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

[Armco Bender]

There is also the operational conflict with the horse racing and training that Counties Racing Club undertakes at the same location. The Counties Racing Club is a horse racing club so their heart is not in motor racing.

Only thing I've ever heard from them is there delighted to have another revenue stream,the hayburners arent a huge pot of gold.
Parking no problem,get the guys who organised the A1GP to do it,parking at Taupo was a breeze.
Hampton Downs is in the wrong county,they need to move it a kilometer to the west over the Auckland City boundary,they'll never get any funds out of Waikato.Actually heard someone on the radio ask the question today "why did they ever build it,when theres another track so close?."
Looking on google earth theres a big empty paddock at the end of the main straight,just buy it and extend the run off so theres no chicane.

[DX20VT]

Originally Posted by RogerH

As a taxpayer and ratepayer it is a concern that some of "my" money is being given to a private organisation (Counties Racing Club) to improve their asset.

From my understanding ATEED already had a budget of $xxx to spend on attracting tourism to Auckland.
They looked at where to spend it to get good tourism to Auckland and decided that this was a good way to do it.

Those that think they should not spend it.
what would they rather do with it?
Support 200 local community events at 10K each?
The money would still get spent, just on lots of lesser events.

ATEED managed the coordination of Auckland Council’s $102 million towards ensuring Auckland businesses were prepared to maximise the economic benefit opportunities presented by the RWC.

$2m to an internation event is probably not much to them.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by DX20VT

From my understanding ATEED already had a budget of $xxx to spend on attracting tourism to Auckland.
They looked at where to spend it to get good tourism to Auckland and decided that this was a good way to do it.

exactly. i don't hear to much vocal negativity regarding thier investment in a central south island gravel basher

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by RogerH

From a competitor perspective it will be good to see Pukekohe upgraded into a more user friendly track. It is disappointing that the main quality of Pukekohe being it's history and character is being detrimentally effected by the addition of a chicane on the back straight.
As a taxpayer and ratepayer it is a concern that some of "my" money is being given to a private organisation (Counties Racing Club) to improve their asset.
The figures put out by ATEED to justify Auckland City's investment seem a bit hard to believe. I suppose it is the old bureaucratic trick of altering the figures related to the proposed benefits in order to give the answer that you need - its all based on assumptions on top of assumptions.
Pukekohe has some inherent issues that seem to have been ignored. It is now in a location that is becoming increasing developed. This reduces the land available for such things as car parking and places environmental pressures with neighbours over such things as noise pollution - these issues will only get worse.
There is also the operational conflict with the horse racing and training that Counties Racing Club undertakes at the same location. The Counties Racing Club is a horse racing club so their heart is not in motor racing.
The traffic access to the Pukekohe track is much worse than Hampton Downs. The track is some 20 minutes off the motorway (when travelling from Auckland) and any large spectator attendance will quickly congest the Manakau and Buckland Road accesses.
On balance it seems that the financial and operational aspects are a bit suspect.

Just a few comments from an Aussie....

Sad that they are adding the chicane...and you can bet it will be a "Mickey Mouse" affair... I hope they check the local geology after years of liquifaction by those trains rumbling past ;-)

The fact that Puke is largely controlled by the horse racing fraternity will always be an issue....however, there is absolutely no reason why improvements can't be carried out just about everywhere at the track....any facilty can be rejuvenated (assuming politics don't get on the way)

As for Hampton Downs...well what a crying shame your local body didn't go for two rounds, alternate rounds or some other arrangement where the magnificent HD circuit could step up a notch...it is better than a few Aussie tracks in terms of facilities...

I'll get my coat! (said a man from Parmy once :-)

[fordo]

Quote "It is disappointing that the main quality of Pukekohe being it's history and character is being detrimentally effected by the addition of a chicane on the back straight."

They ran with a chicane on the back straight and on top of the hill in the 70's around the time that they changed from F5000s to Pacifics. I remember Brian Redman running through both on the first lap in has Pacific car. Crowd loved it. Certainly created some action on top of the hill when they used it. A few spins etc under braking.

Would be better reopening the hill stand one and leaving the back straight as it is.
Can see it here in this pic;

[RogerH]

I understand that as well as the chicane in the back straight the configuration of the track at the "hill" is going to be altered so that the speed coming onto the front straight is reduced. Evidently the same is happening at other parts of the track - maybe going onto the back straight. Additionally the existing armco is going to be replaced with the Hamilton concrete barriers expect on the front straight as the barriers would interrupt the view to the horse racing track.
Sounds like a lot of the character and speed of the existing Pukekohe track is going to be lost.

[Razor]

To be honest, I always thought most of Pukekohe was a single file track with the only decent passing opportunity was the back straight hairpin. Little sad to see a chicane on the straight himself but it's in the interest of safety and if it present's itself as a passing opportunity I'm for it. In terms of the alterations at the final turn up the crest, I'm all for it as I've always seen it as a one line, single file track that if a driver goes offline they're gonna be deep into the barrier and a decent chance to roll the car back onto the track. (What Brad Jones and Paul Morris did back in 2007)

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by Razor

To be honest, I always thought most of Pukekohe was a single file track with the only decent passing opportunity was the back straight hairpin. Little sad to see a chicane on the straight himself but it's in the interest of safety and if it present's itself as a passing opportunity I'm for it. In terms of the alterations at the final turn up the crest, I'm all for it as I've always seen it as a one line, single file track that if a driver goes offline they're gonna be deep into the barrier and a decent chance to roll the car back onto the track. (What Brad Jones and Paul Morris did back in 2007)

I agree that the speed onto the front straight could be reduced (or the camber or line altered) because that is one spot where if you get it wrong you are all over the show and even over the safety fence, as I saw Mitch(?) Evans do one year in a GT3. Really lucky nobody was on the other side of that fence at the time, 50 metres further and it could have been 20 kids that were hurt or worse.

But I disagree that there is only one passing spot at Puke, there is the hairpin under brakes, yes, but also the front straight out of the corner, the Castrol Esses and the back straight itself - I've seen people pass every which way (and loose) around there, just takes a bit of skill and balls of steel...

[Just Do It!]

Swap Mitch Evans with Dean Fulford, Goaty!

[Racer Mike]

So how do you Aucklandrers fare when you help pay 6.6m to do up a horse track in Pukekohe that has no impact on yourself, remember that having a race in the middle of Auckland and Hamilton wont help sell hotel beds as its only an hour away anyway and then........how do you feel that part of your 6.6m donation is buying back pit buildings and infastructure from V8 Supercars that they nicked from Hamilton for 1.1m? Another example of Cochrane bullying people that have no value of money and clearly on this occasion along with Hamilton, has Aced Auckland city councillors. How does this happen?

[peckstar]

Are they buying the stufff back from V8 supercars Racer Mike

isnt that something v8 supercars are bringing to the table as their part of the upgrade.

something they purchased for $1.1 million

[Racer Mike]

Thats what I've been told and not for 1.1m either.

[harcey]

Originally Posted by Racer Mike

So how do you Aucklandrers fare when you help pay 6.6m to do up a horse track in Pukekohe that has no impact on yourself, remember that having a race in the middle of Auckland and Hamilton wont help sell hotel beds as its only an hour away anyway and then........how do you feel that part of your 6.6m donation is buying back pit buildings and infastructure from V8 Supercars that they nicked from Hamilton for 1.1m? Another example of Cochrane bullying people that have no value of money and clearly on this occasion along with Hamilton, has Aced Auckland city councillors. How does this happen?

COOL....so based on the size of the supercity catchment the v8sc at puke is gonna cost you about $5 as a rate payer over 5 years......awesome...you should be stoked and go and enjoy the weekend.......and you as a rate payer also score the hamilton infrastructure to boot....even beter ...WOOHOO ...bring it on...
if you are still not happy PM me and i will be happy to give you 5 bucks....

[NZSTfan]

yeah actually as a rate payer and a petrol head i dont mind paying for some of this, i just want to see the V8SC's back in NZ so agree with harcey totally

next big question for me though, if they are adding more chicanes and effectively taking the real high speed nature out of Puke then what will V8SC lap times be like compared to a V8ST?

[DX20VT]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

big question for me though, what will V8SC lap times be like compared to a V8ST?

Why would it matter, they are not going to be in the same race????