V8's Stuck in NZ

[Mickcals]

Supercars stuck in NZ

The ship booked to bring the V8 Supercars back from New Zealand has been diverted to Japan, leaving teams with only seven days to prepare for the race in Darwin on May 23.

The delay means most teams will not have time to repair any damage from the round in New Zealand on May 2.

GRM team boss Garry Rogers told the Herald Sun the delay was another blow after the late changes to the New Zealand round had already put unnecessary pressure on competitors and crews.

"It means a lot of inconvenience for us," he said.


"The shipping issue is the big one and…to have the cars sitting in New Zealand for 10 days (has) stuffed our mechanical program for the year."

"We've had to change our plans and put in mechanicals we wouldn't have normally," he said.

V8 Supercar manager AVESCO agreed the pressure had been increased, but denied it was going to ruin a driver's season.

"It's put us all under pressure but it's do-able," AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach said.

"We've got a list of workshops booked in New Zealand for repairs and some of the Ford and Holden dealers have allocated space for the teams' transporters."

"(Shipping company) Wallenius Wilhelmson in Australia has also made a ship available so teams can take over their A-trailers (part of the team transporters that don't usually make the trip) with extra parts, free of charge."

"Anyone with badly damaged cars will be offered a chance to put them in containers to ship back early."

"Unless there is major damage most repairs can be done out the back of the truck anyway. I'm certain it won't cost anyone the championship," he said.

[Leigh]

I'm surprised at how long the media has taken to get a hold of this one...The teams have known this since pre-Eastern Creek...

That's why FPR are flying their cars back here (http://www.fpv.com.au/fpr/index.asp?link_id=5.645 ) and it is rumoured that PWR have also booked an emergency flight home for one car 'just in case a car is damaged'

Cheers

[Malik]

smells a bit of bad organisation on AVESCO's part given they are responsible for securing the transport ships for the series...

personally I would have been writing a nice big clause in the contract stating that the ships would be in port ready to go on a given date no questions asked...


gotta wonder how much its costing FPR to air freight their cars back though... I would imagine quite expensive.

[brchi17]

All the more reason to hold rounds inside Australia & one at Phillip Island in particular. At least that way they don't have to worry about planes & boats to get there !!!

It's hard to believe that it's almost May & we've still only had two rounds of the championship !!!

cheers. :)

[Kiwiracing]

Originally posted by brchi17
All the more reason to hold rounds inside Australia & one at Phillip Island in particular. At least that way they don't have to worry about planes & boats to get there !!!

It's hard to believe that it's almost May & we've still only had two rounds of the championship !!!

cheers. :)

Sour grapes Brad??;) Got to have them in NZ, even if I'm stuck here. We could just build a bloody big bridge to Pukekohe.

Cheers
Kiwiracing

[brchi17]

Originally posted by Kiwiracing
Sour grapes Brad??;) Got to have them in NZ, even if I'm stuck here. We could just build a bloody big bridge to Pukekohe.

Cheers
Kiwiracing

Nar no sour grapes, well actually yes there are some. It really gets my goat that a track as good as pi is can be dumped from the series for poletical reasons (time to get back on track) & yet they can't get their act together properly for a round such as NZ.

I know it takes a hell of a lot of work to organise such events, but surely considering they've been aware of this problem for soooooo long they could have done something about it. Or don't they realise that Japan isn't on the way home from New Zealand ???

Bearing this in mind, considering the ship is already being diverted to Japan, why don't they also divert it to Darwin on the way to Japan, considering that where the next round is ???

I just hope none of the teams has major damage to any of their cars, so that this delay won't have dramatic effects their chances in the championship.

cheers. :)

[Kiwiracing]

Originally posted by brchi17
Nar no sour grapes, well actually yes there are some. It really gets my goat that a track as good as pi is can be dumped from the series for poletical reasons (time to get back on track) & yet they can't get their act together properly for a round such as NZ.

I know it takes a hell of a lot of work to organise such events, but surely considering they've been aware of this problem for soooooo long they could have done something about it. Or don't they realise that Japan isn't on the way home from New Zealand ???

Bearing this in mind, considering the ship is already being diverted to Japan, why don't they also divert it to Darwin on the way to Japan, considering that where the next round is ???

I just hope none of the teams has major damage to any of their cars, so that this delay won't have dramatic effects their chances in the championship.

cheers. :)

Morning tea break huh:D I have to agree though, I think AVESCO may think they are the all mighty and the shipping company was going to bow down to them, not so by the looks. Maybe the cars could stay in NZ, head down to Manfield for an impromptu "unofficial" round, now wouldn't that be great!!

Kiwiracing

[Leigh]

The problem with that Brad, is the ship dropped them in NZ, then took off for Japan...so its already gone...

The problem really lies in the "need" for the teams to take their trucks, thus necessitating a drive-on ferry-type ship...maybe they will use containers just like F1 and WRC do next year...(apparently TC said on NZ radio yesterday that this would be the case)...

Brad, at some point we have to face the facts...Symmons Plains died because they could only scrounge-up 10-15,000 spectators. This combined with the lack of facilities, remoteness etc were just more nails in the coffin.

Last year, PI was the lowest attended round...with major access issues for most (i've personally never had a problem for a V8 round), ownership, safety issues etc etc

Unless we are willing to fix these issues, it will not be back either.

The V8Supercars are not going to race at the BEST track in the World if they get zero attendance...

Cheers

[V8SS]

Originally posted by Kiwiracing
Maybe the cars could stay in NZ, head down to Manfield for an impromptu "unofficial" round, now wouldn't that be great!!

Kiwiracing

I couldn't be more happier if that happened but I get the feeling that AVESCO want a street race in New Zealand no matter how good Manfields bid is. Marcos Ambrose was on telly this morning saying that his preference would be for a circuit race instead of street race from a pure drivers point of view that its lot better as a race spectacle i.e passing opportunites and generally safer as the circuit is specifically built for car racing as opposed to a street race where you have to be a lot careful in regards to safety.
The other advantage mentioned by Marcos was that with a permanent track, the community and local race drivers get the use of it for the rest of the year.
I just can't see how a temporary street race can be economical especially with Aucklands traffic problems and disruptions caused while the track is assembled. I heard it takes 90 days to create the Indy track at Surfers. The council hasn't gven consent for it either whereas Manfield has full council backing for the improvements needed.
Anyway, I'll be in front of the telly all weekend watching the 2nd to last Pukekohe round.

[Kiwiracing]

Originally posted by V8SS
I couldn't be more happier if that happened but I get the feeling that AVESCO want a street race in New Zealand no matter how good Manfields bid is. Marcos Ambrose was on telly this morning saying that his preference would be for a circuit race instead of street race from a pure drivers point of view that its lot better as a race spectacle i.e passing opportunites and generally safer as the circuit is specifically built for car racing as opposed to a street race where you have to be a lot careful in regards to safety.
The other advantage mentioned by Marcos was that with a permanent track, the community and local race drivers get the use of it for the rest of the year.
I just can't see how a temporary street race can be economical especially with Aucklands traffic problems and disruptions caused while the track is assembled. I heard it takes 90 days to create the Indy track at Surfers. The council hasn't gven consent for it either whereas Manfield has full council backing for the improvements needed.
Anyway, I'll be in front of the telly all weekend watching the 2nd to last Pukekohe round.

V8SS - I'm very dissapointed your not heading to Pukekohe!!!!;) Is your mum going this year? Whats the weather like there today, I need to do my Finishline pic's and it looks like Murph is a bit off the pace!

Wish we had 10 hours of Puke, we edited down to just 5 hours on Sunday.

Cheers
Kiwiracing

[Leigh]

Originally posted by Kiwiracing
Whats the weather like there today, I need to do my Finishline pic's and it looks like Murph is a bit off the pace!

Your a tough man KR...0.4 sec behind the fastest man in first practice is Off the pace:confused:

Just had another look, Skaife is also Off the pace. Last year he put down a 0:56.4562 in the Practice sessions and so far this year he has only put down a 0:57.1241 :p

These times are usually as they roll off the truck, with tyres left-over from previous rounds and only minor modifications to setup during brief pit stops...wait until they've had time to make some more major changes and get onto fresh rubber (in qualifying)...

What really sucks is we usually don't get any of the Saturday race!

Cheers

[V8SS]

Nah, mum couldn't get free corporate box tickets this year so she's not going. Pukekohe isn't the most spectator friendly circuit from what I've heard.
Manfield does have the advantage that its one of the few tracks that you can actually see the whole track from a spectator point of view. Would be brilliant to have it there but using the China round and getting rid of PI as an example, I get the feeling AVESCO don't really care whats good for the sport or the fans who pay the big dollars to support motorsport, they just want the big sponsors which is what they'll get in Auckland.
Weather here in Manawatu is brilliant. Another reason to have it here. Rain is forecast for Pukekohe but clearing at times during the day. I've heard its fine there at the moment for the first practice session.
I'm sure KiwiRallyFan can give us a more accurate weather forecast being the meteoroligist that he is.:D

[arthur]

Originally posted by Kiwiracing
Maybe the cars could stay in NZ, head down to Manfield for an impromptu "unofficial" round, now wouldn't that be great!!

Kiwiracing

no...no...no...nooo
That would mean that Darwin would be pushed back.......or cancelled :( and i'm booked, have tickets, flying out on the thursday night....nah not gunna happen, don't even joke about it !!

[Kiwiracing]

Originally posted by arthur
no...no...no...nooo
That would mean that Darwin would be pushed back.......or cancelled :( and i'm booked, have tickets, flying out on the thursday night....nah not gunna happen, don't even joke about it !!

lol:)

Kiwiracing

[Rob]

Originally posted by brchi17
It's hard to believe that it's almost May & we've
still only had two rounds of the championship !!!


Just wait to 2005 when China comes on board. I bet there will be
no racing a month before it and after it - meaning no action in May
or July. It could be September before we hit the half way mark!!!

[V8SS]

Originally posted by Rob
Just wait to 2005 when China comes on board. I bet there will be
no racing a month before it and after it - meaning no action in May
or July. It could be September before we hit the half way mark!!!

Is anyone actually in favour of the China round as well as losing Phillip Island? I don't see the point.

[Malik]

Originally posted by V8SS
Is anyone actually in favour of the China round as well as losing Phillip Island? I don't see the point.

personally not in favour of the china round replacing an aussie round... I dont think its fair to those of use in australia that only have 1 chance a year to go to racing (Barbagallo for me... cant really afford flights to east cost and accomodation etc) so if they are bumping aussie rounds in favour for overseas.. how long till rounds like darwin and perth are booted...


keep the rounds here or add more to the series.. (IE more then 13 rounds)

[lukey73]

I remeber reading somewhere that some of the teams are going to have 4 race ready cars for 2005 so that they dont have to worry about shipping to and from NZ and China, bloody expensive exercise if you ask me. So imagine hrt having something like 6 cars 4 race ready and 2 spare's back in the workshop. The smaller teams will be out done yet again.:p

[wayno]

Betcha Paul Morris is wrapped the cars are stuck over there! :rolleyes:

[brchi17]

Originally posted by Rob
Just wait to 2005 when China comes on board. I bet there will be no racing a month before it and after it - meaning no action in May or July. It could be September before we hit the half way mark!!!

Intersting comments Rob, I just hope this doesn't happen, as I've really been missing them - the fact that may footy team has been underperforming could also be a factor in this as well (but at least the beat Adelaide yesterday - woo hoo !!!). I am still trying to understand why we need to send the V8's over there to start with while not every state in Australia has a round (or two), but that been covered in great lengths in other threads.

Originally posted by wayno
Betcha Paul Morris is wrapped the cars are stuck over there! :rolleyes:

The sad thing is i bet he was only out there because it was the last lap & thought the deflating tyre would make it around a few more corners - in the end it cost him a fortune to score nothing.....

cheers. :)

[Rob]

Originally posted by V8SS
Is anyone actually in favour of the China round as well as losing Phillip Island? I don't see the point.

I don't see the point in going to a place like China when neither
Holden or Ford export Commodore's or Falcon's to the country
so there's no commercial benefit to them. A lot of the teams
sponsors also would have little relevence over there too.

Avesco keep harping on about "doing things for the benefit of our fans",
but not sure that the China decision fit's into that motto. Cochrane must
have pocket a few thousand $$$$$$ for this race to take place as there
is no logical reason for the series to go there.

2 races over in NZ - including a street race in Auckland, new races in Townsville and Tasmania would be the way to go rather than overseas.
The series needs a bit of fixing up ie: franchises, costs, boring racing etc
before they should even think about anything new.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by Rob
I don't see the point in going to a place like China when neither
Holden or Ford export Commodore's or Falcon's to the country
so there's no commercial benefit to them. A lot of the teams
sponsors also would have little relevence over there too.

The V8Supercars have been broadcast into China for some time now, and apparently has ratings on par with Australia (I have no way of confirming this, but have seen this quoted around the traps)...

Remember ratings are percentages...so if the ratings are similar...a potentially huge market...

I also remember reading recently (I think in the Holden magazine) that Holden export a small number of Commodore's (badged as Opel's or Chevy's...can't remember which) into PRC and see this as an expanding market...

Later this year, Hong Kong (a province of PRC) is going to receive Statemans with 1.8L HFV6's fitted (apparently they love big cars with small engines :confused: )

Ford on the otherhand...

...and your statement about the benefit of the fans...You are assuming that the only fans live in Australia/NZ...look back at what I wrote about TV ratings O/S...

Cheers

[Malik]

personally I would like to see them continue to develop and run a street race here in Perth utilising River Side Drive as the main straight cos I reckon it would be awesome...

and I agree with Rob... whats the point in China.. its not like we are gonna see a Holden or a Ford dealsership open up there any time soon is it?

[HRT 1-2]

Originally posted by Rob
Just wait to 2005 when China comes on board. I bet there will be
no racing a month before it and after it - meaning no action in May
or July. It could be September before we hit the half way mark!!!

Spot on Rob!

If they go there, they go there but, the interruption to season before and after is what gives me the ****es!

I see your point to Leigh, I weren't aware we were exporting to PRC plus if it's rating that well it's fair enough then!

[Rob]

Leigh

I take your point on the ratings but once again where's the relevance
to Australia?? Ratings is all about whether you can sell a certain space @
a higher rate ($$$) to bring in revenue. The ratings in China wouldn't have
an effect on Ch10 as they just sell the package to China and they slot their
own commercials in.

It wouldn't matter if the V8's were the highest rating thing on Chinese TV
for the past 100 years, the fact that an Australian race has been axed to
make way for this race is wrong. If they went to another event in NZ or
even Dubai I wouldn't mind so much because there are commercial benefits
for those invested in the category to race there, but not China.

As I said previous, Avesco keep saying it's a sport for the fans - well I have
yet to see it.

[brchi17]

Originally posted by Rob
Leigh

I take your point on the ratings but once again where's the relevance
to Australia?? Ratings is all about whether you can sell a certain space @
a higher rate ($$$) to bring in revenue. The ratings in China wouldn't have
an effect on Ch10 as they just sell the package to China and they slot their
own commercials in.

It wouldn't matter if the V8's were the highest rating thing on Chinese TV
for the past 100 years, the fact that an Australian race has been axed to
make way for this race is wrong. If they went to another event in NZ or
even Dubai I wouldn't mind so much because there are commercial benefits
for those invested in the category to race there, but not China.

As I said previous, Avesco keep saying it's a sport for the fans - well I have
yet to see it.

Well said Rob (I can see Leigh's comments & it's possibly where avesco is coming from too) & I have always struggled to understand why, other than for reasons of pure financial greed as to why they were going to China in the first place. I would rather all bar two rounds in Australia & those two o/s rounds to be in NZ.

cheers. :)

[Rob]

I should point out that if the event in China is a sell out
and the grand stands are full, then that's great for the
sport - but shouldn't it be full of OZ fans at an Oz event
pouring revenue bak into Australian coffers???

After all AVESCO does stand for - Australin V8 Supercar Organisation

[terrine]

i am indifferent to the china round as i dont go to every round now do i, nor do i have a circuit within 2 hours flying time anyway, but i made a couple last year and am booked for a couple this year....so what the heck.
one thing with china is it is the fastest growing economy in the world, in fact the chinese govt are puting the brakes on hard to slow it down.
this relates to huge spending and the domino effect.....huge advertising, huge fees to television, avesco and teams. remember its the promoter that picks up the bill not avesco nor the teams. perhaps they will aitfreight the cars...i dont know.
many of us love the gold coast indy carnival and our qld government subsidise it to the tune of $25m per annum i think.
......popular with teams and fans.
the wheel is made round to go round. stop beefin, if circuits and their event promoters loose rounds its not avescos fault...it is a business

r/peter

[brchi17]

here's a list of items the stewards were looking at over the past weekend.

FRIDAY 30 APRIL
Imrie Motorsport was found to be in breach of Rules, failure to attend Team Managers Briefing. A penalty of $500 was applied.

The following cars/drivers were found to be in breach of Rules,
exceeding the pit lane speed limit:
Car #11, Dale Brede, penalty of $200 was imposed.
Car #44, Simon Wills, penalty of $200 was imposed.

SATURDAY 1 MAY
An inquiry was held into an alleged breach of Pit Lane Safety Rules by Nemo Racing. After reviewing all evidence the Stewards found that there was no breach of Rules. No further action was taken.

SUNDAY 2 MAY
The following cars/drivers received a pit lane drive through penalty
during Race 1:
Car #8, Paul Dumbrell, driving infringement.

The following cars/drivers received a pit lane drive through penalty
during Race 2:
Car #31, Steve Ellery, driving infringement.
Car #12, John Bowe, was found to be in breach of Rules, failure to
display an operative rain light while fitted with rain tyres during the Top 10 Shootout. The Stewards imposed a penalty of a reprimand.

An inquiry was held into an incident involving car #29, Paul Morris, and car #5, Glenn Seton, at Turn 5 during Race 1. The Stewards reviewed all evidence and found that it was a racing incident. No further action was taken.

MATTERS HELD OVER FROM EASTERN CREEK RACEWAY, 2-4 APRIL 2004:
An inquiry was held into an incident involving car #51, Greg Murphy, and car #12, John Bowe, during Race 2 at Eastern Creek on Sunday 4 April 2004. The Stewards reviewed all evidence and found that there was no breach of Rules by either driver. No further action was taken.

An inquiry was held into a breach of Rules by car #22, Todd Kelly,
failing to exercise appropriate care when re-entering the track after an incident at Eastern Creek on Sunday 4 April 2004. Initially a pit lane drive through penalty was applied and in respect of which there was to be consideration of any further penalty. After reviewing all evidence, the Stewards found that the pit lane drive through penalty was properly imposed. With regard to all the relevant circumstances, the Stewards found that no further penalty was appropriate.

cheers. :)