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29 Sep 2011, 06:32 (Ref:2962405) | #1 | ||
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V8 Supercars looks to ditch Hamilton
Article here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsp...ditch-Hamilton Good to see they're looking elsewhere in NZ. |
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29 Sep 2011, 06:50 (Ref:2962408) | #2 | ||
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Going back to the tradional home that is Pukekohe?
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One batch two batch, penny and dime |
29 Sep 2011, 06:58 (Ref:2962410) | #3 | |||
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Quote:
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29 Sep 2011, 07:07 (Ref:2962411) | #4 | |
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Or perhaps they want to sell the assets to the Filipinos
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home of saturday night turtle racing "ciudad de juarez raceway" |
29 Sep 2011, 07:56 (Ref:2962423) | #5 | ||
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Would do everyone a favour if they went back to a permanent race circuit.
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29 Sep 2011, 08:00 (Ref:2962425) | #6 | |
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29 Sep 2011, 10:34 (Ref:2962464) | #7 | ||
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At the ITM 400 this year, the weather wasn't ideal, to be fair. There was still a solid crowd. A few things happened a bit last minute, but there was a recession on.
The new management team did really well to pull together after a period of uncertainty under the previous management. New Zealand is deemed to be a key market for V8 Supercars - even TC has said that so it must be true At this year's event, the owners of Hampton Downs met with V8 Supercar management for what seemed like at least a discussion. The issue with Hampton is the track isn't complete, not all of the facilities are complete, and even having V8 Supercars in the bag mightn't be enough to convince the bank to let the last piece of tarmac get laid and the facilities completed. And a "substandard" track would contravine the whole push for a street race in the first place. So what do they do now? Well, this poses quite a challenge. Let's look at the various permanent circuits with a broad brush rather than specific critique: Teretonga and Levels: Essentially goat tracks that lack Supercar crowd facilities Ruapuna: Uncertainty over earthquakes and a lack of decent facilties to cope with the Supercar crowds Manfeild: Maybe - issues being accommodation to house everyone and the ability to house a large crowd Taupo: The A1GP didn't exactly flourish there and that may be because of our love for V8 engined touring cars as opposed to single-seaters. Taupo would also struggle to cope with a decent V8 Supercar crowd when it comes to accommodation. There would be significant reliance on Rotorua, Hastings, Napier, and probably Hamilton (how ironic!!) to house everyone. All of these (essentially) provincial race circuits would require a large influx of visitors to make the race viable. Seemingly this is what Hamilton has seemed to lack as ticket are preferentially released to the locals. Can these tracks afford to take a punt on the "hold it and they will come" mentality and risk profile? That leaves Hampton Downs and Pukekohe. Is Hampton up to the standard that V8 Supercars demand? Going back to Pukekohe would be a bitter pill to swallow for a series that had "far outgrown the venue" and needed to move to a street circuit to remain in New Zealand. So, this raises an interesting question/dilemma: If not Hamilton, where? Where do you think? Keep an eye out for some ideas coming soon! |
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 11:03 (Ref:2962479) | #8 | |
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JDI, help me out with something please
I was always given the impression that the v8's had to leave Pukekohe because the horse racing track wanted to take over, obviously that didn't happen was, i mislead, or was there a change of plans? Thanks |
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29 Sep 2011, 19:01 (Ref:2962646) | #9 | ||
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Quote:
Personally I would love to see the race happen at HD,on the full circuit, and have no doubt that it will eventually host some very big race meetings. Tony Roberts and co. are a passionate bunch of motorsport nuts, who have put their hearts and souls into this venue and like many others here in NZ I really want to see this place succeed. But a lot of work still required to complete. |
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29 Sep 2011, 21:15 (Ref:2962712) | #10 | ||
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street circuits v permanent facilities
Its much harder for the V8 money men to raid the public purse at permanent facilities but it is possible.
Is this a step down that path? |
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29 Sep 2011, 21:17 (Ref:2962713) | #11 | |||
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Quote:
Pukekohe used to get the 4th biggest Friday crowd of any V8 Supercar event. The trouble was, come Sunday, you were packed in and really there was no growth opportunity. I can't remember if it was the year before ITM became naming rights sponsor or the first year that they were, but it was on either the Saturday or the Sunday that Hamilton was under 1000 tickets from being fully sold out and may have got as low as 500! The gouging that goes on in the hospitality sector for accommodation is amazing. One motel that is close to the circuit - a very short walk indeed - I can usually stay at for $125-150 a night any day of the year. Stayed there the night before the night of the recent Rugby World Cup match in Hamilton for $225 - not a rugby fan, had no idea of the game happening, huge surprise. To calm my disbelief, the motelier pulled out a rate card and points to my $225. I asked what the $300 a night deal was for and was told that is for Fieldays and the V8 Supercars when Hamilton fills up. V8 Supercar TV have stayed at this place - I thought Wow, money for jam there! They'd fill it I'd reckon and at $300 a night. So lots of Aucklanders don't bother going. This year, I could've easily filled a 50-seat coach with the number of people I know who don't go because of the accommodation cost or the travel time. The drive can be two hours in each direction I am reliably told. V8 Supercars could go a long way by running trains from Britomart in Auckland stopping all the way to Hamilton and then have shuttle buses going between the train station and the track. Judging by the shock announcement from Shane Howard, you have to wonder if they have lost their heart for the event, which is actually really sad if that is the case. |
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 21:18 (Ref:2962715) | #12 | ||
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Only time will tell, but to execute the strategy you speak of, the event would have to be at Pukekohe or Hampton Downs one would imagine.
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 21:20 (Ref:2962718) | #13 | |||
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Quote:
The question would be how would Hampton Downs cope with that sized crowd, what would happen with the apartments, and where would all the corporate suites go? |
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 21:23 (Ref:2962722) | #14 | ||
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I think that V8SCA have realised that you can go broke running V8 Supercar events, this is something that the tracks have been saying for years as V8SCA kept hiking up their fees. V8SCA have stepped out of Symmons Plains and now out of Hamilton, who is next? Phillip Island?
Interestingly Winton is the only 'permanent' track to still run/promote their own event, all the rest have handed over the reins to V8SCA. With the mega-bucks being spent on Eastern Creek to effectively make it a 5.0km circuit, with money handed over by the NEW NSW Government, how long before Tony et el will be told to shut down Homebush and move to E.C. if they want to continue to receive money to prop up their event. |
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29 Sep 2011, 21:59 (Ref:2962735) | #15 | ||
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In other interesting news, Auckland has now almost completed its rail loop, so we can now get round the larger metropolitan area south of the Harbour Bridge by train and north of the Harbour Bridge by dedicated bus lanes beside the motorway.
Now, ATEED is being run a fellow familiar with V8 Supercars by the name of Michael Redman - the very man who pushed to get the V8 Supercars to Hamilton. A recent urgent meeting secured ATEED a peculiarly odd sum of millions to invest in securing events for the region. I wonder if Shane Howard has paid him a visit prior to or post wet-fishing the Hamilton City Council. Oh to have seen the look on Mayor Julie Hardaker's face. Now she has to justify a huge asset write-down to people of Hamilton if the race is relocated to Auckland or Wellington. Auckland and Wellington both have the corporate support and the accommodation space to house everyone....and Auckland NEEDS something after the RWC sails out of town. Wellington has a Green Party mayor, so the very best of luck to them.....chances are mininal in the capital! |
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 23:49 (Ref:2962767) | #16 | ||
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2012 will see the sun set on Hamilton officially!
Last edited by GTRMagic; 29 Sep 2011 at 23:56. Reason: Fixed the broken link! |
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
29 Sep 2011, 23:57 (Ref:2962768) | #17 | ||
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Oooo eeerrrr! The sky is falling. Better stay indoors and watching the racing on the teev, not go to any events. The sky might fall on me.
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Happy David Thexton Day, 21st March 2003 “I am not uncertain” - Dollar Bill Stern, Billions “Fear stimulates my imagination” - Don Draper, Mad Men “Everybody Lies” - Dr Gregory House, House “Trust But Verify” - Commissioner Frank Reagan, Blue Bloods |
30 Sep 2011, 00:07 (Ref:2962771) | #18 | |
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The bigger issue is something that happened to Nascar and that is market saturation. V8SC races everywhere in Australia and NZ that could afford them and there isn't much room for growth. In the case of NZ, with the resource consent laws, getting things done is not easy.
There really isn't many options for NZ. Wellington I don't see happening. Hampton Downs has potential but they are a way from being able to accommodate the V8SC circus. Taupo, maybe, but I don't think the money is there for it. South Island, I always thought Christchurch was worth it, but after the earthquake I don't see that happening. Ruapuna is a nice track for what it is, but the club wouldn't or doesn't have the money to make that happen. So you have Auckland for street circuit potential. Not a lot of good or realistic options. Hopefully something works out. Hamilton I think they made a good go of it with what they had, but the circuit was pretty tight for V8SC. It would seem strange for V8SC to abandon Hamilton for Pukehoke also. |
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Wolverines! |
30 Sep 2011, 00:45 (Ref:2962779) | #19 | |||
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I guess the bit to look at is:
Quote:
Obviously Christchurch is in no state at the moment to be bidding for a V8 race or anything similar, even if the accommodation industry is likely to be back up and running before any event in what I would guess will be November 2013. Wellington.... obviously it might be a bit of a challenge to get it past the greenie-mayor but hasn't it tried to sell itself as the 'events capital' of NZ for a while? it certainly has the hotel infrastructure, corporate background and a fairly strong economy to support a V8's event. Not too sure where you'd have a street race though? down by the waterfront would be nice, but way too disruptive for the city I would imagine.... Maybe Lower Hutt? then it's probably too far away fro the city & it's facilities. And then we get back to Auckland, which has plenty of space, facilities and corporate support.... |
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30 Sep 2011, 01:47 (Ref:2962786) | #20 | ||
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30 Sep 2011, 03:08 (Ref:2962789) | #21 | ||
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I've always believe the NZ swing of the series should be a two event deal with one on the North Island and the other on the South Island.
There's plenty of race tracks in NZ for them to play at but street circuits are easier to bleed government money from. |
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30 Sep 2011, 04:36 (Ref:2962798) | #22 | ||
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Tranquillity - What happens inside Shane's race car. Chaos - What happens outside Jamie's race car. |
30 Sep 2011, 05:40 (Ref:2962807) | #23 | ||
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Bring Back Puke...or Buck.....or Both..
Hampton Downs is too bland. |
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30 Sep 2011, 06:13 (Ref:2962811) | #24 | ||
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Quote:
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Wolverines! |
30 Sep 2011, 06:55 (Ref:2962823) | #25 | ||
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Damn, good track to.
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Brendon Hartley, Chris van der Drift, Mitch Evans, Richie Stanaway (and maybe) Nick Cassidy. New Zealand's F1 future! |