Alarm raised over Pukekohe V8 Supercar date rethink

NZ Herald

NZ Herald10:26am 2 October 2012

V8 Supercars at Pukekohe

The return of the V8 Supercars to Pukekohe could be put back from April to November next year.

V8 Supercars media manager Cole Hitchcock said the possible move was linked to finalising the calendar of 16 events.

“It’s not unusual we move dates from place to place,” he said.

Mr Hitchcock said there were no issues, such as the upgrade of the Pukekohe track or noise, delaying an April start, it was simply a matter of putting a jigsaw puzzle together for the calendar.

The Auckland Council’s strategy and finance committee voted in July to spend $10.6 million to ensure the return of the annual events to Pukekohe Park next April for five years.

They approved the spending on the recommendation of the council’s events arm, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed).

Ateed chief executive Brett O’Riley said the events body was comfortable with either April or November.

Both dates were in the shoulder tourism season and would deliver the same forecast benefits to the Auckland economy, he said.

An Ateed spokesman said the body was unaware of any issues that could force the event being moved back to November.

Mr Hitchcock said the final calendar would be released in about two weeks.

Since Ateed signed the deal, V8 Supercars Australia executive chairman Tony Cochrane has quit, leaving Ateed to deal with the company’s major shareholder and private equity firm, Archer Capital.

Under the deal, the ratepayers’ contribution of $10.6 million is capped and V8 Supercars Australia will own and underwrite the event.

Last night, councillors Cameron Brewer and George Wood expressed concern at putting the event back six months.

Mr Brewer said rumours were circulating about Ford’s commitment to the event and television packages for New Zealand and Australia.

“These deals are worth big bucks and are critical to lock-down, without these rights the event would be in trouble,” Mr Brewer said

He said Ateed should have focused on these issues and the impact of Mr Cochrane exiting the stage.

“Alarmingly, there are now further questions and seemingly fewer answers,” Mr Brewer said.

Mr Wood, who has described the upgrade of Pukekohe track as “back-of-cigarette-packet planning”, said he believed no work had been done on the upgrade and it was still going through the planning stages.

Ratepayers, who were investing $10.6 million over five years, deserved an assurance about the financial viability of the event, he said.

The event is returning to the Pukekohe race track after it was raced on a street circuit in Hamilton, costing ratepayers $40 million and leading to a damning Audit NZ review.

2 Responses to Alarm raised over Pukekohe V8 Supercar date rethink

  1. Peter van Kampen Snr says:

    I explained to Councillor George Wood in some detail why moving to a November date is the absolute best time to race in the V8 Supercars Championship in what will be the debut season of the COTF Nissan & AMG. historically November has always worked best for the V8′s at Pukekohe.

  2. John Boyd says:

    What a joke, millions spent on a venue past its use by date yet a few minutes down the road we have HAMPTON DOWNS.
    Now if 10 million was spent there buying appartments , they will have the money to finish the track etc. The council could then sell off the apartments overtime , rate payers lose no money,( perhaps a profit from what the apartments have sold for in the past ) and everyone is happy.
    Oh to be a fly on the wall , something smells here.

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