Changes at Pukekohe

[flyingduck]

Purist I agree with your comments on the NZV8's last season and we would see no less damage with the new set up which is disappointing if they are going to spend the money do it right.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Purist

2. Surfers Paradise (Front Stretch)

Albeit not a very straight straight.

[RogerH]

Originally Posted by socram

I presume the actual track alrerations may in fact suit the Formula Juniors and smaller engined cars that reach peak revs early!

Most local FJs are already geared for the Puke straight - I hit 8200rpm in top with a 4.875 diff ratio and I'll need to change to a 5.12 or 5.375 for the shortened Puke straight.

[flyingduck]

Roger would be interested to know what those ratios work out to speed wise as I'm interested in the difference in actual top speed on the track.

[RogerH]

Originally Posted by flyingduck

Roger would be interested to know what those ratios work out to speed wise as I'm interested in the difference in actual top speed on the track.

This is for a 360kg drum braked single seater with a 105E based 997cc engine putting out around 85bhp.
With the 4.875 diff at 8200rpm it equates to 191 kmh. The 5.12 diff gives 182 kmh and the 5.375 diff 174 kmh.
If I get a really good run onto the back straight (and a tail wind) I have seen 8400rpm which is 196 kmh (123 mph) which is plenty fast enough when you are relying on hitting the drum brakes at 100m.

[Armco Bender]

Only 2 incidents of note at the hairpin that I can remember are Dave Silcocks Jag and also Grant Walker in the ex Fahey Capri both ending up down in the creek.

In the '60s someone like Arnold Glass?? went off the end at full noise in the GP...nearly made it to Tuakau as my dad tells it.

I like the back straight at Puke...its a drag race followed by some slipstreaming finishing with some demon late braking and cars actually manage to pass each other.The chicane in the plan looks like it will effectively stop all that.At least they didnt put a chicane on the front straight....yet.

[fredd1]

Doesn't matter if I view the changes and the $millions from my head or my arse - they should be racing at Hampton Downs.

What a sheer waste of rate/tax payers funds.

[socram]

Personally, I think that the ideal would have been two NZ rounds a week apart. One at Pukekohe and one at HD. Halves the international travel costs. International spectators could have 10 days in the area to spend their cash.

It is not just about spectator numbers, the real numbers in terms of income dollars are much broader.

We have the two weekend classic McLaren/Amon/Hulme/BMW festival that now seems to work well.

Why not an Aussie V8 based festival?

[Jerico]

Originally Posted by fredd1

Doesn't matter if I view the changes and the $millions from my head or my arse - they should be racing at Hampton Downs.

What a sheer waste of rate/tax payers funds.

Money should have been spent on Pukekohe years a go. It's an iconic track in the biggest city in the country. Before Hampton Auckland only had an old run down facility and Hampton is in the Waikato anyway. If they don't spend the money on puke they will blow it on something else, like a Whitewater-rafting stadium. Aucklanders have been screaming out for one of those for as long as I can remember, and it's only going to cost 30 odd million. So 40-45 million plus by the time it's all done!

[flyingduck]

I just want them to spend money on the right stuff at Puke to make it safer and more user friendly for all people that race on the track.

[I Rosputnik]

Any idea what FIA track grade the owners are trying to get once the upgrades are done?

[Evomike]

I can't help but chuckle when I see people banging on about how the money should be spent on Hampton Downs....which is in the Waikato. I can just imagine the uproar if AUCKLAND rate payers money was spent on a facility in the WAIKATO.

[socram]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Any idea what FIA track grade the owners are trying to get once the upgrades are done?

Level 2 I think. That will make it the same as HD.

[socram]

Originally Posted by Evomike

I can't help but chuckle when I see people banging on about how the money should be spent on Hampton Downs....which is in the Waikato. I can just imagine the uproar if AUCKLAND rate payers money was spent on a facility in the WAIKATO.

Don't forget that the previous government via Corrections Dept and Transit NZ (the roading authority), the only objectors, cost the HD developers millions and delayed the project by two years.

Auckland Council putting in money is one thing, but I gather the Government (ie Taxpayers) are also fronting up with a million or so. John Key could have scored a fair few brownie points by offering that money to HD, as a total of $2.5m would have seen the track extension laid!

[Chappelli]

Originally Posted by Jerico

Money should have been spent on Pukekohe years a go. It's an iconic track in the biggest city in the country. Before Hampton Auckland only had an old run down facility and Hampton is in the Waikato anyway. If they don't spend the money on puke they will blow it on something else, like a Whitewater-rafting stadium. Aucklanders have been screaming out for one of those for as long as I can remember, and it's only going to cost 30 odd million. So 40-45 million plus by the time it's all done!

Sounds like I'm going to be racing you to the front of the queue when it's done!

What ever happened to the plan to build a Motorsport Park out by the AKL Airport? From memory it was going to be a Circuit/Speedway/Drag/Karting multi complex.... which to me makes a lot of sense.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Chappelli

Sounds like I'm going to be racing you to the front of the queue when it's done!

What ever happened to the plan to build a Motorsport Park out by the AKL Airport? From memory it was going to be a Circuit/Speedway/Drag/Karting multi complex.... which to me makes a lot of sense.

Another Barry Curtis dream I think - bit like the whitewater rafting facility... oh hang on...

[Evomike]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Another Barry Curtis dream I think - bit like the whitewater rafting facility... oh hang on...

Probably went the same way as his house.....off a cliff

[peckstar]

oh my goodness, the government are spending a few million fixing a race track ($1 per person in NZ) We should cry and complain about it

some of you Kiwis sure know how to have a sook, this is good for motorsport in NZ and you act like spoilt cry babies

[Chappelli]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Another Barry Curtis dream I think - bit like the whitewater rafting facility... oh hang on...

or the Barry Curtis Skatepark....oh hang on.

Would have thought there were more appropriate South Aucklanders to name a Skatepark, but hey... maybe Bazza loved to shred.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by peckstar

oh my goodness, the government are spending a few million fixing a race track ($1 per person in NZ) We should cry and complain about it

some of you Kiwis sure know how to have a sook, this is good for motorsport in NZ and you act like spoilt cry babies

Who's moaning? And who said it was the Government that is spending the money? And who said there was a 4th manufacturer involved in the V8SC next year? Oh that's right, it was you...

[RogerH]

Even though the money (or less of it) may have been better spent on Hampton Downs, it will be good to see Pukekohe being upgraded as it certainly needed it.
There do seem to be a lot of concrete (non-absorbant) barriers in the upgrade plans. No doubt this is because AV8s has "inherited" them from Hamilton and wanted to use them in order get their "$" contribution as high as possible.
The potential downside of this is that the concrete barrier characteristics of the Hamilton street circuit will be imported to Pukekohe and while this may suit the AV8s who compete there once a year, it will probably be to the detriment of the local racers who use the track for the other 51 weeks of the year as I wonder if a concrete barrier actually makes it safer for cars and drivers on a non-street circuit?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Who's moaning? And who said it was the Government that is spending the money? And who said there was a 4th manufacturer involved in the V8SC next year? Oh that's right, it was you...

I think all the answers to the relevant question are in this thread

[Goat Boy]

Well it's not the Government paying for it, it's Auckland Council (so only 1.5 million people and most of them not ratepayers), only a couple of posters were moaning and the majority are happy that Puke is getting an upgrade but there are some who feel the same money would have gone a lot further at a track just down the road which is a better facility.

Kapish?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Well it's not the Government paying for it, it's Auckland Council (so only 1.5 million people and most of them not ratepayers), only a couple of posters were moaning and the majority are happy that Puke is getting an upgrade but there are some who feel the same money would have gone a lot further at a track just down the road which is a better facility.

Kapish?

you might want to check who is funding the upgrades, its not all the auckland council

oh and let me add, Thats $2 for every aucklander and $0.50 for every non aucklander. Seems fair Aucklanders will benefit the most.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by peckstar

you might want to check who is funding the upgrades, its not all the auckland council

oh and let me add, Thats $2 for every aucklander and $0.50 for every non aucklander. Seems fair Aucklanders will benefit the most.

No that is correct, but they are putting in about $2m/year for the next few years so it's a fair old chunk. I wonder if V8SC have paid for the equipment from Hamilton yet?