2012/2013 NZ summer series

[NZSTfan]

Shauns comments were bang on. Simple really.

And Shaun, the beard has to go mate

I didn't know that about FG01 though, that really is interesting. So will that race in V8CC with the FG panels but with old box and engine? Will be the prettiest car out there, but no doubt will soon be joined by the other two 'prototypes'.

Now all that ST have to do is to get a Toyota all dressed up and racing

Lets move on to greener pastures everyone.......the new gaurd is firmly in place.

[Vanishing Point]

Promax, all my info to date has been accurate, the source of my information is not important.. All that matters is my information is honest and correct... and it is. it seems you are more interested in the source of my intel rather than the mess NZ Motorsport is in.. Thanks to NZMS.

[Goat Boy]

I notice that there was a statement made the day after the press release:

"Yesterday it was announced that Motorsport Promotions Ltd was restructuring its personnel and looking ahead to a fresh start for the upcoming summer of motorsport, and beyond.

We caught up with David Dovey, the Motorsport Promotions Ltd Interim Management Team Leader and Board Member, regarding the immediate future of the company, the NZV8s and its supporting classes.

“MPL is an important asset owned jointly by the circuits owning clubs, circuit operating clubs and Motorsport NZ," David says.

"This link has allowed stability and growth over the last 15 years. While there is uncertainty and much change currently, the new board and new management of MPL is committed to the future, and it may be very different to what is currently on offer.

"This commitment will reward us all in time with a new breed of champions and household names associated with our sporting success.

"The success of the IRC classes and its solidarity to the Gold Star Championship series will ensure the series for the coming season will be an entertainment package fitting of such quality sporting events.”

Yesterday's statement is an important step for the future of motor racing in this country. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days and weeks, regarding the support class structure, series calendar and other exciting developments.

Ensure you follow our Facebook Page and Twitter Feed for regular news & multimedia relating to the NZV8s and supporting categories!"

So what does that actually mean? IMO it means they don't have a clue about what they are going to do next, but are trying to stay upbeat about it.

It is possible to have a decent series, but it would have to be in conjunction with ST's. And if they don't want that, then MPL should simply vote itself out of existence, along with its hopes of a Tier 1 "Gold Star" championship.

[mountainstar]

I think the market has voted and the market has said they don't want the national FIA body involved in managing and controlling national motor racing series.

In the past couple of months we have seen them kick the can down the road with all sorts of changes but it's still not going to pull people in and enough competitors to make it worthwhile.

Like I said months ago, there are different price points and levels people are capable or interested in competing at. I would simply fold what remains of NZV8's into the Challenge Cup and that includes the new car too. Not everyone wants a $200-$300K car or wants to compete at that level.

Blocking out the south island is not the best idea, as all of the races down there get strong support considering the population, especially when there is a good program of race series and plenty of cars on the card.

[NZSTfan]

Totally agree with Mstar on the south island rounds. You simply cannot ignore the south island events especially seeing as they have great tracks down there and the fan-base is huge.

Bring on the ST's at Teretonga one day

[Goat Boy]

It's just an act of desperation to try and get more cars on the grid of their NZV8 series, which it would seem is dead but still twitching occasionally, and they are trying vainly to resuscitate it.

Time to admit that the ST's are what people (apart from promax any maybe one or two others) want to see, so if you take the best of the other series as support we could have really good crowd numbers for every round.

[Vanishing Point]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

It's just an act of desperation to try and get more cars on the grid of their NZV8 series, which it would seem is dead but still twitching occasionally, and they are trying vainly to resuscitate it.

Time to admit that the ST's are what people (apart from promax any maybe one or two others) want to see, so if you take the best of the other series as support we could have really good crowd numbers for every round.

Right on GB

[promax]

Originally Posted by Vanishing Point

Promax, all my info to date has been accurate, the source of my information is not important.. All that matters is my information is honest and correct... and it is. it seems you are more interested in the source of my intel rather than the mess NZ Motorsport is in.. Thanks to NZMS.

you said the utes were running with st instead of tier 1

after you read it on facebook. wasn't "the street" meant to your source?


you said the cc were running with st instead of tier 1

cc are the st version of NZV8s. they already run with st


you said the CMC were running with st instead of tier 1

another facebook post CMC run support for a number of different series including tier 1. are you also gonna claim CMC will be a no show at the MG meetings, IRC or Muscle Car Masters.. since they are exclusive to st?


you posted a link to article claiming cars weren't being built

that article wasn't accurate at all, eh?


you said the plug was about to be pulled on the NZV8's

yet you can't name a date or a source and the plug is still in?? wtf? that's like me saying... the word on the street is McCaw and DC are about to retire from the ABs. no doubt the day will come one day.. but it doesn't mean "the street was an accurate source of info more proof would help i mean.. i don't wanna waste my money buying a car for a series that doesn't exists anymore

[promax]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Blocking out the south island is not the best idea, as all of the races down there get strong support considering the population, especially when there is a good program of race series and plenty of cars on the card.

agree!

[promax]

for what 16 cars? since when did i say there would be 16 NZV8s on any grid? it's pretty obvious there won't be 16 new NZV8s. all i wanted to know was when the plug was supposed to be pulled.. and if the plug pulling info was actually accurate. yet typical Icarus_nz.. tries to act all high and mighty when i ask a question that doesn't concern him. strange, you seem to be offended by the fact the st series doesn't interest me at all and that i prefer the NZV8 concept. if that's the case.. why bother reading my posts in a thread for a series you clearly don't like? rather sad really.

[Icarus_nz]

Originally Posted by promax

for what 16 cars? since when did i say there would be 16 NZV8s on any grid? it's pretty obvious there won't be 16 new NZV8s.

I haven't put that very well. Its obvious there will only be 3 or 4 of the new cars. The game I was inviting you to play was to name 12 more people who would help fill the grid?

Actually thats a game I'd like to invite all to play. Put your blue sky hats n and have a go at naming a grid
For extra credit match them to a chassis.

As for the pin being pulled. I call believable and and am happy to be patient

[promax]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

I didn't know that about FG01 though, that really is interesting. So will that race in V8CC with the FG panels but with old box and engine? Will be the prettiest car out there, but no doubt will soon be joined by the other two 'prototypes'.

which Mackenzie car is racing in Taupo? the BA or the FG?

[promax]

Originally Posted by Icarus_nz

I haven't put that very well. Its obvious there will only be 3 or 4 of the new cars. The game I was inviting you to play was to name 12 more people who would help fill the grid?

Actually thats a game I'd like to invite all to play. Put your blue sky hats n and have a go at naming a grid
For extra credit match them to a chassis.

As for the pin being pulled. I call believable and and am happy to be patient

and i thought the 90 minutes it took to remove my tooth yesterday was painfull!

if you were as clever as you claim to be.. you'd know that there is more than one outcomes to this ***** fight of egos. the most likely one.. if both sides decide to kiss and make up.. is the one brought up by mountainstar many months ago. cc merges with NZV8.. no plug is pulled.. everyone is happy.. everyone gets on with racing.

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by promax

...there is more than one outcome to this ***** fight of egos. the most likely one.. if both sides decide to kiss and make up.. is the one brought up by mountainstar many months ago. cc merges with NZV8.. no plug is pulled.. everyone is happy.. everyone gets on with racing.

I think that is the outcome that most people (myself included) would like to see. But it would have to include the complete withdrawal of MPL from the picture (in its current form anyway, with Mr Short still on the scene).

If we all have one thing in common it has to be a love of motorsport, as either drivers, team owners or fans, so it would be a win-win to see nobody's money wasted and a really good single series that drew the crowds from both sides. But the biggest fly in the ointment right now is MPL (IMO that is)...

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

I think that is the outcome that most people (myself included) would like to see. But it would have to include the complete withdrawal of MPL from the picture (in its current form anyway, with Mr Short still on the scene).

If we all have one thing in common it has to be a love of motorsport, as either drivers, team owners or fans, so it would be a win-win to see nobody's money wasted and a really good single series that drew the crowds from both sides. But the biggest fly in the ointment right now is MPL (IMO that is)...

If competitors dry up from MPL or whatever it is called this week, then it will not be a going concern that can survive. And that seems to be happening.

If Tier 1 does survive then clearly some want that arrangement and good for them. It might be that every series doesn't want to run with Supertourers anyways or on everyone of those weekends.

Time will tell and it will work itself out in the end.

[Goat Boy]

Oh there definitely needs to be more than one series, but probably best that the others get left to be run by their respective clubs - look at the fantastic job the Historic Racing Club do with the F5000 series and all the support classes for example.

And there's loads of other classes around (not to mention TRS, which would probably like to remain its own headline act rather than be seen a support class), so plenty of stuff to go and watch or compete in potentially. But if there is going to be one big Tin Tops series, then that should be lead by ST's and supported by V8CC (which should have all of the remaining NZV8's in it, but with the new engine packages to keep the costs down and excitement up).

As to the new MRX cars? Sadly I don't really see where they would fit in that picture (especially since I really can't see more than the current crop of three ever being built), unless the whole V8CC series went that way, but then it's just a bit too similar to the ST's isn't it? So maybe they have to go and compete in another class somewhere, maybe that "All Comers" class that Greg Lancaster was talking about.

[Icarus_nz]

Originally Posted by promax

and i thought the 90 minutes it took to remove my tooth yesterday was painfull!

I wouldn't have thought it wouldn't take you more than about 0.9 sec to get someone to punch it out

Originally Posted by promax

if you were as clever as you claim to be.. you'd know that there is more than one outcomes to this ***** fight of egos.

In the end, everything is binary.
And ego's aren't the only hook to hang this jacket on

Originally Posted by promax

the most likely one.. if both sides decide to kiss and make up.. is the one brought up by mountainstar many months ago. cc merges with NZV8.. no plug is pulled.. everyone is happy.. everyone gets on with racing.

I can't understand why that would happen. Discontented competitors have voted with their feet, What has changed to induce your senario to occur?

Actually don't worry about the 'name a grid' game. I was reading through the old 2011-2012 thread last night and all this ground has been covered.
Since then the championship winner and a driver whose parents were on the board have moved to a different class.
The challenge is in fact to find as many drives as last year to compete all season

[Icarus_nz]

The other thing that occured to me on reviewing the old thread is the lack of progress on the MRX car(s) - 3 chassis' completed in January

A running version has been on track for 9-10 months now.
How much testing has it done?
How is the performance?
Has the TTE gearbox performed well?

I'm actually interested to know and not as any sort of comparison.
I guess that Inky doing the SI Endurance will answer some of these questions soon enough. Just seems like a waste if the first version hasn't done any sort of hard yards

[NZSTfan]

i still think that the next-gen NZV8 still has something good about it, but only if its run as the feeder series to ST's. they are kiwimade which is fantastic and it will give its drivers an experience similar to a real race car, as opposed to a road car that has been modified.

i'd like to see (eventually) MRX cars filling out the V8CC grid, and the old bangers to go into a V8 touring car category that is a feeder to the V8CC, much like the Kumho touring cars in Aus.

And from memory the ST is monocoque with a cage, whereas the NZV8 is pure spaceframe, so they are quite different, so i'm not sure where the similarity is there GB

come 2014 maybe we will see the following:-
- 24 (or more) ST's doing rounds all over the country including the far south, with over 600hp and maybe a change to the Hollinger (if needed)
- V8CC made up of MRX cars that 'look' similar to a ST and can be upgraded to a range of car models by bolting on whatever panels are required. Winners of this class will have the chance to eventually race in ST, but it will be its own series with its own championship (just like the Dunlop series), and some of the teams could even be the big boys from ST but with a hand in the feeder series. I would also like to see a seq. box in the V8CC, maybe the TT would do?
- The real old bangers go on trademe for $1 reserve if they have to. These can be bought by track enthisiasts, or people who want to race in a tier 3 style touring car category. Thus allowing the younger drivers to go from karts/FF etc into one of these cars for a year or two, and then on to V8CC, and then on to ST

Now of course this wont happen, but i cant see why not? it makes sense to me anyway, you've just gotta put some of them big ego's to one side and work for your client, which in this case are your sponsors and your fans.

While we are on topic, who will be supporting the V8SC at Puke next year? the V8CC cars, or no v8's at all? (seeing as it is unlikely that the ST's will be considered, and also unlikely that the NZV8 field will be there at all)??

i'd love to see TC pull his head out of his backside and have the ST's as the support category for his 'greatest show on wheels'

Me pennies worth anyway

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

And from memory the ST is monocoque with a cage, whereas the NZV8 is pure spaceframe, so they are quite different, so i'm not sure where the similarity is there GB

yes, you quite correct in saying that NZST is a factory monocoque shell with a cage in it and MRX is a spaceframe................so what's all the fuss over NZST using the 'car of tomorrow' concept when it's just a regurgitated taxi ?????? no bloody wonder the drivers jumped away from dedicated racecar that MRX are building !

[NZSTfan]

Not sure what angle your coming from there Joe, but you could say the same thing about the aussie COTF as well if thats the case....ie. a 'regurgitated taxi'

[Puzzle]

monocoque as in although it's a dedicated race car it's made predominantly of sheet metal rather than sections of tubing. as far as I can remember v8st have never point blank said that there car is production based only ever put a close replica body on it and talked about how it has the look of current models. tugh the various v8supertaxi series aren't really what i've been into since i was a young'n in fact i remember watching transams on tv better than I remember watching v8 supercars.

[smokin'joe]

Originally Posted by NZSTfan

Not sure what angle your coming from there Joe, but you could say the same thing about the aussie COTF as well if thats the case....ie. a 'regurgitated taxi'

it's called 'taking the urine' . the NZST car has slightly more in common with a true monocoque chassis, as the MRX spaceframe............... so what is it???

[NZSTfan]

Originally Posted by smokin'joe

it's called 'taking the urine' . the NZST car has slightly more in common with a true monocoque chassis, as the MRX spaceframe............... so what is it???

ok whatever Joe. One thing that does stand out though is the ST cars work, but the MRX ones don't

[DX20VT]

The V8ST has actual front and rear chassis rails etc but they are hand made custom from panel steel, so not really built from a road car,
but also not really a tube frame like the old tranzam cars were either.

All ok these support classes jumping in with V8ST,
but how will they feel when next year they fine they are a North Island only series?

As from memory reading in the Canty Car Club Magazine the supertourers returning to ruapuna was conditional on them building new pit garages,
which CCC are relying on the CHCH council to front up with around $500k-$1m dollars and I cant see the council fronting up with that.