V8s to Pukekohe (formerly No more V8 Supercars in NZ?!)

[Goat Boy]

This just in:

"Hampton Downs Will Provide V8 Supercars With Long-Term Venue"
Track Owners Will Put Proposition To V8 Organisers Early In New Year
Hampton Downs Raceway will table a proposal to host the 2013 New Zealand leg of the V8 Supercars with the championship organisers early next year.
“We have been working with a consortium of financial advisors, planners and investors for the past year analysing potential track operations and the future for a motor sport focused business park,” said the Managing Director of Hampton Downs, Tony Roberts.
“Based on that work we anticipate being in a position to take our proposal to the V8 Supercar organisers in the first quarter of next year.
“Hampton Downs has the potential to be the long-term future home of motorsport, and the pre-eminent motorsport park in Australasia.
“It already has a fully functioning 2.7 kilometre track with the necessary FIA Category 3 standard for V8 Supercar racing, and we have resource consent to extend the track to 3.8 kilometres.
“This extension can be undertaken at any time and could be completed a full year ahead of when the track would be needed for the V8s.
“When fully completed spectators will have extensive views of the track from various vantage points.
“Our current resource consent allows us to hold events with up to 20,000 spectators and we have the land capacity to easily accommodate more than 60,000 people.
“Hampton Downs is 45 minute drive down State Highway 1 from downtown Auckland, and has a population catchment area of more than a third of New Zealand’s population within an hour’s drive, and half the population within a three hour drive.
“While Hampton Downs has ample room to cater for large numbers of cars and buses, we are in discussions with the local authority to develop park and ride facilities within 10 minutes of the venue, and the racetrack is located between two existing train stations within 10 minutes.
“There are 23 months between now and when the 2013 V8 event is scheduled to be held in New Zealand, which is sufficient time for Hampton Downs to be upgraded to host more than 60,000 spectators, the track extended and other infrastructure completed.
“The benefit Hampton Downs offers is that it is a dedicated, purpose built motor racing track, which means organisers are not involved in expensive set up and pack down costs that have been the downfall of one-off events.
“Our infrastructure will be used on a year-round basis and offers the V8 Supercars a long-term solution, rather than a temporary fix.
“Within what we are planning, the V8 event would form part of a total motor racing and motor sport programme, operating within a motor sport business park cluster.
“While not ready to release the details of our proposals, we are making this statement to counter the suggestion that the V8 supercar series will inevitably be lost to New Zealand.”

[Mr Revhead]

Well, TC's reaction to that will reveal his real attitude towards races in NZ

[Rugz]

Interview not long ago with Greg Mosin(?)

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/ThisWeek/51615.wma

About 6min in.

[peckstar]

is there cash around to expand the track to the suggested dimensions extra km of track and 40k more people?

or are they just tallking things up?

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by peckstar

is there cash around to expand the track to the suggested dimensions extra km of track and 40k more people?

or are they just tallking things up?

I'd say they'll be after some funding from local or national government if they can't raise it publicly.

[on_to_it]

I had to laugh this morning when I heard TC on a radio interview saying the Hampton Downs track is too short. According to the stats I've looked up, both Pukekohe and Hampton are 2.8 km so what's the problem? They were happy enough with Pukekohe weren't they.

[harcey]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

I had to laugh this morning when I heard TC on a radio interview saying the Hampton Downs track is too short. According to the stats I've looked up, both Pukekohe and Hampton are 2.8 km so what's the problem? They were happy enough with Pukekohe weren't they.

H/D is 2.6km in reality

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

I had to laugh this morning when I heard TC on a radio interview saying the Hampton Downs track is too short. According to the stats I've looked up, both Pukekohe and Hampton are 2.8 km so what's the problem? They were happy enough with Pukekohe weren't they.

TC was on record many times during the Puke days saying that they weren't happy with it other than giving them a venue to start with in NZ - I think that he used the term "Beach head" a number of times. He also talked about the event having out grown Puke pretty regularly.

Whether you agree with him or not is another matter but to suggest that they were happy with Puke would be incorrect.

[promax]

Originally Posted by on_to_it

They were happy enough with Pukekohe weren't they.

if they were happy with Pukekohe.. they would've stayed at Pukekohe.

[on_to_it]

Maybe I should post with more detail - I meant they were happy enough to come over and compete at Pukekohe.

harcey - you may be correct but I got the track length off HD's website. Anyway, is 200 metres a deal breaker?

promax - didn't they get shoved out by the horsey crowd who wouldn't spend the money to upgrade the track?

[Mr Revhead]

How long is Symmons plains?

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by Mr Revhead

How long is Symmons plains?

2.4k.

Hidden Valley 2.87
Townsville 2.86
Perth 2.45

[D.R.T.]

Its clear the street races arent working so if TC isnt prepared to race at Pukekohe, Hampton Downs or Taupo he has made his own bed.

Time to take some responsibility

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I'd say they'll be after some funding from local or national government if they can't raise it publicly.

i wonder if that was the reason for this press release. hey government, give us sone cash so we can develop this track so we can keep this event

Nothing wrong with that, but it just makes me wonder

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Its clear the street races arent working so if TC isnt prepared to race at Pukekohe, Hampton Downs or Taupo he has made his own bed.

Time to take some responsibility

while your first point is questionable, my real question is;

what do you mean its time to take some responsibility, i thought that was what he was doing?

[Just Do It!]

Originally Posted by Rugz

Interview not long ago with Greg Mosin(?)

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/ThisWeek/51615.wma

About 6min in.

Greg Mosen

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by peckstar

i wonder if that was the reason for this press release. hey government, give us sone cash so we can develop this track so we can keep this event

Nothing wrong with that, but it just makes me wonder

Got that right peck, think WA, direct access to the Government purse is the key for V8's, local event management/Govt covers V8 sanctioning fees.

Dont like the way TC does business personally, but it continues to produce results - will it work on the Kiwis, it worked on the Sandgropers.

[peckstar]

lets hope it does work hey Cavvy, would be excellent for NZ motorsport to have the upgraded track

[GizzFan]

Originally Posted by peckstar

lets hope it does work hey Cavvy, would be excellent for NZ motorsport to have the upgraded track

Totally agree would just be fantastic, the guys at Hampton Downs deserve a break, the put their b---- on the line and will probably lose their shirts, if they cant do a deal with TC. I am not a big fan of TC so I dont hold out much hope that Hampton Downs will get the local bodies support they deserve.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by peckstar

while your first point is questionable, my real question is;

what do you mean its time to take some responsibility, i thought that was what he was doing?

What is questionable about it Pecky - fill me in on the success of the NZ street race.

Take some responsibility - in the interview Tony even blamed the weather on the event failing Its great to live in Tony's world on never ending denial.

He isnt taking responsibility for the V8SA promoted event failing, he is blaming everyone else and saying that its the v8's that have been hard done by

Why do NZ need a track upgrade to keep the dearly beloved, whats wrong with Taupo again?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

What is questionable about it Pecky - fill me in on the success of the NZ street race.

Take some responsibility - in the interview Tony even blamed the weather on the event failing Its great to live in Tony's world on never ending denial.

He isnt taking responsibility for the V8SA promoted event failing, he is blaming everyone else and saying that its the v8's that have been hard done by

Why do NZ need a track upgrade to keep the dearly beloved, whats wrong with Taupo again?

he has taken responsibility for the series he runs and has taken it away, that is taking responsibility

do you really think that weather doesnt effect motorsport crowds?

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Take some responsibility - in the interview Tony even blamed the weather on the event failing Its great to live in Tony's world on never ending denial.

Why do NZ need a track upgrade to keep the dearly beloved, whats wrong with Taupo again?

Well, the weather didn't help, that's for sure. If it had been better, who knows what the crowd might have been? Could have been much bigger, or much the same. Point is, the weather makes all analysis of the effectiveness of the marketing pure speculation. No doubt that the bottom line would have been hurt on the one Hamilton event that VESA have promoted.

Big problem with Taupo is lack of local accommodation as I understand it - simply not enough beds plus not as accessible from the main population centre of Auckland as Hamilton is. Might be paddock issues too but long time since I've been there so I'm out of date on the place in its current form.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Well, the weather didn't help, that's for sure. If it had been better, who knows what the crowd might have been? Could have been much bigger, or much the same. Point is, the weather makes all analysis of the effectiveness of the marketing pure speculation. No doubt that the bottom line would have been hurt on the one Hamilton event that VESA have promoted.

Big problem with Taupo is lack of local accommodation as I understand it - simply not enough beds plus not as accessible from the main population centre of Auckland as Hamilton is. Might be paddock issues too but long time since I've been there so I'm out of date on the place in its current form.

I think Taupo has quite a bit of accommodation in my opinion, it's a tourist town with a significant number of hotels and condos. And there is a lot of nice upscale accommodation as well. Last time I was there I stayed at the Wairakei Resort, which is no small place. Rotorua also has tons of hotels and it's 45 minutes to an hour away.

I believe the actual issue is the "corporates" and it being too far a drive from Auckland.

Hopefully Hampton Downs works out.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I'd say they'll be after some funding from local or national government if they can't raise it publicly.

i believe the Hampton Downs management are sharp enough to reaslise that if they get the no from Big Tones, they will go ahead with the extra track and prop it up with a stack of new condos trackside.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think Taupo has quite a bit of accommodation in my opinion, it's a tourist town with a significant number of hotels and condos. And there is a lot of nice upscale accommodation as well. Last time I was there I stayed at the Wairakei Resort, which is no small place. Rotorua also has tons of hotels and it's 45 minutes to an hour away.

I believe the actual issue is the "corporates" and it being too far a drive from Auckland.

Hopefully Hampton Downs works out.

There are other problems with Taupo
1. The track is not great, too twisty and hard to pass
2. It is too far from an airport that can take a 747 loaded with V8 Supercars
3. It is too far from Auckland, wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga. Hamilton had problems because people don't want to drive more than an hour from home.
4. It is hard to get accommodation there when there is an event on.