Call for Ideas to Revive Road Racing in NZ

**gpercivl** · 19th December 2003, 12:03

Hi all Kiwi Biker's...the New Zealand road racing scene looks like it is spiralling down to inevitable oblivion within a few years...I'd like to ask for any/all suggestions from those interested on how to revive the sport in NZ.

We can then feed this info to the m/c clubs and MNZ in the hope some will be accepted. Years ago we use to see big numbers of spectators and entrants to events like the Superbikes, 6 hour, Marlboro series etc...

Half the fun of the 6 hour was riding down to Manfeild to watch and fanging with heaps of other bikes heading south.

How can we get people away from all their other activities and back to m/c racing in all it's forms??

Any/all suggestions considered...(please!!)

**curious george** · 19th December 2003, 19:01

OK, well as a wanna-be racer someday, some of the things holding me back from my world title:
It's hardly encouraged. Parents generally would prefer to encourage soccer.
Something needs to be done at school level. (age wise)

It appears to be very expensive. I know you can get a bucket, but with a van or trailer, bike etc, unless you are filthy rich or bloody serious, it's a tall order.

It is expensive.

I'm a bit of a chicken. Fallin off looks painful.
The few people who do race need encouragement to keep racing. Build the lower ranks with n00bs on old hacks and the upper classes will benefit.

Where the hell is the closest track? Its about 100km away for me.
Costly to fix, and I don't want one next door - oh well, if you're offering...

If you are thinking of street racing like Pairoa, it's soo hard to get road closure now and police cooperation. And costs heaps. And we haven't even touched on indemnity insurance.

Perhaps some kind of racing class that limits expendature. Like the SV650 class, but I can't afford the bike

This is all deliberatly pessimistic, anybody who is any good or sufficently enthuastic will just get on and do it regardless (site - KK. Good on him)

It's not any easy one, but from experience in other sports, n00bs need instructors/mentors/people to look up to and ask stupid questions.
Dads I would guess would usually fill that role, but how many dads here have family who race?

Running races ain't easy, has the pool of volunteers dried up? It's stressful and not enough people come up and say 'thanks' at the end of it all.

If this is enough reasons not to, I'll think of some more TO race.

**curious george** · 19th December 2003, 19:11

Ahh ok, the post was where have the crowds gone?!??

1: It's a long way to the track.

2: What's it cost to get in?
I can't remember, but it wasn't cheap. Gotta cover costs somehow, but you are competing against some other strong events.

3: WHERE'S THE SHOW?? unless I know somebody in the race, I can't tell what's going on. People want/need entertainment.
I want to be told something interesting about the rider/race.
Again, not easy, but somehow the TV commentry streamed to me at the trackside live would be really cool.

4: The food is shit and expensive. At most events anyhow.

5:Perhaps people don't have the time to spend at the track anymore?
Too busy on the bloody computer

Damn, I need a new hobbly horse. I've outgrown this one.
*looks on tardme for one*

**merv** · 19th December 2003, 19:26

The 70s and early 80s were all go because bikes were selling so the racing was driven by quite strong dealer and other sponsors interest. Sales of new bikes are now some tiny fraction of what they were then so who is going to pay for TV coverage etc.

So what happened? To me there seems to be a few issues. One is Jap import cars started flooding in from the late 80s because the Lange Govts reforms started kicking in. Now I'm not going to knock the fact that prices have dropped but bikes have lost their price advantage or was that more really people bought a bike out of necessity because cars were relatively speaking out of reach. The other thing is this whole focus on regulation and the outcome being that to get a bike licence isn't so easy these days.

So why would a young person buy a bike these days if they can have their supadupa turbo boy racer job which carries chicks and the cartons of piss and other things?

It appears that bikes sales are picking up a little and that I think is reflected in slightly better support for racing. This will only happen if more people buy more bikes and that fuels the sponsors and therefore the means for competitiors to surface and someone to pay for TV coverage - otherwise it is only the enthusiasts paying their own bills. So how do we encourage young people to get biking? I'll tell you even being a 34 year rider myself it has nit rubbed off onto my kids. They have too many other distractions these days from computers to whatever.

Population increase and a flood of Asians might help because some of them are bike focussed but maybe not. You guys in Auckland are bitching about them already and maybe they prefer boy racer cars anyway.

To think we used to have road racing in Napier, Gracefield, Porirua, Lyall Bay and they are all gone. Land development is one problem too and changing lifestyles. The areas have grown as commercial areas and shopping is now 7 days a week. No one cared when the shops weren't open if you had a road closure. Luckily Wanganui keeps going.

... but heck it used to be telecast on TV live all day ... interspersed with races at Ellerslie. I used to enjoy this when I had to visit the South Island rellies and couldn't get to Wanganui I could watch it on TV. We were made when the horses got their own channel, but bugger the coverage ceased through lack of sponsorship and no doubt the spiralling costs of TV advertising.

How do we reverse this? In all honesty I don't know if the old days can ever be relived because the squeeze is on for everyone's leisure buck and the land uses and other things have squeezed the racing out of many towns. We can only do our best to encourage the young people.

**Kickaha** · 19th December 2003, 19:38

I think MNZ needs to promote the events a bit better, 1/2 the time there is very little advance notice to the public that these events are even on.

At last years NZ GP at Ruapuna there was only about 700 paying spectators in contrast the equivalent car meets draw crowds numbering in the several thousands and are generaly heard of weeks if not months in advance.

Perhaps hiring a outside promoter to promote and run the National series rather than it being up to each individual club to do their own thing.

Street races always get a big crowd, its up close and in your face and the people love it,it might be hard to organise,but Wanganui,Greymouth,Nelson and Paeroa can do it so why cant others.

Since the days of the 6 hour (went to the last two) and the Malboro series a lot has changed,there is a lot more entertainment available and a lot more options for weekend sport.

**Fluffy Cat** · 19th December 2003, 19:42

Well i am trying to get racing in the f3 group on my nsr,its seems pretty straight forward to get your licence and set the bike up.Yep it is expensive but doable but none of the main bike makers make 250 2 strokes or 400s so the only market is second hand and there arnt that many about.People buy big bikes these days ie r1 etc would many people start racing on a 120 hp road bike and live to tell the tale.As for coverage what coverage?people just dont know about the events simple as that its not on the radio or tv,no big spreads in the paper either or the mags,except maybe one or two pages and most of that is the big guys.Nah theres no roots you need to be an enthusiast just to get near it.Mabey more track times will expose more people it certainly got me going.The 2 stroke is dead.Long live the 2 stoke. :bigthumb:

LB · 19th December 2003, 20:14

Merv: don't forget there was racing at Paritutu in New Plymouth for a couple/few years back in the early 80's I think it was.

**Marmoot** · 19th December 2003, 20:23

I'd say it's down to money and age, really.

When u're young, it's kinda expensive to run a race bike (may be it was not in 80s, but it is now). Especially since when you're young you don't make big money, so every dosh does make a difference.

When you get old enough and you make big enough money, normally you are already in the phase of slowing down and hence the racing is not too attractive anymore (it is already good enough if the other half does not stop you riding bikes).

What we need is generous amount of sponsorships to encourage young people to start it up. Plus, exciting tracks. Puke is just boring and Taupo is too far from here in the Big Smoke. Road track would be very exciting

**Kickaha** · 19th December 2003, 21:23

Originally Posted by Marmoot

I'd say it's down to money and age, really.

When u're young, it's kinda expensive to run a race bike (may be it was not in 80s, but it is now). Especially since when you're young you don't make big money, so every dosh does make a difference.

Plus exciting tracks. Puke is just boring and Taupo is too far from here in the Big Smoke. Road track would be very exciting

Expensive to run a bike? ever heard of buckets? yeah I know everyone laughs at them,but there's a whole bunch of previous NZ champs that started on them and some top current riders that still race them,and they race them at a track near you,also a very good way to get young talent on to bikes(Dominic Jones and Stevie Woods come to mind,both ex buckets)

Exciting tracks, well you're right there the only track in the North island worth racing on is Manfeild and that really needs a resuface as its pretty bumpy.

TV coverage is the obvious answer but the cost is high,this year I have seen more racing from the Australian Formula Extreme competition (courtesy of yamaha NZ) than any local bike racing

**Marmoot** · 20th December 2003, 07:10

Not that I'm laughing at buckets, but the word "racing" implies budgeting and managing, there you get all the numbers at once. And for a youngster with little income (if any), you'd be thinking where would you get those dosh. Couple that with the transportation cost you still need for everyday riding and the number multiplies very quickly for minimum wage earners or pak'n'save workers (I asume these people are the primary afficionados for racing thrills?).

While, on the other hand, everyday riding virtually isolates you from all the numbers. If you run the calculations thoroughly, the maintenance cost etc etc might be close to running a race bike, but then again a lot of youngsters don't run a yearly budget for maintenance either. They sort of just hop on and ride off and worry about the cost only when something goes broke. Eh?

But then again, may be I'm wrong. This is just an input anyways.

Anyways, how much can you win from races? Would it cover the expenses if you're good enough?

**Marmoot** · 20th December 2003, 07:13

Oh, one more thing. I find a LOT of families in our society tend to be anti-bikes. That might play a factor in the issue as well.
Teenagers who like bikes often are taken as rebels, anti-establishments, and crazy risk takers. Thus, there is no encouragement really from here.
(Heck, even the government is not really supporting us).

That might give an insight.
I long for a time when there will be another Aaron Slight.

**k14** · 20th December 2003, 08:04

I agree that there needs to be alot more publicity about racing events.

I go to uni in christchurch and have been out to ruapuna a few times to watch the bears race and that was alright. But i had nfi what was going on and who was winning etc.

I have got 2 more years to go at uni, but after that when i have a job i would like to try and get into F3 with a VFR400 or something like that.

[newbie question] what is a bucket racer? [/newbie question]

**Kickaha** · 20th December 2003, 18:09

Originally Posted by k14

[newbie question] what is a bucket racer? [/newbie question]

If you went to a bears meet at Ruapuna,then there would have been buckets racing at it,basically it's commuter bike racing,small capacity and fairly cheap $300-500 and you've got a bike.

Marmoot everyone laughs at buckets but it is a very competitive class and teaches good riding skills here's a few names for you from buckets

Dennis Charlett (NZ GP15 champ)
Andy Bowell ( NZ F3 champ at least twice,still races a bucket)
Cameron Horgan (NZ2 GP125)
I think the Shirriffs also raced them and there's also a couple of NZ sidecar champs who also raced them,its a cheap entry level class to get people into the sport but largely ingnored by MNZ and clubs.

Prize money scale for national events as pe MNZ rule book

22-8-10 Prize money for each Points Race shall be paid to Top 10 or
50% of finishers if field is under 20 starters.
Minimum scale shall be:
125 Racing:
$100, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $30, $25, $20, $15

Formula 3, 600 Sports Production & 250GP Classes:
$120, $100, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $35, $25, $20

Sidecar Classes:
$120, $100, $80, $70, $60, $50, $40, $30, $20, $15

Production Superbike:
$125, $110, $100, $90, $80, $70, $60, $50, $35, $20

When more than two races per class are run at a round,
prize money is to be paid in one of two ways.
a. At the above rates, per race.
b. At twice the above rates, paid on the
aggregate points total for all races.
The method is to be noted in the events supplementary
regulations.

**gpercivl** · 22nd December 2003, 15:05

Thanks for all the responses so far, I'll note down all the points and send to MNZ and other places...Looks like cost, awareness and conflicting events/interests are common threads.

F3 can be fairly cheap to get into, you can build up a reasonable bike from 2nd hand parts for about $4000 to $6000 be competitive. F3's open to SV-650's which when race prepped are very fast but can be upwards of $20K to develop.

Buckets are an excellent way to start and raced very close to home at go kart tracks around the country, and lots of our top riders started in buckets.

I'll post back whatever response I get from MNZ etc...

Cheers, Greg

**Marmoot** · 22nd December 2003, 16:22

No way I'd laugh on Buckets.....buckets are the only motorbikes available in where I came from

But, (honestly, sorry) the price tags seem to be a bit low, innit?
Why don't they make good price money for top 5 only instead? I mean, that would be a big boost for competition spirit to get into top 5, as well as attracting the 'dreamers' since they would think they can make racing a living.

I mean, if the world racing starts at "$millions", then why not start nationals at "$thousands" instead of $130? (of course, there will be more sponsors needed, bla bla bla, and what about government, etc etc?).

But, then again, I'm just saying.

(yes....hello?....)