Local paper front page "Threat to Pukekohe motorsport"
Don,t know if you track types are interested in an article on the front page of our local paper.
there is no link thingy so I guess if you want details I'll have to copy the bloody thing out, no scanner, not that I even know what a scanner is !
It says, If the planned Hampton Downs Motorsport park gets off the ground, you can kiss goodbye to Pukekohe Park raceway as a motorsport venue. This is the veiw of Mark Petch-publisher of NZ autocar magazine with 40 yeras experience in the motorsport industry and steward at Counties Racing Club.
A group of motorsport enthusiaasts has revealed its plans to devlop the countrys premier motorsport complex near meremere. The group says the project hinges on the granting of resorce consents, but it says the finances are all in place for the multi millon dollar complex, which could hold its first race meeting in late 2006.
Mr Petch offered his servicesd to to advise the Counties Racing Club on the best use of Pukekohe Parks raceway morosport operations when the club took control of motorsport operations in June.
He is saddened by the club attitude toward motorsport. The committee made a decison to detfer any spending other than patching up the track for three years. Thats extremely short sighted in my veiw, says Mr Petch.
I proposed a business plan to look at motorsport activities that will be commercaally viable.
They've put it in the too hard basket and are happy to have the minium requirment to have their motorsport license.
Manager of the CRC, Greg Mitchell says the committee talked about Mr Petch plans, but says the club does not have the money to follow then through.
"How can we defer spending when we haven't got the money to spend?.We will continue to run motorsport as we have in the past untill we have further funds to develope it further." says Mr Mitchell.
The track is booked every day untill October when it closes for a period for drainage work, so were very busy". Contd on page 8 ,(opps)
Mr Mitchel says the people behind the devlopement at Meremere have not spoken to the club about it, so he says he does not know much about it "
But Mr Petch is adamant that if it goes ahed it will mean the death of motorsport at Pukekohe.
All corporate and motorsport heavyweights will sign up down there so fast there'll be a stampede.
I wanted Pukekohe to put its hand up as a premier motorsport venue, but I have not succeeded, and I don't think I ever will.
One of the main problems is the committee cannot get their heads around resloving the differences and conflits between hourse racing and motor racing. I am dismayed by the Ostrich -like approach of the committee, the "She'll be alright attitude towards motor racing.
Phew, bugger this, don't think I could ever be a Jurno, hope this is of interest to someone.
F/F
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The only reason I only ride in the Iron man Class is I have no friends left to enter the two man events,
my own fault really.
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