A1 @ Taupo ?

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Discussion

Kiwi XTR2

Original Poster:

2,693 posts

233 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
quotequote all
TVNZ said:
Taupo to host A1?
Jul 6, 2006


Taupo looks set to host one of New Zealand's biggest motor racing events in years with a round of the A1 GP in 2007.

The circuit has been handed a provisional date in January, thought to be the 21st.

The A1GP series began last year and the New Zealand team finished a highly credible fourth.

The Taupo circuit, which has undergone a revamp, would require more updates to accomodate the A1.


Would love to see it . . . but six months to get ready ?

I thought they were going to do a Tri-Nations (NZ, AU, SA) as a practice for a full race in 2008 ?

GravelBen

15,696 posts

231 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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Excellent news for NZ motorsport if they are coming though, its about time we had some genuine international racing (other than classics and rallying).



could be interesting to compare speed, times etc between the A1 cars and the Toyota racing series cars, which are also wings and slicks but a lot less powerful. Give the formula ford boys something to aspire to as well

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Thursday 6th July 2006
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Yeah love to see it too. I wonder how much money and time needed to be poured in to the place to get it up to spec. I really hope they do get their act together, what an opportunity! We could enter a A1 PistonHeads Team, LOL dream on fellas

Mustang-man

255 posts

222 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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That would be awesome if it went ahead, as mentioned it is about time we got some more worldly motorsport events other than rallying etc.

Kiwi XTR2

Original Poster:

2,693 posts

233 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
kylie said:
. . . We could enter a A1 PistonHeads Team, LOL dream on fellas

We just need to bribe one of the Kiwi drivers to stick one of these:



On Black Beauty . . . Ted might pay a bonus if it gets TV coverage

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Yeah right!!

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Well at least it's already in the team colours

iwilson

246 posts

284 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but it will never happen. Pukekohe is the only circuit where international races can be held. They have the rights for the next 24 years...

Was chatting to the Don King of NZ motorsport today and he confirmed what he told me a few months ago (any one whose done a track day at Puke will know who I mean).

Kiwi XTR2

Original Poster:

2,693 posts

233 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
iwilson said:
Sorry to be the bringer of bad news but it will never happen. Pukekohe is the only circuit where international races can be held. They have the rights for the next 24 years...

Was chatting to the Don King of NZ motorsport today and he confirmed what he told me a few months ago (any one whose done a track day at Puke will know who I mean).

I'm sure that's what you've been told, and I don't think it will happen in Jan 2007 either, but that can not possibly be true . . . the V8's at Hamilton for example (or is the West Island not international )

In the first place the Commerce Commission would not allow such an exclusive arrangement, particularly for that length of time, and especially one that is not being exercised.

Secondly (and fairly much finally) it would take one visit from Colin & Bob to Aunty Helen and any exclusivity on the NZ side of things that stopped an A1 race here would be gone.

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, there are other ways that the Greens, the RMA, and even the FIA could stuff it up.

iwilson

246 posts

284 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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My mistake, I should have been clearer. By international events I mean circuit based events. The exception to this is for very small grids i.e. less than 10 cars.

I can only think that the Taupo announcement was nothing more than a publicity stunt by Taupo. I had a long chat with Gary about all of this today.

George 54

59 posts

220 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Not knowing the full regulations of A1 , but is it possible to run a event on a street circuit ? Could there be any chance of this as a alternative.

I just answered my own question , as I remember a news item to move the Sydney event from Eastern Creek to Homebush Olympic Bay . Must stress that this is not confirmed but mooted as a alternative only

Edited by George 54 on Friday 7th July 12:17

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
Ian... forgive me for WANTING to doubt you, but I just can't believe that..... if that was the case, surely Taupo would have never been upgraded in the first place.... the point of the Taupo upgrade and the Hampton Downs project was surely to lure more international events here...... I don'tbelieve for one SECOND if such an agreement with Pukekohe DID exist, it'd be overruled in a NANOSECOND by someone MUCH higher up the foodchain... an event such as MotoGP pr A1 is just too much of a gift-horse for any minsiter of tourism etc to look in the mouth... NZ is a VERY screwed up place but I'm doubting that it's THAT backwards.

iwilson

246 posts

284 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
Nothing to do with the government.

MotorSport NZ is the sole authority appointed by the FIA to regulate motor sport in New Zealand in order to promote and achieve:
- safety,
- fairness,
- and social responsibility in the conduct of the sport.

To be honest Pukekohe is the only track close enough to a major population center to host big international events. Hampton Downs has a lot of hurdles to overcome before it becomes a reality, despite the lifestyle blocks and apartments already sold - which is half the problem as I understand...

I'd rather not go into to much more on a public forum. But as you well know George, Gary calls a spade a spade and is not the kind of man to make things up.

Don't btw think anywhere else is any different. Ask Simon Scuffham what he thinks about British GT and the Pro-sport LM3000.... The grass is not always greener on the other side

Now does anyone know where I can get a bulb holder for a side lamp on a 1979 TR7

Kiwi XTR2

Original Poster:

2,693 posts

233 months

Friday 7th July 2006
quotequote all
iwilson said:
Nothing to do with the government.

MotorSport NZ is the sole authority appointed by the FIA to regulate motor sport in New Zealand in order to promote and achieve:
- safety,
- fairness,
- and social responsibility in the conduct of the sport . . .

I take it, by stringing the bits together, you're saying that MotorSport NZ has granted Pukekohe the exclusive rights to this kind of international racing for many years in advance, including events that did not exist at the time they made the decision.

A quick trip to the High Court for a Judicial Review and Declaratory Judgment proceeding would sort that out. Almost certainly a breach of the Bill of Rights Act in there as well.

Happy to drop the discussion from a public forum . . . the cost of my silence is "a cold coke & a peanut slab".

iwilson said:
Now does anyone know where I can get a bulb holder for a side lamp on a 1979 TR7

Same place you can get some AM DB9 wheels.

Izza

571 posts

277 months

Friday 7th July 2006
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Well if it is a go-er, next year or the year after, I'll definitely be making the trip up to see it!
Bugger the Melbourne GP!

Mustang-man

255 posts

222 months

Saturday 8th July 2006
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That just doesn't seem right to me, especially since i think i read/heard a while ago (last year or the year before) that Pukekohe will become a horse racing venue predominantly and the amount of motorsport on it would be reduced or something.

And i agree with the others, something like this could be overturned if enough/the right people were behind it.

iwilson

246 posts

284 months

Saturday 8th July 2006
quotequote all
I was just alerted to the fact that the A1GP is not an FIA sanctioned series. If this is the case then perhaps MSNZ who are the FIA reps in NZ cannot prevent Taupo from hosting it?

Perhaps the license Pukekohe holds only pertains to FIA sanctioned events? I certainly hope so!

The deal regarding Pukekohe and the horses is that a track in Takanini closed a while back and they all shifted out to Pukekohe. But I think the Jockey club are the owners of the circuit in anycase.

Gary doesn't have many if any good words to say about the management of the circuit.

Kiwi XTR2

Original Poster:

2,693 posts

233 months

Saturday 8th July 2006
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We've hit 6000

I'd agree with that about the Pukekohe track management.

With Trackside TV nobody ever goes to the track for the horses and they don't need the grandstand.

It would be a much easier/cheaper divorce if the horses found a new home . . . for a cash settlement

kylie

4,391 posts

258 months

Friday 11th August 2006
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So is this scheduled for January 06 now?

Esprit

6,370 posts

284 months

Friday 11th August 2006
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kylie said:
So is this scheduled for January 06 now?


Scheduled for 7 months ago?