NZV8s

[promax]

might of been better if this was left for the team to announce this info.. rather than posting this on a public forum. kinda spoiled their announcement. . don't you think?

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by promax

might of been better if this was left for the team to announce this info.. rather than posting this on a public forum. kinda spoiled their announcement. . don't you think?

Seriously promax do you think the paying public have even heard of Tentenths let alone read it.

What I did not say is who Shaun's co-driver is, however I guess somebody will post that before the weekends out.

At least Shaun is not afraid of running with the big boy's in equal equipement.

[pukekoheracer]

Originally Posted by promax

his money.. he's spending it on the car he wants to build. the car is also eligible to be raced as a GT1 or the many endurance series.

At least he's thinking ahead when there isn't a TLX class to race in....

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by pukekoheracer

At least he's thinking ahead when there isn't a TLX class to race in....

Hmmmm Nick Ross in GT1? Be a good reason to dust of the Viper!

[promax]

it wasn't that long ago you were calling Shaun a club racer. not up to big boy standards? sudden change of heart?

the reason why the big boy class isn't breaking any records as far as numbers goes.. has nothing to do with anyone being afraid. some don't have the money.. others simply don't care about the class after all the fighting over the last few years. tbh I wouldn't be surprised if the V8 controlled classes in this country are put out to pasture.. within the next 2-3 years.. if the status quo remains. then again.. maybe the ship has already sailed.

[promax]

Originally Posted by Mark Petch

Hmmmm Nick Ross in GT1? Be a good reason to dust of the Viper!

no one bought it yet?

surprised by your Inky comment last week.. when you got that thing parked up.

[promax]

Originally Posted by pukekoheracer

At least he's thinking ahead when there isn't a TLX class to race in....

maybe it will be used to make up the numbers in the st sprint series

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by promax

maybe it will be used to make up the numbers in the st sprint series

Gee, why didnt I think of that! Thanks Maxi.

[pukekoheracer]

Originally Posted by promax

maybe it will be used to make up the numbers in the st sprint series

What and finish a lap down

[promax]

your comebacks aren't very good when you're not being told what to say puke lol

damn! a try for smith was there to be taken :/

[NZSTfan]

Classic promax reply.....make a BS allegation towards a member who does not agree with he/she....and then changes the subject.

How about staying on topic eh?

[promax]

like you ever stay ot

it's no secret who has been whispering puke's ear. it's no secret why he's doing it either. i doubt puke is as delicate as you.. so it's unlikely I've hurt his feelings. I apologize if I have though puke

better fan?

[NZSTfan]

What does 'ot' mean?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by promax

tbh I wouldn't be surprised if the V8 controlled classes in this country are put out to pasture.. within the next 2-3 years.. if the status quo remains. then again.. maybe the ship has already sailed.

I think the ship has sailed. The car market is changing as we speak, the era of the Falcon and Commodore are ending.

In NZ it seems the only growth in motorsport is endurance racing based around sports cars of varying classes, which mirrors much of the rest of the world.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think the ship has sailed. The car market is changing as we speak, the era of the Falcon and Commodore are ending.

In NZ it seems the only growth in motorsport is endurance racing based around sports cars of varying classes, which mirrors much of the rest of the world.

Endurance and Muscle cars, plus low cost category racing is growing significantly down here. I am constantly amazed at just how much money these guys are spending when the come into the shop, even the 2k cup guys want the good 3 layer race-suits, $200 plus boots, gloves etc. Long may it last!

[promax]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

I think the ship has sailed. The car market is changing as we speak, the era of the Falcon and Commodore are ending.

In NZ it seems the only growth in motorsport is endurance racing based around sports cars of varying classes, which mirrors much of the rest of the world.

it will please the fans too.. seeing more than 10-14 cars on the circuit at so called premier events. hardly value for money!

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by promax

it will please the fans too.. seeing more than 10-14 cars on the circuit at so called premier events. hardly value for money!

Maxi, New Zealand's most successful motorsport promotor of all time was the late Ron Frost and he had a very simply marketing philosophy about promoting the Summer Series and the very successful Tasman Series and if you are old enough to remember those days Ron's maxim was very simple "its not about cars its about Star's" Ron didnt care about how many cars he had, he cared about how many Star's he had.

Ideally you would have both!

[promax]

since the stars didn't draw a crowd at all last season.. maybe times have changed.

these days.. no one wants to pay money at watch an empty track.. while the dozen or so cars are at the back of the circuit. it's the age of the short attention span. if people aren't kept interested.. they move on to something that interests them. last season's crowd figures showed that.

[socram]

I suspect that in Ron Frost's day, many of the stars would have been current F1 drivers with a truly international profile.

Much as I admire Greg Murphy for example, he is no Stirling Moss.

The biggest growth areas in NZ motorsport in recent times have been drifting for the younger ones and Classic/Historic racing for the old farts.

It is the ordinary family people who are no longer watching races and young kids today no longer seem to be car nuts (or train spotters!).

Today, due to the changing times, it is indeed about the cars. F1 stars these days are limited to World Championship races only. In the sixties, it wasn't at all unusual for F1 drivers (who only had about 8 or 9 Grand Prix a year anyway) to appear at National race meetings.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by socram

I suspect that in Ron Frost's day, many of the stars would have been current F1 drivers with a truly international profile.

Much as I admire Greg Murphy for example, he is no Stirling Moss.

The biggest growth areas in NZ motorsport in recent times have been drifting for the younger ones and Classic/Historic racing for the old farts.

It is the ordinary family people who are no longer watching races and young kids today no longer seem to be car nuts (or train spotters!).

Today, due to the changing times, it is indeed about the cars. F1 stars these days are limited to World Championship races only. In the sixties, it wasn't at all unusual for F1 drivers (who only had about 8 or 9 Grand Prix a year anyway) to appear at National race meetings.

Yes probably back in those days you had more international names.

Murphy has probably played out his public interest on a large scale because his V8 Supercar and Bathurst winning days are more than 10 years behind him now. Not saying he's irrelevant but he's only going to draw so much.

[The Realist]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Yes probably back in those days you had more international names.

Murphy has probably played out his public interest on a large scale because his V8 Supercar and Bathurst winning days are more than 10 years behind him now. Not saying he's irrelevant but he's only going to draw so much.

Good to see Murphy finishing 2nd in the Sandown 500 on the weekend.
Helps keep his racing profile current.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Yes probably back in those days you had more international names.

Murphy has probably played out his public interest on a large scale because his V8 Supercar and Bathurst winning days are more than 10 years behind him now. Not saying he's irrelevant but he's only going to draw so much.

Murph is huge in this country, and an excellent result yesterday only helps keep his credibility right up there.

Van Giz Bergen is also huge amongst race fans across both circuit racing and drifting fan's, so to is Scotty Mclaughlin. Granted we need to attract the likes of Craig Lownds, Whincup, Tander and Co, but its only money at the end of the day. Pay them enough and they will all come. Even Scott Dixon has his price, and I should know, because two years ago I tried to raise the amount he nominated but failed.

The argument that more cars on the grid, though I would like to see it too, does not wash with me. I saw a great field of CMC at Hampton Down's last year amongst other jam packed fields and there was more competitors than there was spectators!

The fact is that regular motor racing no matter at what level and how many cars you have, is no longer the magnet that it used to be, Stars do help but not 7 times a year.

The Australian V8SC round works because it's only once a year, there are big fields across the board and it has all the Tin Top Star's.

[socram]

Part of the problem Mark is that we know that CMC (Central Muscle Cars) and similar large exciting grids are great racing, but the general public have been force fed a TV diet of lookalikes and tiny grids.

Their perception of motorsport which may not have been that high to start with, has been badly tarnished to the extent that they dismiss motorsport altogether.

Open today's paper and there are over 4 pages devoted to the All Blacks match two nights ago. Motorsport? Zip.

We have Paddon doing a fantastic job for NZ; Scott Dixon is usually at the pointy end; Mitch Evans is competing at Grand Prix meetings; Aussie V8s may not be as high a profile as we would expect, but there are F1 enthusiasts too. BUT, the amount of newspaper coverage which is therefore placed in front of every family, is abysmal.

It is so bad, that I don't think last week's F1 GP even rated a mention.

If the press is so anti motorsport, the general public are not even aware it exists as it gets virtually zero promotion. Only the NZ round of the Aussie V8s gets coverage of the build up. Big deal. One race meeting a year.

So whether we like it or not, regardless of the huge numbers of enthusiasts we know exists, newspaper editors and particularly sports editors, don't see it that way. They are blatantly anti motorsport.

Until that is fixed, we are pushing water uphill.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by socram

Part of the problem Mark is that we know that CMC (Central Muscle Cars) and similar large exciting grids are great racing, but the general public have been force fed a TV diet of lookalikes and tiny grids.

Their perception of motorsport which may not have been that high to start with, has been badly tarnished to the extent that they dismiss motorsport altogether.

Open today's paper and there are over 4 pages devoted to the All Blacks match two nights ago. Motorsport? Zip.

We have Paddon doing a fantastic job for NZ; Scott Dixon is usually at the pointy end; Mitch Evans is competing at Grand Prix meetings; Aussie V8s may not be as high a profile as we would expect, but there are F1 enthusiasts too. BUT, the amount of newspaper coverage which is therefore placed in front of every family, is abysmal.

It is so bad, that I don't think last week's F1 GP even rated a mention.

If the press is so anti motorsport, the general public are not even aware it exists as it gets virtually zero promotion. Only the NZ round of the Aussie V8s gets coverage of the build up. Big deal. One race meeting a year.

So whether we like it or not, regardless of the huge numbers of enthusiasts we know exists, newspaper editors and particularly sports editors, don't see it that way. They are blatantly anti motorsport.

Until that is fixed, we are pushing water uphill.

Hi Ray,
I 100 Percent agree with you.

[on_to_it]

Originally Posted by Mark Petch

Even Scott Dixon has his price, and I should know, because two years ago I tried to raise the amount he nominated but failed.

That doesn't say a lot about Dixon's appreciation of "where he comes from" does it Mark.