Pukekohe upgrade

[Bykmad]

Just found this on Stuff.

A longer track, three new corners, and a new corporate viewing building are among the $6.6m of changes announced today at the Pukekohe race track.

Pukekohe will be given a multi-million dollar upgrade for its return to the V8 Supercar Championship next year.

The Auckland 400 will be raced in April after being confirmed on the new supercars calendar, taking over from Hamilton to host New Zealand's round of the championship. Auckland joins Texas and Dubai to host races outside of Australia.

Getting the grand old track up to speed is going to be a costly exercise.

Plans for the upgrade include:

- An increase in track length from 2.84 km to 2.91 km

- Introduction of three new turns on the back straight.

- New first and second line of protection (impact absorbing concrete barrier and debris fence)

- New race control building

- New timing building

- New corporate viewing facility opposite main grandstand

- Asphalt resurfacing while keeping character of the track

- New pedestrian bridges for access to new viewing area

- Improved driver safety with revised runoffs, tyre walls, transition kerbs and gravel traps

Pukekohe hosted the first offshore event in V8 Supercars Championship history in 2001 before the New Zealand event moved to a street circuit in Hamilton from 2008.

Kiwi Greg Murphy won four of the seven events raced at Pukekohe.

"With improved spectator and corporate facilities, V8 Supercars has no doubt it will again become New Zealand's premium motorsport precinct, and a significant boost for motorsport in this country," V8 Supercar chief executive David Malone said.

"Not only will motorsport and Auckland's economy benefit in sustaining a round of the V8 Supercar series, it will prove a tremendous asset to the industry in New Zealand, not to mention to the local community in both a business sense and as a resource for a range of uses.

"The improvements are significant and will ensure Pukekohe remains a top class asset, just 40 minutes from the Auckland CBD."

[lostinflyz]

[steveyb]

I was just reading the story too. That there would be upgrades had been announced when the V8's signed with Pukekohe, but now the scope is clear.
If there can be real safety, and I dearsay interest (meaning a bit more interesting circuit), improvements I would hazard a guess that people will be really keen to return to Pukekohe in increasing numbers.
Not that actually there has really been a down turn to speak of. It is really only NZSBK that has stopped going there as far as I can tell.
All of the car groups and AMCC still operate there, perhaps splitting events between there and HD.
I guess at the end of the day the two things that will sway it will be: When and if the track is finished at HD and the new fee structure at Pukekohe.
There is the history and tradition and the fact that you are in a town that can sway the decision to go to Pukekohe. Not to mention that it is a high speed circuit and looks like it will remain mostly so. That is a major drawcard to users.
Good luck to them. I have always loved racing there (except for one meeting when I was just out of sorts). I have lost my best mate there, but at the end of the day the circuit didn't actually do it, people did it.
If they can lift the safety aspect then it will be great to go back there.
Imagine a 7 round NZSBK once we all have jobs and income again......

[p.dath]

I don't like this bit "impact absorbing concrete barrier".

[sugilite:Me]

You guys cannot seriously be thinking they will be making it more bike friendly. As per d.paths post, there will be more barriers now, not less.

[Quasievil]

You guys cannot seriously be thinking they will be making it more bike friendly. As per d.paths post, there will be more barriers now, not less.

Why would it be? since when has Bike racing been interesting enough to draw crowds and encourage investment dollars in NZ race parks ?

[scrivy]

If it were me designing the new chicane on the back straight, I'd make the corners really wide to encourage different lines and more overtaking opportunities. Otherwise it'll just be precessional.

[Drew]

If it were me designing the new chicane on the back straight, I'd make the corners really wide to encourage different lines and more overtaking opportunities. Otherwise it'll just be precessional.

Processional I think you'll find.

But, the back straight is as wide as all fuck, so there is gonna be a good overtake spot into the first of the new turns, followed by the original easy pass into the hairpin. It'd certainly be the spot to view any racing there.

[Bender]

Processional I think you'll find.

But, the back straight is as wide as all fuck, so there is gonna be a good overtake spot into the first of the new turns, followed by the original easy pass into the hairpin. It'd certainly be the spot to view any racing there.

And where are they putting the new grandstand? Opposite the old one. Just shows they are still not thinking about the spectators.

[Drew]

And where are they putting the new grandstand? Opposite the old one. Just shows they are still not thinking about the spectators.

I don't even know where they are now.

I have only ever watched from the grass by pit entrance, or the hairpin..ish.

[lostinflyz]

I don't like this bit "impact absorbing concrete barrier".

Theres as much "impact absorbing" concrete round HD as puke...........

[Drew]

Theres as much "impact absorbing" concrete round HD as puke...........

How it looks to me too.

Less easy to get wrong and hit from what I can see though.

[caseye]

Um, " Asphalt resurfacing while keeping character of the track"
Says it all to me.
Track will still not be right, surfaces will change from point to point, no one will ever be able to enjoy a continuous round of good grippy track.
Corporates get more track viewing, ordinary specpertators will get less, can't see how it could be any other way if the corporate stand goes inside the track and blocks the main stand areas view of the back straight!
Hurry up HD.
Pukekohe was dead 4 years ago, it should have been left to it's horsey bloody owners to fornicate on forever more.

[Drew]

Um, " Asphalt resurfacing while keeping character of the track"
Says it all to me.
Track will still not be right, surfaces will change from point to point, no one will ever be able to enjoy a continuous round of good grippy track.
Corporates get more track viewing, ordinary specpertators will get less, can't see how it could be any other way if the corporate stand goes inside the track and blocks the main stand areas view of the back straight!
Hurry up HD.
Pukekohe was dead 4 years ago, it should have been left to it's horsey bloody owners to fornicate on forever more.

Interesting. Place is rough, but grip levels are good, this is an opinon formed from riding there.

I agree that the corperate stands need to go outside the track. I think the carpark would be a great place for w two story building to run the length of the straight/ish.

Dead you say? I love the place. Would spend more time there than I do at Manfield if I was in Aukland.

[neil_cb125t]

Every race track has concrete walls on the side of the start finish straight - Its the closeness of concrete fence to exit of the last corners that is the issue.....aka last turn at taupo........but taupo went that extra step and put car grid lines around the corner, with some shitty slippery patch work in between the grid lines......