MSNZ & TMC - 'Wheels start to come off'

[RogerH]

Originally Posted by RogerH

Media release from :


MotorSport Promotions Ltd

Evidently Martin Fine and Kerry Cooper have officially gone.

Media Statement - MotorSport Promotions Ltd
Wednesday 1 August 2012

MotorSport Promotions Limited, the body charged with the running and management of the MSNZ Championship race series and summer series events has made significant changes, signalling a changing of the guard and a new approach for the company.

Following on from the appointment of new directors and the adoption of a new trading name, the company wishes to advise the resignations of Kerry Cooper and Martin Fine from the positions they previously held. Kerry and Martin will remain available to wrap up the last financial year and assist with the setup of the company for the coming season as required.

As the motorsport community is aware, the company requires some urgent action and this required the implementation of a new, interim, structure. Shareholder representatives have been advised of these changes in advance of this message.

An interim management team lead by David Dovey will take responsibility for the company's operations. The administration functions of the company will be contracted to MSNZ, supervised by Brian Budd. Amanda Tollemache assumes the role of Event Manager. Brian Lawrence will continue in his role of NZV8 Marketing and also extend this to series marketing.

There has been comment that change was not happening quickly enough, however some interim steps were required to establish the correct position and plot a way forward. There has been comment from some quarters that MSNZ should not be involved in the business. However, given the events of the past seasons and the current state of the company we require administrative and if necessary, some financial back up from MSNZ. MSNZ support will strengthen the company for the future and ensure security of the Gold Star titles.

The company faces a number of challenges, but the team now in place have a genuine commitment to ensure that MotorSport New Zealand's Championship Gold Star series remains positive and in good health.

John Fowke
Chairperson
MotorSport Promotions Ltd


Ends

[promax]

well it's a start

[RogerH]

I bet MSNZ member clubs will be really excited with this part of the press release :

However, given the events of the past seasons and the current state of the company we require administrative and if necessary, some financial back up from MSNZ.

Looks like more of our money going along with the $57,500 for the jigs and IP.

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by RogerH

I bet MSNZ member clubs will be really excited with this part of the press release :

However, given the events of the past seasons and the current state of the company we require administrative and if necessary, some financial back up from MSNZ.

Looks like more of our money going along with the $57,500 for the jigs and IP.

Just put it alongside of the Queenstown fund Roger and move on. Lets all live in the future rather than the past......

[on_to_it]

Originally Posted by RogerH

...the company wishes to advise the resignations of Kerry Cooper and Martin Fine from the positions they previously held...

And what of Mr Short pray tell?

[Racer Mike]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

And what of Mr Short pray tell?

This is a start people. There is one person left, the one who did make a lot of money from the sport and didnt mind showing people that. Nice merecedes pace car, great sponsorship on sons car, driving around in Porsches lent to the series, buying sports cars that had to get rules amended to race with saloon cars, free trailer space rental at tracks to sell gear, what else?

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by RogerH

I bet MSNZ member clubs will be really excited with this part of the press release :

However, given the events of the past seasons and the current state of the company we require administrative and if necessary, some financial back up from MSNZ.

Looks like more of our money going along with the $57,500 for the jigs and IP.

no worse than the $20k Kerry demanded the local club needed to find, if Timaru was to remain.......luckily the Council found some coin to keep the event here, but it would have been better spent on track resealing.

[RogerH]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

Just put it alongside of the Queenstown fund Roger and move on. Lets all live in the future rather than the past......

The future is protecting the member club's $57k and ensuring that no more member's money gets wasted - further MSNZ financial support of TMC (MSP) seems to have a high risk of being classified as potentially wasted money ... It also seems to be contrary to undertakings I thought I heard made at the last MSNZ conference.

[Goat Boy]

I think they should abandon both MSP and their so-called Gold Star championship - what does it actually mean? When they aren't going to have much of a grid at all and support classes leaving - time to start taking turkey with ST's I reckon. If any of you people in question are reading this...

[Blackpearl]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I think they should abandon both MSP and their so-called Gold Star championship - what does it actually mean? When they aren't going to have much of a grid at all and support classes leaving - time to start taking turkey with ST's I reckon. If any of you people in question are reading this...

let them beat the dead horse, they had the chance.

[Racer Mike]

Originally Posted by RogerH

The future is protecting the member club's $57k and ensuring that no more member's money gets wasted - further MSNZ financial support of TMC (MSP) seems to have a high risk of being classified as potentially wasted money ... It also seems to be contrary to undertakings I thought I heard made at the last MSNZ conference.

Joe, be a bit more specific here about this demand? Obviously Bill Brown new about this yet he has backed these thugs to the hilt in previous years. I also remember the SCCC committe pulling their hair out when the circus came to town and having to deal with stupid and amatuer decisions from MSC and yet Bill new what was going on.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Racer Mike

Joe, be a bit more specific here about this demand? Obviously Bill Brown new about this yet he has backed these thugs to the hilt in previous years. I also remember the SCCC committe pulling their hair out when the circus came to town and having to deal with stupid and amatuer decisions from MSC and yet Bill new what was going on.

Loss of V8 racing feared



RHONDA MARKBY




Last updated 05:00 29/11/2011





Timaru could lose its largest money-making event – January's V8 car racing – if the district does not support it.
The South Canterbury Car Club goes to the district council today to ask for $20,000 to help fund a Blues, Brews and BBQs event at the club's Levels Raceway on the Saturday of the New Zealand V8 Championships.
The race meeting runs for four days and puts $4 million into the local economy.
MotorSport New Zealand has suggested the Blues, Brews and BBQs event as an added attraction to Saturday's race programme on January 21. The local club has to find sponsorship for it, and has decided to ask the Timaru District Council for the required funding.
The plan was not to charge an entry fee for the event, but rather for entry to be covered in the cost of the $30 weekend ticket for the car racing, South Canterbury Car Club president Kevin Pateman said.
A percentage of the profits from Blues, Brews and BBQs would go to the South Canterbury MRI Appeal. If the council did not come up with the cash, Blues, Brews and BBQs would not go ahead.
Mr Pateman was hopeful the event would attract more people to the racing, adding that even if the gate takings were up by $8000 to $10,000, it would be easier for the club to argue Timaru should continue to host the race meeting.
"It is a good event and we want to enhance it," Mr Pateman said of the national V8 championships.
"It is the biggest-earning event of the year but it is also the smallest market (of potential racegoers).
"We have difficulty selling naming rights and this event is in jeopardy of not coming here, especially with the tight financial situation."
The real issue for the club was that the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park between Auckland and Hamilton was also keen to run the race meeting.
Mr Pateman said 95 per cent of the competitors came from the North Island, with many saying they could not afford to travel to the Timaru and Invercargill rounds of the championships.
The clubs to host the series were decided at MotorSport New Zealand's national conference each May.
Mr Pateman admitted to being nervous about the possible outcome of the May conference when it came to Timaru remaining a venue for the V8 series.
He suggested MotorSport New Zealand needed to see signs of support from the South Canterbury community. "We really want this community, and particularly the council, to show support for the event that has been coming here for years, and we want to continue coming here.
"As a club, we have gone to council for a grant as we would like the council and community to show some support for bringing this event here. More so than ever, this year is so important."

Mr Pateman said a real problem for the club was that the raceway has been here for 40 years.
"In a lot of respects it is a forgotten identity. It is just a given that there is a race track there. If it was something new like the swimming pool (CBAY aquatic centre), it gets a lot of media exposure.
"All we have is the good news when the V8s come here in January ... and the benefit to the economy," Mr Pateman said.
- © Fairfax NZ News
Sponsored links


i queried a person close to the top of SCCC at the time, regarding getting donations from ratepayers to make the event financially and was advised it had diddly to do with the 'blues/brews/BBQs' but more a $20k bribe/blackmail/demand from Cooper/TMC to ensure there was a calendar date for Levels.

He did ask me at the time why he hadn't seen me at the track for a while, the answer was easy........ the events run by TMC are crap and the SCCC ones arn't much better.
SCCC has to back TMC events, as without them, they would have next to no income as they have become almost totally reliant on the track based activities.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by smokin'joe

i queried a person close to the top of SCCC at the time, regarding getting donations from ratepayers to make the event financially and was advised it had diddly to do with the 'blues/brews/BBQs' but more a $20k bribe/blackmail/demand from Cooper/TMC to ensure there was a calendar date for Levels.

He did ask me at the time why he hadn't seen me at the track for a while, the answer was easy........ the events run by TMC are crap and the SCCC ones arn't much better.
SCCC has to back TMC events, as without them, they would have next to no income as they have become almost totally reliant on the track based activities.

I remember at the time it seemed like a shakedown to me with no appreciable benefit to most.

I think Timaru will always have a hard time because of the population, which is pretty small to support a road racing circuit. I'm sure they do the best they can with what they have.

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think Timaru will always have a hard time because of the population, which is pretty small to support a road racing circuit. I'm sure they do the best they can with what they have.

Over the years Timaru has consistantly sat pretty close to the top paid at the gate attendance figures for NZ race circuits with the likes of the V8 Supercar events excluded from the calculations. Yes there has been the odd glitch when it is a wet meeting and certainly since live or on the day TV coverage has become available for the January meeting as a large percentage of the crowd do travel from the wider region of the mid to lower South Island.

A check of the record books will also show that on a population / membership basis it has probably turned out more NZ Championship title holders that any other car club in NZ too so they must be doing something right locally.

One other thing in it's favour, it is the only circuit in NZ fully owned and operated by a car club, we are in for the long haul.

[Racer Mike]

So where does Bill Brown sit here. Hes a SCCC member but must of know what was going on with TMC threatening them yet hes got a boot in both camps. Perhaps Brian Budd and Co should be asking Bill some questions while they are on the clean out trail. Am I hearing that Geoff Short is threatening TMC, MPL or even MSNZ with legal action over his contract? Any substance to this. Far out this gut has been on the take and not afraid to show it, new Merc, sponsors coming out his butt for Martin which Im sure diluted the income back to TMC.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Racer Mike

So where does Bill Brown sit here. Hes a SCCC member but must of know what was going on with TMC threatening them yet hes got a boot in both camps. Perhaps Brian Budd and Co should be asking Bill some questions while they are on the clean out trail. Am I hearing that Geoff Short is threatening TMC, MPL or even MSNZ with legal action over his contract? Any substance to this. Far out this gut has been on the take and not afraid to show it, new Merc, sponsors coming out his butt for Martin which Im sure diluted the income back to TMC.

unsure, havn't spoken to Bill for a long time, shame he isn't at the top any more......... he was the last president to run the CLUB.

i suspect the $20k demanded was to give Timaru the V8 round instead of CHCH, Ruapuna did run NZST but they would be unlikely to venture further south to the club owned tracks.
population-wise, Timaru ain't on the books, but geographically, it is ideally placed for the decent crowds it has managed over the years

[Racer Mike]

Nothing wrong with track joe. The only reason V8ST don't venture south of ch ch is track safety which is sad as the two southern tracks are awesome. Tidy that up and potentially pit lane and game on. Those cars would be the best around there, back to speeds of the transam days.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Racer Mike

Nothing wrong with track joe. The only reason V8ST don't venture south of ch ch is track safety which is sad as the two southern tracks are awesome. Tidy that up and potentially pit lane and game on. Those cars would be the best around there, back to speeds of the transam days.

i was told NZST wouldn't come to Timaru or Teretonga due to being club owned

[Blackpearl]

Originally Posted by smokin'joe

i was told NZST wouldn't come to Timaru or Teretonga due to being club owned

not at all, they need to get pit lanes sorted, in case of teretonga nice new control tower, pit lane narrow, wire fence. great tracks but crap facilitys. same for levels.

[on_to_it]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

not at all, they need to get pit lanes sorted, in case of teretonga nice new control tower, pit lane narrow, wire fence. great tracks but crap facilitys. same for levels.

Yes they are great tracks, especially Teretonga. So sorry if this upset the southerners, but Timaru and Teretonga are dangerous. Add the extra pace of the SuperTourers with some good old southern "rainy days" and you have a recipe for disaster. If you get a bump (at just about anywhere on the track) that puts you on the grass, you will accelerate at warp factor gods-knows-what into a pile of tyres full of rocks. There's no give in them at all, and we all know the result - written off cars.

There have been serious injuries down there and what's been done to fix the problems - nothing that I have seen.

[harcey]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

Yes they are great tracks, especially Teretonga. So sorry if this upset the southerners, but Timaru and Teretonga are dangerous. Add the extra pace of the SuperTourers with some good old southern "rainy days" and you have a recipe for disaster. If you get a bump (at just about anywhere on the track) that puts you on the grass, you will accelerate at warp factor gods-knows-what into a pile of tyres full of rocks. There's no give in them at all, and we all know the result - written off cars.

There have been serious injuries down there and what's been done to fix the problems - nothing that I have seen.

totally agree................my understanding is that because of LOW track rating they can get away with grass into solid tyre wall instead of gravel traps and tyre bundles...many big damaged cars and drivers over the years...

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

Yes they are great tracks, especially Teretonga. So sorry if this upset the southerners, but Timaru and Teretonga are dangerous. Add the extra pace of the SuperTourers with some good old southern "rainy days" and you have a recipe for disaster. If you get a bump (at just about anywhere on the track) that puts you on the grass, you will accelerate at warp factor gods-knows-what into a pile of tyres full of rocks. There's no give in them at all, and we all know the result - written off cars.

There have been serious injuries down there and what's been done to fix the problems - nothing that I have seen.

explains why someone would set fire to the earth-filled tyre walls recently.

[Southern Man]

Originally Posted by Blackpearl

not at all, they need to get pit lanes sorted, in case of teretonga nice new control tower, pit lane narrow, wire fence. great tracks but crap facilitys. same for levels.

Priority at Timaru is the track resealing program and once that has been completed and paid for then the next items on the list will be attended too. Thing is the club pays its bills on time and will not get itself into a debt that it cannot service. Meanwhile if anyone out there has a few surplas $$$$ I know of a very good home for them.

With Teretonga I think that it is a case of watch this space, they are not too far away from a totally new pit facility on the outside of the circuit. My understanding is that they are working through the some of the last areas of concern before starting on the project.

With many of the personnal of both clubs having some Scottish origions one can understand why they make sure they have the money in the bank to pay for projects rather than borrow and hope they can keep the creditors at bay .

[flyingduck]

Southern man I agree pay what you can afford and you will keep that asset you have a few clubs have made that fatal mistake before have to say the southern tracks have some great challenging corners but myself prefer the speed and excitement of teretonga with the great first corner.

If some did drop a lot of readies to the club what would you do to the track after you Tarmac

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Southern Man

Priority at Timaru is the track resealing program and once that has been completed and paid for then the next items on the list will be attended too. Thing is the club pays its bills on time and will not get itself into a debt that it cannot service. Meanwhile if anyone out there has a few surplas $$$$ I know of a very good home for them.

With Teretonga I think that it is a case of watch this space, they are not too far away from a totally new pit facility on the outside of the circuit. My understanding is that they are working through the some of the last areas of concern before starting on the project.

With many of the personnal of both clubs having some Scottish origions one can understand why they make sure they have the money in the bank to pay for projects rather than borrow and hope they can keep the creditors at bay .

I think it's the better way to go by not extending your club into debt. Often times tracks lose sight of the big picture in the quest to dump lots of money into the track to chase big events or other clients and it puts the track into a precarious financial position that results in bankruptcy, closure or getting bought out. I know a few tracks like that in the USA.