no v8 supercars

[Mike Jolley]

do these wankers in city hall no what an oportunity for auckland they just
messed up?where was labours minister for auckland mizz tizard???BUGGER
!!!
MIKE JOLLEY

[darryl]

she was probably at the Elisley flower show.

[philip.b]

I don't live in Auckland, but I've always thought that
sticking a car race right in the middle of our biggest city
had to be someones idea of a joke! But no, it seems they
were serious...

What next - Antiques Road Show on the runway a Auckland
Airport? Mud wrestling in the middle of K Road? MX5 club
open day in the middle of the Harbour Bridge??? Thank
goodness someone had some common sense

Cheers folks,

Phil


[...]

[Badcat]

thanks for your valuable comments philip.
you are truly the voice of reason.

ken


[...]

[darryl]

true, and I also do agree, that auckland is a stupid place for the race
(when they have a track the money could be spent on improving) but its only
a few days a year and its the greater picture that gets me. Now what they
have effectively done, is make it a very high possibility that after
Pukekohe next year, we could possibly never have the cars here again as
someother track in another country will get a 6-7 year contract and we will
mearly be history here.

[Simon Lord]

I think you may be aware from my previous posts that I am a huge motor sport
enthusiast with a fair grip of the history of the sport. However, I hate to
say it but I have to agree with Philip on this one.

At a time when road safety is supposed to be a priority, to give the message
that the public road is an appropriate place for racing cars is a peculiar
idea. All it would do is provide a point of focus for the anti-car brigade
who would have legitimate complaints about noise, congestion, etc etc. Sorry
guys, but motor racing is a minority sport (in terms of participants) and to
bring it into the middle of a city with huge traffic problems already would
be hugely counter-productive for the enthusiastic motorist.

The money would have been much better invested in a permanent facility
(Pukekohe, Hampton Downs) where the needs of the whole motorsport fraternity
could be served, not just the spoilt few who get a drive in the peculiarly
insular and artificial V8 Supercar series. Forgive me, but I can't get
excited about a series where the rules are fixed so that only two
manufacturers can enter and neither is allowed to get any real advantage.
That's showbiz, not motor sport, and the reason the Australians wanted to
foist it upon central Auckland was for precisely that reason. Any race
organiser who had the interests of the development of the sport in this
country at heart would have done more to encourage investment in a proper
facility elsewhere rather than putting a gun to the Council's head. However,
just as Formula One has been hi-jacked by Mr Ecclestone in the interests of
money (and the tobacco lobby), and the WRC is going the same way with Dave
Richards' assistance, so it is with the Australian tintops. Personally, I am
getting more enjoyment out of the historic racing and rallying scene these
days.

Incidentally, I rather liked the story of Bernie Ecclestone attending the
first Historic Monaco GP 3/4 years ago and looking at the close racing
between historics Bradhams, Lotuses, BRM's etc and saying "Isn't this
marvellous? This is how it used to be before I f**ed it all up.'

Simon
97 SR Ltd