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Although some of the drivers' side improvements are OK, now I have had time to think about it, these are my observations.
1) Siting the start finish podium flagpoint on the left, instead of the right, just as drivers are entering a right hand corner meant that on several occasions, drivers did not see the chequred flag, especially so when three abreast in the handicaps. This generally means they do an extra lap which slows the meeting.
2) The new office building is air-conditioned so timekeepers and those of us parked in there doing our handicap calculations etc were OK, BUT, due to the vagaries of the Pukekohe site, there are no toilet or basic kitchen facilities.
3) There used to be a two portakabin type toilet structures in the paddock. Now there is just one, with just one WC for the lads. No driver changing or shower facilities like Taupo.
4) Bearing in mind yesterday was a one day meeting, therefore less than half the number of cars for a larger two day meeting, the extended concrete apron appears to have less room than the old apron with a road and parking behind it, so trailer parking is going to be a major problem, especially as there is no tunnel or vehicular bridge. HD, Taupo & Manfeild are streaks ahead in that respect.
5) The pits Meccano structure still requires tents underneath it (they hadn't been removed from the V8s as at yesterday) and as far as I could tell, no power supply to each pit, but I could have overlooked that.
6) Practice can't even start until the dogmeat has finished cantering, so drivers used to a 9:00 start at HD were waiting until 10:21 to get started. That loss of 90 minutes equates to one extra grid - practice and three races, so reduces the income.
7) I didn't get the opportunity to wander up to the hairpin and the new back straight kink, but most drivers said that sighting it was tricky.
8) Lap times were much slower than I expected. Cars that normally lapped about 1:08 on the old track, for their cool but dry practice, were about 1:20, but the slower cars that normally lapped about 1:17, were down to 1:29 or 1:31, so at the moment, about ten seconds a lap or more slower once they are used to it and the weather is warmer.
9) However, when it was damp (not wet) and having been warned about the track surface, lap times were out to 1:30 for the fastest car and 1:45 or so for many of the slower cars.
10) The final race was wet and just about all times were faster than the damp (all cars are on Dot rated road tyres). Fastest lap was 1:23 - he finished 21st! Many of the fastest laps were on laps 7 & 8 so I suspect most drivers were sensible enough to treat the track with respect and take it steady.
The MSNZ steward appreciated our series driver's briefing. "If you panel damage your car on your own, you must see me. If there are two of you involved in a panel damage incident, then you must both report to me!"
Just one driver came to see me having grazed a concrete block somehere, so other than that. Zero panel damage is possible, even with a massive grid, poor weather and a handicap system that tries to get all drivers across the line at the same time.
Apart from a runaway winner in the last handicap, as a driver presumably resolved earlier issues and won by 15 seconds(!), the remainder of the field all bar two stragglers, was across the line within 25 seconds.
A good end to the season for us, but the jury is still out on Pukekohe, as more of that 6.6 million needed investing in coping for the larger entry meetings where 250 cars are the norm - and permanent touilet and changing facilities.
The Aussie V8s and supporting races has nowhere near that number of competitors and so the logistics of parking half the field outside the main paddock complicate the smooth running of those meetings noted for getting through a crowded programme.
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