WRC not coming to NZ

[Shale]

Given the stupid new rules, the lack of manufacturers and the lack of decent locations now... I hope you're onto something.

[Munkvy]

There is a rival to the WRC. The IRC - and its getting bigger (they ran at Monte instead of the WRC this year). Plus the cars in it are typically cheaper to build and run, so there is more chance of it expanding. So there is some chance that in the future the IRC may expand to down this way - but still only a chance, no guarantees.

I was reading some interesting stuff about Mini potentially joining the WRC next year on a more positive note. The new 1600cc 4WD category that will run from next year is showing potential for some manufacturers that arent currently competing, so thats a plus at least.

[2dr]

 ReubenH said:

My dad's an avid sailor, and so i follow the Americas Cup too. They've had a similar sort of thing happen, in that it became about the business and profit of the event, rather than the competition itself. BUT, there was a great spinoff, one of the sponsors was so appauled they made a new event, new rules, based on the competition.

I do hope something like that will happen, a spin off, a rival to the WRC with more open rules, better locales, based on the racing, and the drivers, rather than the profit.

And when shit like that happens you end up with 100000000US like this

In 8knots of wind it is capable of doing 30+ knots.

Cheers, 2dr

[Shale]

DORIFUTOOOOOOOO!!

[newsuba]

 2dr said:

In 8knots of wind it is capable of doing 30+ knots.

Cheers, 2dr

That's pretty damn amazing.

That's what car makers should be aiming for; max performance for minimal use of resources.

Back in the sixties Alfa built some sports cars that could achieve near 160mph on a measly 160bhp, without the benefits of computer design, wind tunnels or fancy composite materials.

Nothing since has even come close.

[subieboy]

On a side note, I heard a rumour that V8 Supercars will be gonner by 2012 as only one company will be "officially competing" Blah blah blah blah wank wank..

anyways motorsport is becoming boring to watch on telle

Bring on club racing (well when Ri & I can afford it anyways)

[Shale]

What with commercialised motorsport becoming all about the bottom line rather than the spectacle and competition (competition without competition? Awesome!), cars being diluted to nothing but electrickery bolted to a chassis, and the completely unrelated music industry and copyright side of things under complete lockdown...

...in 10 years time we'll be building our own cars, writing/playing our own music at local venues and motorsport will be ALL about the amateurs.

And they will HATE us for it ;D

[Koom]

 Shale said:

...in 10 years time we'll be building our own cars, writing/playing our own music at local venues and motorsport will be ALL about the amateurs.

And then someone will turn up with factory backing and beat everyone. Especially after some sort of post-apocolyptic, mad max era of motorsport that you seem to be dreaming of.

[Shale]

You can keep your Mad Max... I'm thinking more Zombie wars. ;D

[Guest]

 Koom']

[quote name='Shale said:

...in 10 years time we'll be building our own cars, writing/playing our own music at local venues and motorsport will be ALL about the amateurs.

/quote]

Especially after some sort of post-apocolyptic, mad max era of motorsport that you seem to be dreaming of.

Might be true if the world ends in 2012 like all the crazys are determined to convince us. Time to move to the outback?

[Koom]

 matdaymon']

[quote name='Shale said:

...in 10 years time we'll be building our own cars, writing/playing our own music at local venues and motorsport will be ALL about the amateurs.

/quote]

Especially after some sort of post-apocolyptic, mad max era of motorsport that you seem to be dreaming of.

Might be true if the world ends in 2012 like all the crazys are determined to convince us. Time to move to the outback?

Only if we can race camels.....

[D-Style]

The only sport I see still getting bigger, is speedway. (dont worry about western Springs debate going on)

I see more money going into speedway than ever now days. Thou it is costing more to go, so alot of families are missing out.

Maybe i should just stick to Karting.... Faster than V8 supercars anyway.

[Joker]

DEATH RACE!

[Munkvy]

Well here in Wellington club level events are only getting more common. Competitor numbers are still good and everyone seems pretty happy with the events. Its the club level stuff that spawns most of the higher level stuff that people sometimes move upto, so I think that at least is a positive sign

[Old Skool Subbie]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10628342

Motorsport: Rally of NZ fears this year's event may be last

Motorsport bosses have warned that without government support the iconic Rally of New Zealand could be wiped off the calendar, but the man in charge of the purse-strings has a simple response - apply for funding.

The proposed dates for the 2011 World Rally Championship have been released and the Rally of NZ does not feature. That could spell the end of the event.

The promoters of the WRC do not believe the rally is meeting its promotional objectives, which has prompted Rally of NZ organisers to bemoan a lack of government backing.

However, Roger Wigglesworth, director of the tourism events and consumer affairs division of the Ministry of Economic Development, said rally organisers had not talked to his organisation nor even applied for funding.

"We have a funding round that is due to close on March 1, and I certainly have not yet seen anything from Rally of New Zealand.

"At the moment we have a fund that helps major events, and I haven't seen anything from them ...

We judge each event on its own merits."

That drew a quick response from Rally of NZ chairman Chris Carr, who told the Herald he had applied to the government for money and was "told to go away". He said his body was directed not to the tourism events and consumer affairs division, but to the inter-agency events group, another MED division, "and we were rejected".

While New Zealand's absence from the 2011 calendar was expected, with it and the Rally of Australia taking alternating turns since 2008, Carr said the 2011 calendar could be a precursor to following years, with the WRC planning to stop such rotation of events.

That could mean this year's rally, beginning on May 6, could be the last WRC event to be staged here.

"The way I would read the half-messages I'm getting is that the 2012 calendar will be very, very similar, if not the same, as the 2011 calendar," Carr said.

"That would mean New Zealand was gone in the WRC. It's all conjecture, but where there's smoke, there is fire. If that was the case it would mean we simply haven't been able to foot it with the guys who have bigger wallets than us."

Morrie Chandler, the New Zealander who is president of the FIA's World Rally Championship commission, said a change in promoter had seen a different direction for the WRC.

UK company North One Sport had taken over promotion of the WRC and it wanted to raise its profile significantly.

"The object is to grow the picture," Chandler said. "There are about 20 events that have been on the calendar for the past two to three years that are of reasonable quality from a sporting perspective. There are no issues there but the issue is how do we improve the level of promotion, how do we make people outside the world of motorsport realise it's even on."

Chandler said the Rally of NZ was a strong sporting event "but it's not meeting the promotional objectives".

Part of that, Chandler said, was weak competition in the broadcasting market, which had seen the rights sold for less than the promoters wanted, but the major flaw was an inability to attract sponsors and, in particular, government support.

"The [other countries] have, in most cases, much closer working relations with the tourism authorities. They use the event to promote the country quite nicely.

"In New Zealand, unfortunately, we don't use the event to promote the country."

Chandler said the chances of getting the WRC back in 2012 were not dead in the water, but "it's a case of New Zealand, I have to say, smartening up its act.

"That's not a negative on the organiser, but New Zealand as a whole has to put together a far better promotional package.

It has to show it values the event and if it doesn't value the event, then fair enough, let's not waste any more time on it."

Carr said that New Zealanders had no concept of just how big motorsport was worldwide and that the government's funding focus was perhaps too narrow.

"In a sporting sense we [Rally of NZ] perform very well; in dollar terms we are a tiny little nation at the bottom of the world with four million people who are obsessed with rugby and yachting, who don't understand the big picture in terms of the popularity of other sports overseas."

THROUGH THE STAGES

1969

First international rally held in New Zealand. Thirty-three cars made the start line in Taupo.

1977

Rally of NZ first included as a round of the World Rally Championship, making it the longest-running world championship event in the Southern Hemisphere.

2001

Rally of NZ awarded the WRC Rally of the Year.

2009

Event not held for the first time since 1974 as WRC decides to rotate the NZ and Australian rallies on a turnabout basis.

By Dylan Cleaver

[ReubenH]

Well that's pretty stink. The govt nees to pull finger to get the WRC too. Lets hope for he best.

In the mean time... time attack is where it's at

[newsuba]

Time attack isn't motor racing...

[ReubenH]

I wouldn't be so sure, it's racing against the clock like the WRC...

 

MSA approves official recognition for Time Attack Series

The Motor Sports Association has approved a proposal to bring the Time Attack Series under its auspices as the national governing body of UK motor sport – officially recognising this new type of event as an approved form of motor sport.

More...

Besides, i like that it's about the people and their cars, so much diversity, and so many awasome "old" cars. I hope we get some nice coverage this year on the interwebs.

[Koom]

 newsuba said:

Time attack isn't motor racing...

Isn't it the same as a qualifying shootout lap that you do before a proper race??

[Guest]

Its similar to an open qualifying session.

Sadly Time Attacks open rules on development is going to kill it.

The top cars are pushing over 900hp and the costs associated with that make the long term future uncertain.

[Munkvy]

It would be an interesting concept to bring to NZ, with perhaps as Qwerty says - some limitations to keep competition reasonable. Then run it over several tracks as a series.

I personally think that it is too much about the 1 lap and not much of a sport. But look at Tsukuba time attack, its pretty well recognised as a performance standard for cars in the "car enthusiast" world. So it could work, and it would be a good way to get "car enthusiasts" interested in lap times and perhaps realising that 1/4 mile time is not the only way to measure how quick a car is.

However I think getting people to front up with cars could be harder. Especially from tuners, as currently most tuners dont seem to run their own cars (I guess theres not enough money in it in NZ?).

[Shale]

Bit of a flash in the pan if there are no rules, or classes, introduced... it's not really sporting at all if you've got someone coming along with their life savings summed up by 400hp competing against said 900hp. But it does bring an element of that so-called 'mad max'-ness does it not...

Above picture includes zombies also. So it's the best of both worlds.

Watching with slight interest...

[dubbedup]

so what run restrictors.... ???

[Guest]

Restrictors just stop power not money being spent aka $500,000 WRC car still runs a restrictor.

[newsuba]

Wasn't Superlap a variation on time attack ?

That turned out great didn't it ?

: ;D