Why 3 rounds down south?

[Teambwr47]

So most of the population live on the North Island where the only NZ tracks that the rest of the World knows anything about (Manfield and Taupo) are located. This year Hampton Downs will open and become the premier track in NZ again on the North Island.

So, why is there three National rounds on the South Island?

Having spoken to a potential sponsor this week it has become painfully obvious that the South Island Nationals are not that commercially attractive as those on the North Island or indeed the Tri-series and street races specifically Paeroa and Wanganui.

So if we are going to have races in a part of NZ that take place where the minority live surely we should have 3 races in the North and just two down South?

[Kickaha]

So most of the population live on the North Island where the only NZ tracks that the rest of the World knows anything about (Manfield and Taupo) are located.

Pretty much irrelavent what tracks the rest of the world know about when you're not getting International coverage and as we've seen population base certainly didn't give better numbers on the grid

This year Hampton Downs will open and become the premier track in NZ again on the North Island.

Quite true however until a few years back you wouldn't have called any NI track the premier NZ track as Ruapuna was easily the best overall facility in the country

So, why is there three National rounds on the South Island?

Because unlike the NI, the clubs down here are willing to step up and run the events

Having spoken to a potential sponsor this week it has become painfully obvious that the South Island Nationals are not that commercially attractive as those on the North Island or indeed the Tri-series and street races specifically Paeroa and Wanganui.

Not attractive in what way, are their products not sold South, do they not have a market here or aren't interested in establishing one??

If all they're interested in is coverage then you wouldn't do the Nationals at all you'd just do the street races

[puddytat]

We had a bigger crowd at Ruapuna than Pukie..... Plus there may only be 3 tracks down here but they're probably the best

[Biggles08]

So most of the population live on the North Island where the only NZ tracks that the rest of the World knows anything about (Manfield and Taupo) are located. This year Hampton Downs will open and become the premier track in NZ again on the North Island.

So, why is there three National rounds on the South Island?

Having spoken to a potential sponsor this week it has become painfully obvious that the South Island Nationals are not that commercially attractive as those on the North Island or indeed the Tri-series and street races specifically Paeroa and Wanganui.

So if we are going to have races in a part of NZ that take place where the minority live surely we should have 3 races in the North and just two down South?

Come on southeners....man up...this will be a goody!

I tend to agree Teambwr47. Now if we could get the grids full in the north Island rounds the south boys n girls would have no comeback! It will be very interesting to see how many people up here in NI enter the Hampton Downs round this year...I'm picking a few more than last year entered the Puke round.

[Kickaha]

I tend to agree Teambwr47. Now if we could get the grids full in the north Island rounds the south boys n girls would have no comeback! It will be very interesting to see how many people up here in NI enter the Hampton Downs round this year...I'm picking a few more than last year entered the Puke round.

Yeah but that is a big "if" the Southern rounds were better supported by competitors and the public even though we only have the "minority" of the population

Hampton downs should get big entries this time around but only because the track will still be a bit of a novelty

Would you still agree with Teambwr47 if you lived in the south?, sounds more like a pair of whinging Northern bitches wanting the nationals reorganized to suit themselves

[sidecar bob]

sounds more like a pair of whinging Northern bitches wanting the nationals reorganized to suit themselves

Sounds like the reverse of you & divvo.
Anyway, heres where all the fun is at. http://www.nzcmrr.com/

[Mental Trousers]

The larger population in the North Island simply means there's a crapload more knockers and useless, whinging wankers who won't get off their arses. Unfortunately that also means that those are willing to do something have to contend with huge masses of knockers and useless, whinging wankers. Those that do get stuck in and do things do a bloody good job, but there's only so much they can do and put up with.

More people need to do more. That's all.

[racer40]

hi Teambwr47, there are not more rounds up north because no club wants to run them because of the costs involved, whereas the the SI tracks are cheaper to hire. but i do agree with you in that we should be doing 2 rounds down south ( i am sure kickha will be back on here again soon)

[DELLORTO]

until hampton downs open...theres realy only 2 useable tracks in the north island those being manfeild and taupo

But down south theres 3 decent usble tracks.....

when hampton downs opens it will hopefully grab all the attention and get great sponsors.

it would be good if someone could put nz sbks's on sky sport again ......

[HDTboy]

sounds more like a pair of whinging Northern bitches wanting the nationals reorganized to suit themselves

Unfortunately I have to agree with the sidecar nutter

[lostinflyz]

ah considering its the nationals it shouldbe at every damn track in nz.id dont care where it is.

why the fuck would you want less races in our premier competition you idiots.

just imagine if you live in aussie, there tracks are all fucking miles apart. count yourself blessed.

[Nonbeliever]

, sounds more like a pair of whinging Northern bitches wanting the nationals reorganized to suit themselves

+1

stay up north if it doesnt suit you and your "sponsors" then.

[Wingnut]

ah considering its the nationals it shouldbe at every damn track in nz.id dont care where it is.

why the fuck would you want less races in our premier competition you idiots.

just imagine if you live in aussie, there tracks are all fucking miles apart. count yourself blessed.

Exactly.

Whats with all the negativity with regards to the Nationals? By all accounts from what I have read on this website at times, we are probably lucky that they still get run at all.

Just out of interest, I wonder what the ratio of north island riders travelling south is, opposed to the south island riders heading north - during the nats that is?

[Teambwr47]

Ok...before we all go off on a rant fest my original is not a poke at anyone who lives on or even prefers the South Island or in fact either island. Its intended as a point of discussion........

The nationals and all the racing will take place where MNZ and those clubs wishing to help out deem it should take place however....

While there will undoubtedly be those who shout 'you're not a kiwi butt out' or 'you've only been here 5 mins' etc etc I do have the un-rose tinted view of the racing here that an 'outsider' can bring to it.

If you look at the realities, the greater (by some considerable margin) part of the population and therefore market for bikes and virtually everything else is in the North Island, as are i would guess, most of the race licence holders.

There is always a problem with spectator numbers and volunteers but from the outside looking in at cold hard facts and numbers, most who look at NZ without a bias would assume, I think, that there would be more racing in the North than South.

Scale it up and its effectively why World events have stayed in recent times where the population and therefore markets are.... until of course masses of cash is poured in to influence things.... Qatar is a prime example.

I am not in any way saying reduce the number of races we do as someone mentioned above but lets see where the discussion ends up............

[slowpoke]

It's not convenient but the truth is that Manfeild and Taupo are in the middle of bloody nowhere and are a marketers/sponsors nightmare.

Ruapuna and Levels have got good population bases to draw on so are no brainers. With only minimal TV coverage at best Teretonga makes reasonable sense too, Invercargill alone is twice the size of Taupo. Yeah, Auckland may only be a coupla hours away but how many spectators make that trip?

Edit: it's not convenient for me either but that's the way I'm lookin' at it. And to all those saying "more rather than less", "what are you winging about?" I wonder how many of you will be reaching into your pockets to do the whole series?