The raceway opened in 1963 as a permanent facility, replacing Ardmore Aerodrome as the host venue for the New Zealand Grand Prix. The circuit was designed around the horse racing track that had occupied the Pukekohe Park site since 1920, with the motorsport layout running around the perimeter of the thoroughbred course. The land remained under the ownership of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR), whose equestrian activities — 14 horse race meetings per year plus year-round training — permanently defined the site's priorities.
During its early years, the circuit attracted leading international drivers who would travel to the southern hemisphere for the Tasman Series during the European winter. Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, and Jackie Stewart all competed at Pukekohe. The circuit also hosted New Zealand's premier production car race for many years, the Benson and Hedges 500 Mile race (later run as 1000 km), which drew Australian stars including Peter Brock, Dick Johnson, and Jim Richards.
The New Zealand round of the V8 Supercars Championship was held at Pukekohe from 2001 to 2007, before moving to the Hamilton Street Circuit in 2008. V8 Supercars returned to Pukekohe in 2013 under a five-year agreement following NZ$6.6 million in circuit upgrades funded by Auckland government stakeholders. Those upgrades included a new chicane on the back straight, additional pedestrian bridges, a new race control building, a timing facility, and a corporate viewing complex opposite the main grandstand.
In July 2022, ATR announced it would cease hosting motorsport events from 3 April 2023, prioritising its horse racing and club operations. The circuit's FIA Grade 3 licence had already expired on 1 August 2022.
Pukekohe Park Raceway hosted the New Zealand Grand Prix on 29 occasions, from its first running in 1963 through to 2000. Between 1964 and 1975 the event also served as a round of the Tasman Series. Winners of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe included New Zealanders Bruce McLaren, Chris Amon, Craig Baird, and Paul Radisich, as well as Australian Frank Gardner, Italian Teo Fabi, and Brazilian Roberto Moreno. Formula One World Champions John Surtees, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, and Keke Rosberg also won the New Zealand Grand Prix at Pukekohe. Rosberg's victories came in 1977 and 1978, before his Formula One World Championship in 1982.
The circuit underwent several layout changes over its operational life to accommodate safety standards and changing series requirements. The 2013 upgrades ahead of V8 Supercars' return included a revised sequence of corners before the hairpin, producing slower, safer racing at the expense of some of the circuit's original character.
Following the announcement of the circuit's closure, an online petition was launched to have Pukekohe Park laser-scanned and preserved for sim racing. The petition gathered over 7,000 digital signatures and received support from prominent New Zealand racing figures Greg Murphy and three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin. On 8 September 2022, iRacing announced it would laser-scan the circuit for digital preservation, securing the track's legacy within the sim racing world after its physical closure.
Pukekohe Park Raceway stood for 60 years as one of New Zealand's most significant motorsport venues, hosting every tier of the sport from Formula One world champions through the Tasman Series to the modern Supercars Championship. Its unusual configuration — a permanent race circuit wrapped around an active horse racing track — gave it a distinctive character found at few circuits worldwide. The iRacing laser-scan initiative ensures that its layout is preserved for future generations of sim racers even as the physical circuit returns to thoroughbred use.