Lap times at Taupo

[trumpy]

If Taupo is unacceptable as an International venue then there are no circuits in this country worthy. Similarly, having been to a number of other (famous) circuits offshore, half the international events around the world need to be stopped as well and as for the Isle of Mann........
If all circuits were billiard table smooth there would be no challenge. These are professional drivers, it is a test of their ability to adapt to whatever conditions are presented to them. Notice that the top guys do and the also rans struggle....real talent always surfaces when conditions are not "ideal".

[Toaster]

Shit those things are fast .

Sure are!

Man I thought the thread title said "Lapdance at Taupo'.... dang.

[That Guy]

If you are going to put yourself out there on the International scene, do a proper job or forget it. A1GP won't come back to NZ after this.

Phew!

Back on the scene after having been away for a long time.

Jim2 This is not the remark of a positive go getter you were 18 months ago with your posts on this site. Chin up fulla!

Relax - having worked in MotoGP I can asure you (the new) Taupo is not as good as some international circuts - no doubt - but its not as bad as the worst either. You should see what Argentina was like! 500s swapping down the straight because of the bumps! Jerez gets covered in dust from the Shahara. Suzkua was as dangerous as Pukekohe, Sachsenring's facilities are rubbish, Philip Island's facilties are too, and Welkom is the middle of nowhere. What Taupo (MIT) has achieved is fantastic and aginst all odds, and, serioulsy, they can count themselves as an international circuit worthy of holding a place in the calendar.

[James Deuce]

Uh huh. It costs an absolute fortune to come here.

We need to do better than a track with some dangerous corners, a town with no hotels, and a generally apathetic populace. Welkom looks fantastic on TV, as does Kyalami. They both might be a bit mickey mouse in lay out now, especially the emasculated Kyalami, but there's actually trackside hoardings with sponsorship up, a flag waving crowd, and an air of something happening. Taupo looks like a milking shed during a drought.

Motorsport NZ had an opportunity with this event, and all they've done is a couple of late night TV adverts and some posters in ticketing agency offices. Everyone in NZ should know who Johnny Reid is. Most of the people in my office had no idea there was anything special on this weekend.

[James Deuce]

If Taupo is unacceptable as an International venue then there are no circuits in this country worthy. Similarly, having been to a number of other (famous) circuits offshore, half the international events around the world need to be stopped as well and as for the Isle of Mann........
If all circuits were billiard table smooth there would be no challenge. These are professional drivers, it is a test of their ability to adapt to whatever conditions are presented to them. Notice that the top guys do and the also rans struggle....real talent always surfaces when conditions are not "ideal".

No one said anything about billiard smooth. John Watson at Detroit in '82 is one of my favourite F1 races ever and no one could accuse Detroit of being smooth.

The world doesn't need any more dusty, single line race tracks, with processional racing.

It's difficult to test a driver when he can't go fast enough to get out of 3rd gear, and the car isn't working because it isn't generating down force.

I'm not suggesting that the drivers aren't up to it. I'm suggesting the event, the planning, and the track aren't involving enough to warrant spending a fortune to come here again. It needed to be special, and it just looks like Argentina to me.

[That Guy]

It costs stuff all more to come here than it does Philip Island, Malaysia or Japan. In fact the hotel pricing and NZ dollar make it cheaper to come here. My fly-away budget (ie races outside of Europe) was by far the cheapest to come to OZ. Malaysia and Japan were 10s of thousands more.

As far as the teams are concerned there are 100 times more hotels in Taupo, than Welkom or Philip Island for example. In Valencia we used to drive an hour each way from hotel to track. And the Taupo hotels are generally of a higher standard. Don't forget the teams book 12 months out too so they'll be ok. Punters booking late might be a bit grumpy though.. then again Napier and Rotorua are no further away than Melbourne from Philip Island for example.

I agree with you though motorsport NZ have not made enough of nor understood the gravity of this event in NZ. Lets hope its not a 1 off like SBK was more than a decade ago now!

[James Deuce]

Point taken about the travel costs.

[That Guy]

Still got your R6 Jim?

[The_Dover]

i reckon my gixxer would smoke those poofy fake F1 cars around taupo.

[Toast]

Nothing wrong with a few bumps. Makes it harder for drivers/riders/teams to use the power they have, thus evening the field out a bit. Not an issue in A1, but good for bike racing, especially.

[roogazza]

MOTOGP IS COMING TO TAUPO !!! yeah right ! G.

[GSVR]

Only major issue for the drivers was the lack of overtaking places. This issue was mainly due to all the dust off the raceline. Even down the backstraight they couldn't pass as moving off the race line meant no grip. This problem won't be as bad when the grass really gets established. Also the wind compounded the problem.

Everyone pretty much ended up finishing the races where they qualified. Most noticable was the English car that was slow and held up about 7 cars behind it for alot of the main race.

[Delboy]

I just spent the Weekend in Taupo watching the A1gp and it was a fantastic event. MIT have done themselves proud with what has been Achieved in the last 18 months. A1 will be back at least for the next 2 years. The track is a bit hard too pass on but for those more committed and willing there are opportunities. Further down the field there was plenty of overtaking going on. The leaders generally wont take the risk.

The facilities are excellent and up there with many international tracks, not as flash as maybe the 100 million dollar tracks being built but for what they have achieved with there budget is excellent.

I cant believe the knockers around here, but hey, that's us kiwis aye.

[cowpoos]

Just to bring us bike guys and girls back to reality ..... have you seen that Craig Shirrifs did a blistering 1 min 37 sec lap at the last round of the vic series which i thought was very fast.
Then these cheeky buggas in the A1 cars come with 500 HP and do a 1 min 15 sec at the first time out there .
Shit those things are fast .
Its got to be good for the track reputation too so lets hope it all goes well this weekend and we get to keep the next 2 yrs deal and beyond.

think shirrifs has lap record at 1:35

If Taupo is unacceptable as an International venue then there are no circuits in this country worthy. .

ruapuna...best circut in the country according to those in the know and those that think they are...close to a big port...airport...accomidation..large variaty of other shit to do..good night life..and according to a dangerous a large number of hookers

I agree with you though motorsport NZ have not made enough of nor understood the gravity of this event in NZ. Lets hope its not a 1 off like SBK was more than a decade ago now!

WSBK was here for 4 or more years wasn't it??????

[Masterchop]

Just to bring us bike guys and girls back to reality ..... have you seen that Craig Shirrifs did a blistering 1 min 37 sec lap at the last round of the vic series which i thought was very fast.
Then these cheeky buggas in the A1 cars come with 500 HP and do a 1 min 15 sec at the first time out there .
Shit those things are fast .
Its got to be good for the track reputation too so lets hope it all goes well this weekend and we get to keep the next 2 yrs deal and beyond.

I think the A1 cars have a slight advantage where the transition from the new track to the old is.
They use a piece of track the bikes havnt been using,that should be worth a few seconds.