Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Petch
Lets be very clear here, MSNZ has done absolutely nothing to bring this all about. The new Owners of V8 Supertourers, the car owner's Co-op, which purchased all of the previous owner, Ray Noonan Company, asset's and intellectual property etc, but not Noonan's Company [which he subsequently put into voluntary liquidation]
It is the new owners of the category [the car owners] that have to a man pushed for the integration of all the V8 Touring Cars into the new race format.
Owner Evans, who brokered the first such combined class races between the V8ST and the two NZV8 class's, was elected as one of three directors, who are namely, Bob Cunningham, Mark Heimgartner, and the afore said Owen Evan's.
Owen was tasked with completing the integration of all three class's, and the setting of 7 race meeting dates that the integrated V8 Touring class's could contest as a National Championship.
A meeting was had between the interested parties, one of which was Brian Budd, General Manager Of MSNZ, at Owen Evans premises last Wednesday, and significant progress was made on setting dates for what might well develop into a true Premier Series.
The difficulty all categories have except TRS, is fitting strong categories around the 5 back to back race meeting that the TRS championship is forced to run. Brian Budd seems to believe that other premier categories, should have to fit around a TRS calendar, born of corporate survival, and that is not the role of MSNZ, that is Toyota's problem.
However there is no question that with good will prevailing, that most of the other so called "premier categories" can support 3 of the TRS rounds. The difficulty Owen Evans has is convincing Mr Budd and his executive that you can not force categories to do your bidding. If any body is up for that challenge then the integrated V8 Touring car's could not have a better advocate.
Once the Calendar is set [and fortunately it is now very close] and accepted by MSNZ, then we have an excellent chance of rebuilding a premier summer road show, LIMO.
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Setting dates and classes can be fraught with problems here is just a few that I know of I have just picked the Nat Champs and some other classes that may run:
NZST/NZV8 7 rounds will not want to run back to back (perhaps will for SI)
TRS 5 rounds back to back
Super Trucks 4-5 rounds (do not run at Manfeild)
Formula V NI only
Formula Ford (7 rounds??? some outside the summer series)
Sangyong (I assume Mark that they will run of the same bases as NZST)
Muscle Cars (normally very selective as to what rounds they run. Very much in demand)
UDC Utes ??????????
Then there is dates to sort.
NI January Mainly Classics. SI February Mainly Classics.
I'm sure it will all get sorted but its never easy! I am looking forward to the outcome.
I just hope that who ever is doing the promoting does not go back down the road of same day TV at over $100k per round. I financial road to nowhere.