Rnd 5 Hampton Downs Updates

[SWERVE]

While you are all watchin craig/robbie/andrew dont forget that name that keeps poppin up in 5th/6th place..............Ryan Hampton ............first season in road racing definately a HUGE talant ...............watch out next year.....................GO RYAN (and not forgettin team mate in the 600,s John Ross.

[Tony.OK]

While you are all watchin craig/robbie/andrew dont forget that name that keeps poppin up in 5th/6th place..............Ryan Hampton ............first season in road racing definately a HUGE talant ...............watch out next year.....................GO RYAN (and not forgettin team mate in the 600,s John Ross.

They're both goin well..........

[Gremlin]

So Mr Shiriffs... doooo tell us.... wotcha fink of Turn 1?

You shoulda taken your bucket out to have a play in the last race

[Chrislost]

So Mr Shiriffs... doooo tell us.... wotcha fink of Turn 1?

You shoulda taken your bucket out to have a play in the last race

Shiriffs corner is a good place to bin...
It was pretty fun even at my (slow) pace when it was covered with oil today!

[Gremlin]

I'm assuming sidecar 111 will receive some pit justice... dropped his oil twice in 3 days (and then a subsequent fire after the 2nd time). Plenty of time spent having to try to clean that up, except I got lucky. Neither incident affected my point.

[gsxr&crf450]

Hampton Downs was a public disaster today, hours spent waiting for the racing, the last super bike race finished at around 6pm, and most of the public had gone home before it started. The organisation needs a massive overhaul if they want the public back. At motocross meetings you get through 24 races in 5 hours, obviously that is not possble with road racing, nevertheless, speeding up things would help.

[SWERVE]

just another reason to get rid of sidecars................i have seen these at the Nurburgring and similar european tracks when the grids are full and they are great to watch..but im sorry NZ contingent is a shambles. They take up same if not more tracktime as 1000/600,s for 6 teams (OK a couple more if they are all running)
Sorry guys but just saying what i see.

[BM-GS]

Hampton Downs was a public disaster today, hours spent waiting for the racing, the last super bike race finished at around 6pm, and most of the public had gone home before it started. The organisation needs a massive overhaul if they want the public back. At motocross meetings you get through 24 races in 5 hours, obviously that is not possble with road racing, nevertheless, speeding up things would help.

I dunno, me and 2 son (4) enjoyed it. Amazed anyone turned up at all with the LACK OF ADVERTISING OF THE EVENT. People like me need about a month to schedule a day away and avoid the kids fixtures/parties/events and whatever, and I was digging around to find out about this well before that. I didn't find out a damned thing about times until Saturday, and that was by chance - and out by about 2 hours, as it happens. Thing is, the delays yesterday were down to the organisers (presumably) trying to sort out issues with the new venue, riders' issues, etc, not bodies on the track which have delayed things at Puke in the last few years. I think I prefer the first reason.

No, I didn't see the big boys race yesterday as the boy needed a rest and there wasn't a lot left to keep him amused over lunchbreak, but I'll be back next year maybe with the family and a few more distractions. I reckon they'd get/keep more public if they can build on the few trade stands & stuff they had yesterday, and maybe put a few more $ in the pockets of the industry in general. Maybe have a raffle for 3 laps on a new BMW S1000 thingy for some lucky punter?

On the topic of sidecars, I reckon they're a spectacle, but maybe close racing in all classes will bring in punters too? The first 2 races were a bit processional (though 2 guys launched out of it on lap 1 in one of them). I didn't get to see a lot more as a small person was dragging me around, but I'd guess they were better, though race 3 had a small, mixed field which may have spread a bit too, not that I actually saw it. Still, the atmosphere counts for a lot, and the video is watching WSB for me as I type, and will let me know how that was later.

Actually, it was nice not to be crammed in with 119,999 other people, like last time I went to a WSB round...

See you next year, and thanks for letting hang out yesterday.

[trev]

Hampton Downs was a public disaster today,

a new track, facilities nowhere near complete, a drought with dust etc. everywhere, first up meeting (as far as I know) - it didn't strike me as a disaster. It was more a chance to see what will be available / possible once the track facilities are complete.
I had a most enjoyable day. It was great to watch racing on a track with elevation ; be able to easily get to different sections of the track ; (safely) stand literally only a few metres away from bikes going insane speeds. If / when they complete stage 2, being flat it will be fully visible so it will be possible to see every section except from Turn 1 to parts of turn 3 & a couple of well placed screens will cover that.
I can't wait to go back .
Well done to the racers - I don't know if you were having fun but it sure as hell looked like you were - & that isn't just my opinion several people commented on it.

[cmoore]

Im assuming there is a lot to be learnt from yesterday...delays are expected but the tannoy could not be heard anywhere outside of the pits...so no one knew what was happening....being a new track it was good to wander around and try out different places to watch....no shelter from the sun was a pain....and next time it will be deck chairsn shelter for sure.....i guess some of the crowd left due to Stroud winning the title in the first race....Also unlike puki you can't sit and see the whole track from one spot...i thought some of the riders had a hell of a time getting out to pit lane with all the people walking around the area....and finally...the food was awful.....also....should there not be a podium for the racing winners to stand and be presented with something....watching Stroud come back to his stand was so dull.....people just stood around.....why don't they replicate the motogp idea...winning bikes into a box....riders up onto the podium....a few cheers...maybe a few words.....next race.....this is meant to be the NZ champs??

[scracha]

=cmoore;winning bikes into a box....riders up onto the podium....a few cheers...maybe a few words.....next race.....this is meant to be the NZ champs??

A few valid points there but I thought the food was excellent????? Especially compared to Manfeild. Something to entertain the crowd during crash/oil cleanups is a must: Big farkoff LCD screen(s) would be great and couldn't understand the long silences over the PA system, especially when I saw "the Rock" radio station ute at the track. Superbike race was ran far too late and not sure why they insisted on running full length races for some classes when the programme was so far behind schedule (especially since they dropped a class). Decision should have been made on Saturday to merge the faster qualifying streetstock riders with posties as watching 6 bikes putting around wasn't crowd friendly. Likewise 125's with F3 as I'm sorry, but a handful of bikes out on the track doesn't look very professional.

For a first effort at Hampton Downs, overall I was pleasantly surprised and quite impressed.

[javawocky]

Catering was above average. Had the bacon and egg bab both mornings which was great after the long ride from the Norf Shorr. Was in a hurry at lunch of Sunday so went for the humble pie - chucked the pie away and either the wrapper, it was more nutritious.

Loved the fact that you could walk around the pits, even asked one or to riders for some advice before the heat of the day started.

Yeah, they can do lots to improve things - advertising would be a great start, but for a first up attempt it was a great show.

[Devil]

I thought the delays were pretty embarrassing really. The racing was great when it happened. Whats with the massive turn-around times between races? I understand a pickup here and there and there, but what the hell?
What gets me though is the track is able to be used from 8am, but it wasn't touched till 10am (with the programme saying 9am start).

[Genestho]

Loved it, for sure there are improvements that could/can be made, that I'm sure will be! The Racing was awesome! The track looks great from a spectator POV.

What I did notice, is that spectating of Road Racing in NZ is very much alive and well, by the size of the crowd, and this needs to be nurtured!

Thanks for a fantastic days Racing to ALL involved!!!

[Kiwi Graham:Me]

A great weekends racing with a big thumbs up to AMCC for organising the event.
It cant of been easy, new track to learn, limited infrastructure etc. Of course lessons will be learnt for next time, delays are always kept to a minimum and those that happened were for very good reasons.

Every year this place is going to get better and better, garaging, power, a race contro tower (instead of the luxury appartment Chris and Neil used ), the extension to the full international length circuit to name but a few. 5 years from now we wont recognise the place.

Viewing was good, from the pits we could obviously see the start and a quick jog round the side we could watch the two hairpins round to the last right hander (thought the 'unused food outlet' at barrel 51 was in a shit place though).

The marshals did a fukin awesome job cleaning up the contents of 'the pirates' engine. I had a skid round in the pace car and man it was a mess out there. I like to see the sidecars at events but put them out last would be my advise.

I thought the food was excellent and thanks Chris for the early morning call for coffee , a good atmosphere in the pits, an unusual prize giving in the dark and only an hours drive home bloody brilliant.

Well done Andy, Nick, Glen, Alistair, Geoff and Steve & Den for your national titles.

Role on next year, theres going to be at least one more superstock bike out there