Procar not going to Indy

pete55 · 25 Dec 2003, 13:43 (Ref:820361)

It looks like Procar are not going to Indy in 2004. There is an event in NZ the weekend before and the cars couldn't get back anyway. It also looks like the Sandown event could be in doubt too and not only to Procar. Sandowns future looks a bit clouded.

RaceTime · 25 Dec 2003, 20:51 (Ref:820494)

Sandowns future has been cloudy for a while with the VATC already stating they want to physically relocate the Sandown horse track.

the man · 26 Dec 2003, 12:36 (Ref:820728)

I don't know why they want to go to New Zealand. ( no offense to the New Zealand people) They should take over the australian fan base and tracks first, because TC is going overseas with the taxi's. So they should stay in Australia to take charge and become the number 1 catergory in Australia.

pete55 · 26 Dec 2003, 12:45 (Ref:820734)

I'm inclined to agree with you 'the man'. At this stage Qld won't be even getting a round.

the man · 26 Dec 2003, 13:05 (Ref:820751)

Why did they drop Queensland raceway from the calendar?

pete55 · 26 Dec 2003, 14:23 (Ref:820780)

Supposedly because of most of competitors come from the souhern states.

**GTRMagic** · 26 Dec 2003, 22:22 (Ref:820938)

It makes sense for them not to go to Indy, given the 2 lawsuits Mr Palmer is now said to have had enactioned on PROCAR thanks to the debacle at Surfers Paradise....

Having said that, you would have thought QR would have picked up a round considering the PROCAR HQ isnt that far from there..

Crash Test · 26 Dec 2003, 23:46 (Ref:820985)

IIRC QR has always had some of Procar's better attendances... oh well...

On the flipside, we might see something different on the support programme...

Ross Palmer · 26 Dec 2003, 23:50 (Ref:820987)

Hey Guys go to www.procar.com.au and into the forum topic Sandown 500 you will see that we have foreshadowed a reshuffling of the calendar to now include QR given that we are now not going to INDY for various reasons.
The GMEC company does not have the commercial package to fairly accomodate our categories.
IMG just invoiced us $88,000 on behalf of 10 for non capture of Saturday and Sunday due to various debacles and the now infamous "bombscare".
It costs us $150k to compete given that the GMEC board renegged on an offer that would have at least had us covering our costs.
In the meantime AVESCO,s sanction fee fo0r attending goes up from $600k to $1,250k with airfares and accomodation for all.
Please give us some credit for not being fools.
Neither I or my teams are charities.
The TAUPO EVENT is proposed for the 1st round of the INDIAN PACIFIC series and we have the sponsorship to take GTP,APCC,V8BRutes,and F3 over on a car carrier [free of charge to teams]for the last round of the PROCAR champ series .
Nations Cup GROUP ONE and Nations Cup GROUP TWO will be competing in the first o0f 3 races of the INDIAN PACIFIC SERIES,together with EUROPEAN/JAPANESE/and US teams ,[platform sponsor Formula Green Foundation www.formulagreen.com ]having completed a shortened version of the Nations Cup Procar Champ Series in September.
The other 2 races with the expanded fields will be the Bathurst 24 hour and the proposed DUBAI 24 hour.
It is disappointing that we cannot do both INDY and TAUPO,but clearly once again my organization is not a charity and has to make a commercial fair return for it,s effort.
Our JV partners in both New Zealand and Dubai for the running of the event have sponsorship in place and we will be appointing nesw managers for the sponsorship and operational aspects of the Bathurst 24 hour.
I trust that this clears up any misunderstandings that may be circulating around silly season time.
regards,
Ross Palmer www.procar.com.au

**GTRMagic** · 26 Dec 2003, 23:56 (Ref:820991)

You might find Ross that AVESCO/GMEC may come crawling if the ChampCars dont make the journey as intended....

There are certainly enough Supercar people considering the possibility of a format change to soak up more of the 'Indy' weekend...

Crash Test · 27 Dec 2003, 00:00 (Ref:820995)

yeee haaa!

So what date will the QR round be?

pete55 · 27 Dec 2003, 00:10 (Ref:821003)

Why have the last round in NZ. The series is in Australia all year then you take the Grand Final to NZ. I'm not sure that is a good idea or even a smart one.

**GTRMagic** · 27 Dec 2003, 00:15 (Ref:821009)

If the NZ organising company is paying for all transfers, why not go to NZ??

If the teams were clever perhaps they could rent out their cars for the weekend to a local driver and make some $$$

Ross Palmer · 27 Dec 2003, 00:16 (Ref:821012)

Look It,s impossible to do both and the other event is quite grand!
One event has PROCAR paying for the privelege to be there and the other is commercially attractive not only for PROCAR but also for teams.
It,s that simple.
The live TV component for Nations Cup teams to 80 countries gives those teams the chance to get some very worthwhile sponsorship.
We are going to QLD,VIC,TAS,SA[Clipsal]and NSW .
The positives far outweigh the negatives in my mind by at least 10 to 1.
What do others think?

pete55 · 27 Dec 2003, 00:27 (Ref:821022)

GTR, if the races were 2 driver races then that would be a brilliant idea. One Aussie and one Kiwi in each car possibly. Maybe GTP is the class for this, a 2 hr race with a compulsory driver change.

RaceTime · 27 Dec 2003, 00:35 (Ref:821027)

Have to agree with pete - having the final in NZ for, what is in all honesty, an Australian series, is, IMHO, a kick in the face for Australians.

If it were part of a stand alone series ie just Dubai, Bathurst and NZ - maybe - but to be the final round for a series that is otherwise held in Australia says to me - Hey Kiwi's - come and see what we think of Australians!

HRT #1 · 27 Dec 2003, 03:50 (Ref:821070)

Quote:

Originally posted by pete55
Why have the last round in NZ. The series is in Australia all year then you take the Grand Final to NZ. I'm not sure that is a good idea or even a smart one.

pete55 - You whinge about street circuits that either Avesco or Procar may or do have possible plans for, now you continue to whinge that Procar shouldn't hold their final event in NZ you have yet to back your statement up with a valid argument as to why it shouldn't be held.

Both Avesco and Procar are in the motorsports entertainment business to promote and get the best maximum exposure possible for their respected categories and it creates more sponsorship, local businesses benefit from it and it benefits all the teams, not to mention the fact that it can open up new avenues to be explored if RossP so chooses to do so. The bottom line is simple, it's a financially viable proposition to have a race in NZ regardless of whether it's the first race or last race of a season.

RossP please correct if I am wrong in what I have said.

Crash Test · 27 Dec 2003, 04:07 (Ref:821074)

Doesn't it make sense to hold the three enduro races at one end of the year? After Taupo there is still the Bathurst 24hr, it's not as if the world ends at Taupo...

pete55 · 27 Dec 2003, 04:21 (Ref:821078)

HRT#1, Just read what i said.

RaceTime · 27 Dec 2003, 04:21 (Ref:821079)

Have you ever been to Taupo?

Believe me - the world DOES end at Taupo!

And, unless they extend the circuit, it is a piddling little track really....let's see - comparison - Oran Park short circuit or Calder Park short circuit...circuit length - 1400 metres....
http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Tracks/taupo.htm

RaceTime · 27 Dec 2003, 04:22 (Ref:821080)

Pete - don;t worry about him - he reads what he wants to and nothing else...

Crash Test · 27 Dec 2003, 04:31 (Ref:821081)

RT- I've been to Taupo, went fishing, got drunk and had a whale of a time!

But yeah, I'm sure our NZ friends on the forum will give us the latest, but the track will be properly upgraded to international specs.

Peter Walsh · 27 Dec 2003, 05:10 (Ref:821087)

Correct.The consents have all been granted for the track upgrade incorporating a motorsport business park.I dont know the start date but believe it is imminent.The motorsport NZ website has press releases posted.

RaceTime · 27 Dec 2003, 05:23 (Ref:821088)

I've been reading about the proposed extension - for quite a while! Considering nothing has been started yet I would question when it would get done - looking at the tracks calendar they have events scheduled right through the year - NOvember 2004 is the only month nothing is scheduled - so makes me wonder when they are scheduling the track works...

Peter Walsh · 27 Dec 2003, 07:32 (Ref:821106)

Dunno but as it is an extension of the existing facility probably no reason works cannot continue whilst the existing track is being used.Main issue with Taupo being if anything successful did happen at the track how do they propose to accommodate the punters.Last year after the NZ 8's the officials where patting each other on the back re a record crowd.2600 people and currently the worst track in the world for a motor race of any seriousness

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