Race 4
14:50-15:10 Formula Ford – Race 3
16:10-17:13 Supercars – Race 3
