Local and international drivers, pit crews and spectators gave Highlands Motorsport Park their seal of approval and said they would be back to race again.
• Slideshows: Motorsport at Highlands: Day 2, Motorsport at Highlands: Day 3
Park owner Tony Quinn would like to see the New Zealand Grand Prix, at present held at the Manfeild Autocourse near Palmerston North, staged at the facility.
He thought Highlands ''should be considered strongly as the new home of the New Zealand Grand Prix'', which was once internationally renowned but seemed to have ''fizzled'' in recent years.
Moving the grand prix could see European and Asian teams make the trip to Central Otago.
Park manager Mike Sentch said Lamborghini had already expressed interest.
Before the weekend's motorsport events began, Mr Quinn said he would like to see the Highlands 101, in which drivers complete 101 laps of the 4.1km circuit, become New Zealand's ''biggest and most spectacular enduro''.
Speaking yesterday after the race, which he and co-driver Fabian Coulthard won, he said the ''crazy 101'' would ''definitely'' be back next year.
''That was a concoction of all the things that I've seen around the world.
''What you saw today was an international show. I'd go a whole lot further, if my team would let me.''
He said the plan was to get the Australian GT back, too, ''but it's just all about timing''.
He estimated 90% of the Australian drivers had never been to New Zealand before, let alone the South Island, but all were amazed ''and they haven't even had the wine yet''.
Central Otago Mayor Tony Lepper had also spoken to many of the drivers and praised Mr Quinn for creating a facility good enough to get them here.
''We wouldn't have got them here otherwise.
''And if they go back and talk about it, I'm sure people like that will attract others,'' Mr Lepper said.
About 12,000 people went through the park's gates yesterday, 11,000 on Saturday and 5000 on Friday.
Kiwi racing legend Greg Murphy said everyone he knew that ''has never been here before has been blown away''.
''If nothing else, it's given a lot of people an insight to this side of the world.''
Mr Quinn said despite a few issues, an Australian wanting three-ply toilet paper for example, the weekend went off relatively without a hitch, for which he thanked his team at the motorsport park.
For him, however, it was hard to relax and enjoy the first race meeting.
Firstly, he was busy racing, and secondly, he was meeting with his Australian-based team, including lawyer and accountant, each day after the racing to produce an ''executive summary'' of what could be improved ''to make it less like a clubbie and more like a professional event.''
Long-term, Mr Quinn has even more ambitious plans than hosting the Grand Prix. He wants his track to be reversible, ''and to have 20 different ways to do it''.
Head of Cromwell police Sergeant Simon Paget said there were no arrests over the weekend and the crowd had been ''really well behaved''.
''It's a really well organised event so all credit to Tony [Quinn] and his team.''
The next event planned for the park is over the weekend of January 25 and 26 and will include V8SuperTourers, the Toyota Racing Series single-seaters, NZ V8 Utes and Central Muscle Cars.
