NZV8's - Set for a shake-up?? (Merged x1)

[Just Do It!]

In an interesting twist of news, it seems that the NZV8 category may be about to get a shake-up, with a meeting of stakeholders to be held at the Pukekohe V8 Supercar round to discuss proposed changes to the shape and future direction of the series.

It seems that the series that "is in no way a copy of V8 Supercars, despite having Teams License Agreements and Tier One and Tier Two racing" may indeed be seeking a return on the said TLA in the same way that V8 Supercar team owners get a pay-out of appearance money from TEGA.

There is a lot of scope for this to really happen and make a true and positive difference to NZ motorsport, and the future of NZ's premiere motorsport category

[mountainstar]

I think NZV8's is one of the best touring car series around and I'm hoping to race in it at some point.

I just hope they keep costs under control as NZ can only afford so much.

[Just Do It!]

Well, well, well....it seems that there is a ground swell of support for this wee situation from disenchanted franchise holders.

Apparently, the proposal seems sound, thanks to some practices adopted by our cousins at VESA in Australia.

I cannot believe though that for the number of Kiwi teams' folk, fringe team associates, and other Kiwi motorsport fans that read this website just how quiet this topic has been.

I'm a bit confused as to whether it is more of the calm before the storm, or the Silence of the Lambs??

[Timu]

My understanding is that the category is looking at running all engines under the same spec! (Fords donk!)

Heard this from quite a few people in the series, lets hope its just hearsay... A Commodore with a Falcon engine would be utterly sacreligious!

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Timu

My understanding is that the category is looking at running all engines under the same spec! (Fords donk!)

Heard this from quite a few people in the series, lets hope its just hearsay... A Commodore with a Falcon engine would be utterly sacreligious!

So why dont they run a Hemi, and then neither brand is advantaged/disadvantaged?

[Chucky]

How about a Cosworth so they don't look so slow.

[xr8]

Nah! A mere FORD or HOLDEN driver would never be able to handle the power of a "HEMI"



and on the eighth day god created the "HEMI"

[Rombles1]

Originally Posted by xr8

Nah! A mere FORD or HOLDEN driver would never be able to handle the power of a "HEMI"



and on the eighth day god created the "HEMI"

What about a Yamaha, eh?

[mctshirt]

What about an engineer in charge of parity who understands that engines performing equally on the dyno can behave differently when subjected to the forces of racing sitting in an engine bay...

[pete55]

Is there any more news out of our neighbours across the ditch re the proposed TLA for the NZ V8's?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by mctshirt

What about an engineer in charge of parity who understands that engines performing equally on the dyno can behave differently when subjected to the forces of racing sitting in an engine bay...

So why cant they get specific, controlled camshafts, controlled ignition timing, controlled exhaust specification... so the parts they have force the engines down a path of a similar power/torque curve..... if you match the gearing mathematically also, the cars should be paritied up

[Just Do It!]

There is not a lot of news to report on all this, Pete.

A meeting is allegedly to be convened at Pukekohe....kind of appropriate given the fact that a convenor of a similar meeting in Australia from over a decade ago will be present at the event! The outcome of the said alleged meeting will be interesting.

There are really only two possible perceived outcomes - either unanimous agreement to move forward or a series implosion perhaps like CART and the IRL.

What NZ V8's needs right now is to put the differences of the various factions aside and to move forward and united for the benefit of the whole category.

Some participants in this category have invested half a metric buttload of money over a long time in this series, which has morphed and developed out of the old Tranzam Lites category. So far, the cosmetic gel of the thrill of competing has held the series together and seen it grow to where it is now. But it seems that this very cosmetic gel may well be starting to fade and some unrest is being ranked amongst some of the competitors.

The drawcard event stakeholders have decided that they are now a big enough billing to be able to see a return on this half a metric buttload of investment, similar to their bigger and full-time professional cousins in Australia.

Seemingly, the time has come for the tail to stop wagging the dog. What is not known, however, is the ability of the dog to take control of it's tail, or simply be sent to the vet and have it surgically removed.

Friday the 20th of April.......the day of impending change!

[Rombles1]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

....
Seemingly, the time has come for the tail to stop wagging the dog. What is not known, however, is the ability of the dog to take control of it's tail, or simply be sent to the vet and have it surgically removed.

...

I thought it was normally sheep that had their tails removed? Just hope no-one gets fleeced in all of this....

[pete55]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

There is not a lot of news to report on all this, Pete.

A meeting is allegedly to be convened at Pukekohe....kind of appropriate given the fact that a convenor of a similar meeting in Australia from over a decade ago will be present at the event! The outcome of the said alleged meeting will be interesting.

I hope they have both eyes open to this interloper or they might be sorry.

[mountainstar]

I don't think they will be sorry. Time to cut the colonial strings and start running the business like a modern sport. The emergence of Avesco and Tega in Australia turned the sport from amateur hour to a professional business. Despite the fact that NZ is a small market of 4 million, there does need to be a professional organization in place that runs the NZV8 series.

[mctshirt]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So why cant they get specific, controlled camshafts, controlled ignition timing, controlled exhaust specification... so the parts they have force the engines down a path of a similar power/torque curve..... if you match the gearing mathematically also, the cars should be paritied up

After the first race at Pukekohe TV1 showed the engineer responsible for parity getting a roasting in pit lane from (I think) the Tasman Motorsport team and he was insisting the engines were the same on the dyno...same torque - same hp. The engines were matched in power but the racecars weren't - the Fords were considerably faster.

Interesting news Just Do It - the NZV8's certainly do put on a show and in this day and age the teams will be very aware that a slice of the pie could really be lucrative. I suspect they may not get a V8 Supercar type deal if someone is looking at the big picture...NZ seems to have very healthy motorsport right through a lot of classes which the NZV8's may well be helping to pay for. Looking at Australia all their eggs are in the V8 Supercar basket which although lucrative is getting quite stagnant, some say crooked and others say staged in a NASCAR type manner. If it implodes CAMS have nothing left and a lot of drivers with nothing to do. Won't stop me watching this weekend though

[bazil]

Good Luck Bezzy!! Go kick a few Kiwi's butts and maybe you will end the weekend as Champ!!

[Goat Boy]

Well howdy y'all! Been a while, hey?!

Was talking to a V8SC driver yesterday and he told me that the series in Oz is about to go into a tailspin unless they control costs - the Walkinshaw cars are having huge money spent on R&D, if you ain't got $10m PER YEAR to run a 2 car team you aint goin nowhere. No wonder TKR are rubbish or that DJ can't afford to ever pay his drivers!

[Goat Boy]

Anyway, back to the NZV8s, perceptive comments by the Ozzie bloke on the abilities (or lack thereof) of TMC at marketing "their" series. Some interesting talk going on out there about that, too!

BTW, lots of admiration in Oz for our Toyota Racing Series - incidentally not controlled by TMC and therefore a roaring success!

[mctshirt]

Interesting comments on the TRC - it really does produce some good racing and drivers in a decent sized field but lacks the V8 "shop front". With a bit of marketing in the right direction (e.g. the NZGP live on TV) the V8 teams might find they have to share the top of the heap.

[pete55]

Any more word on what is happening over there?

[mountainstar]

Pretty quiet. Never did hear if the big meeting came down and what came of it.

[Goat Boy]

I've been told that next season TOCAL are going to be a bit like TEGA in Oz and promote the series themselves, rather than TMC. I think it's all go by my understanding. But TMC will still "own" the shares in TOCAL

[Just Do It!]

It seems that you are almost right.

A new company looks set to be formed with TMC having a shareholding, but not all the shares

[Evomike]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Well howdy y'all! Been a while, hey?!

Was talking to a V8SC driver yesterday and he told me that the series in Oz is about to go into a tailspin unless they control costs - the Walkinshaw cars are having huge money spent on R&D, if you ain't got $10m PER YEAR to run a 2 car team you aint goin nowhere. No wonder TKR are rubbish or that DJ can't afford to ever pay his drivers!

As my post has been mysteriously deleted, I will repost my comments.

TKR rubbish? They beat Tasman at Pukekohe so what does that make them???