Unbelievable, having to spend money at Puke

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newtec1, Oct 15, 8:12pm
The fastest track with the slowest corner[hairpin]. That is why they are trying to slow them down the back straight with a chicane.
rsr72, Oct 15, 9:23pm
An enormous shame to see the greatPukekohe castrated into a pathetic go-cart track like many others the V8's race on.
racetoy, Oct 16, 6:36am
i Agree
racetoy, Oct 16, 6:40am
$6 Million to ruin a perfectly good track.just to satisfy some money hungry australian race car series
splinter67, Oct 16, 6:43am
Ok the chicane is not a good idea but the new pit buildings and a resurface of the track are good things
mopsy3, Oct 16, 7:29am
One point here socram. Yes internationally you travel to and from tracks. More often than not by rail. Something that Puke can offer.
Also. although Hampton claim to have gained resource consent for 50k each day, they have not gained resource consent for all of the cars to block up the single off ramp. We have seen the congestion on the roads for certain events at Meremere, Hampton Downs would be no different, well, actually, it would be worse. Pukekohe however, has several options of nearby off ramps.
dave653, Oct 16, 7:44am
I thought the difference was spectator capacity. 20,000 vs 70,000 odd!
elect70, Oct 16, 2:13pm
HD already have plans for a motel /camp groundsbut priorities are track extension -control tower- corporatesuitesas $$ permits
elect70, Oct 16, 2:21pm
Now what was Tony Cochrane doing there he has resigned fromaussie SCboard . & tell me how ASCC can think it will just have topay for the track& nothave to underwrite the eventitself, the promoter ,will require this so that womanon TV 3 last night is talking BS& ratepayers will still paythrough the nose .
splinter67, Oct 16, 2:22pm
Ive got lots of things planned when they happen well thats anyones guess
socram, Oct 16, 4:14pm
I hear what you are saying, but in the UK alone, Silverstone has no rail link, nor Goodwood, Mallory Park, Croft, Donington, Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, Castle Combe and Snetterton.Traffic for the large Goodwood events is very well organised.
HD have already agreed to widen the northbound off ramp but as any event organiser will tell you, traffic management is a matter of sitting down and doing some planning and making sure that any potential bottlenecks are worked on in advance.
Western Springs is a classic example of having enough people on the gate to collect the cash so that traffic doesn't build up.

Traffic management plans have been in place for ages and exiting HD isa lot quicker than Pukekohe, as traffic is straight onto the expressway motorway.

Although Pukekohe (township) may appear to have more facilities, I am not convinced that most racegoers are too bothered.Locals, yes, but not visitors, unless they are staying overnight.Pukekohe's accommodation is not exactly fantastic, but is only 25 minutes away from HD, so large events there flows cash into Pukekohe and Pokenoanyway.
xs1100, Oct 16, 4:29pm
thats great tell them to reapply when they actually have them up and running and as others have said better acess to and from the motorway.still a very very long way to go
woodsy2, Oct 16, 4:47pm
H D needs to look after "joe blogs" coming through the gate. Spectator facilities are terrible at H D. I dont know anybody that has a corporate box, so where can I watch racing from. I saw a digger on TV, smashing all the plastic seats at Q E 2 park in Chch. Should have been bought for H D. At least somewhere to stick the bum.
socram, Oct 16, 5:08pm
No corporate boxes as yet - they are next on the list to be completed.You could always rent an apartment for the day.Carrying a small folding stool is normal at most tracks.Where do you park your bum at Taupo!
As someone who happily spends all day taking photographs, I am far more interested in getting a viewing position that allows me to take decent pics than parking my bum.Since we were banned from spectating on the inside of Jennian at Pukekohe and for years, we haven't been able to take pics on the hairpin exit, there are virtually no spots for the amateur snapper.At HD, I have great pics from the trailer park at turn 1 exit, turns 2 & 3 (especially the rising left hander), the entry and exit of the first hairpin, the entry and exit of the second hairpin and even the exit of the last sweeper - all from the public areas and with a modest camera lens.The only catch fencing is at the final hairpin and the pit straight and although there is fencing at turn 1 exit, I can shoot over it.
Pukekohe is dreadful for taking decent pics, other than possibly the entry to the front straight.HD is great.
xs1100, Oct 16, 5:21pm
you really are having a problem with it arent you socram,heres a idea move on and enjoy what you have rather than what you wanted
3tomany, Oct 16, 5:35pm
thats the problem to much planning not enough doing, talk is cheap
dave653, Oct 17, 7:22am
Too much hui, not enough dui!
splinter67, Oct 17, 7:24am
I might be wrong but I think socram has a vested interest in HD
socram, Oct 17, 8:08am
I don't deny an interest in HD, but having been a regular spectator and flag marshal at Pukekohe since 1983, racer at Pukekohe since 1985, a race promoter at Pukekohe since 1991, race promoter and racer at HD since it opened in 1989, I would like think that my views are not tainted by investing in HD from day one.

Like most of us, I want to keep racing at Pukekohe, as in its present form, (not withstanding the terribly bumpy track surface through Jennian) it is a great track layout and one where you can stretch the car's legs.

The HD knockers don't seem to accept that Pukekohe opened for cars way back in 1963 and to all intents and purposes, has been starved of investment for the car fraternity.Heck, we have only had metal in the paddock for about three years.Before that, it was a muddy bog. HD is more advanced than Pukekohe already.

Many do not want to accept that Pukekohe is primarily a horse track, owned by the horse fraternity.Cars are only tolerated.

HD was deliberately built well away from housing and gained the support of the few locals that were there, as the noise police will stuff Pukekohe one way or another.We already have a situation where there are cars that cannot run at Puke.

I don't deny that the previous government, in the guise of Corrections and Transit NZ as it was then, were the ONLY objectors to HD and delayed the project and cost the developers millions.To see the current government throwing our money into Pukekohe doesn't seem to stack up, but at least we have a round in NZ.

Pity they don't do HD & Pukekohe a week apart, as I think that would work very well and halve the logistics costs of getting the Aussie cars to two overseas rounds, which they need.
splinter67, Oct 17, 8:48am
So socram your comments are a bit biased but thats ok its good to hear from someone in the know at HD one day it will be a great track when its finished and I agree two rounds would be great. But I think HD will have to get away from supertourers or they (supertourers ) need to loose their frontman saying that the auckland council should spend money on them instead of supercars was not wise thats why all the supercar drivers withdrew
socram, Oct 17, 10:21am
Now you are getting into the personailties!That is a different ball game altogether.

MSNZ is going through a critical examination and investigation process of its structure at the moment, with many even calling for an alternative organisation.The Classic & Historic side of motorsport is growing steadily and has a very solid base indeed, but at the top end (sic) and the modern side, it isa totally different story.

I always admit my bias.
bill-robinson, Oct 17, 10:50am
I wonder what the horse racing crowd,(who own the land) think of the control tower! Still mayor Brown will overide all of their complaints 'cause they are not rate payers within the City.
splinter67, Oct 17, 11:00am
Good on ya mayor Brown and as long as he is vetoing there complaints its all good
socram, Oct 17, 11:21am
I think you'll find that with the Auckland "Super City", what was Franklin (Pukekohe) is now part of Auckland, so Pukekohe residents are now effectively Auckland rate payers.
I am not sure how many high profile horse races are held at the track these days (not many) as it is basically now a horse training facility, so apart from major meetings, cars cannot fire up before 10am.

There have been many critics about the structure of the super city, and this isn't the message board for them, but Len Brown being Labour is quite possibly after catching the South Auckland vote as he is plainly not interested in anything north of the bridge, where everyone is a millionaire and unlikely to be a labour voter.(Cynical!You bet.)

There is zero motorsport north of the bridge and although there was talk of a track at Ruakaka (just south of Whangerei) not so long ago, that seems to have fallen over.The City Council were impressed with the interest that the street races raised for the area in 2,000, but the promoters lost a lot of money (for a variety of reasons).
elect70, Oct 17, 11:31am
Horsy lot wont mindthey are getting anew grandstand free, an obvious bribeby council , that just leaves the noisemoanersbut im surecouncilwill turn a deaf ear to them, not going to let them spoilit .