Archive

A1GP set to bypass New Zealand
Newstalk ZB - 3rd September 2009

The proposal to A1GP International is a joint effort between Hampton Downs Motorsport Park and Graeme Osborne, CEO - Tourism Auckland, Paul Dunphy, Manager - Auckland Event Attraction & Development and Astrid Lambert, CEO - Enterprise Franklin. Future involvement will be with Council teams and Transit New Zealand.

3 News by Shaun Summerfield
Tuesday 8th of September 2009

After five years of battling bad weather, red tape and the financial crisis, the Hampton Downs Circuit south of Auckland is finally nearing completion.

The downs will host its first race in November and it has already received top marks from one of New Zealand's top V8 supercar drivers Greg Murphy.

"There are circuits all over the world that would give anything to have five percent of the character of this track - I'm very excited," he says.

The new track is not without its critics, with some opposing the 60 million dollar mission to build New Zealand's first new circuit in 30 years.

Circuit developer Tony Roberts says when the idea first emerged, many people were unimpressed.

"They said ‘who were there two clowns’," he says.

The two clowns were Tony Roberts and Chris Watson, who five years ago announced their plans to turn a cow paddock into Australasia's top motor sport venue.

Construction on the track has been slow, with various pot holes along the way.

It took three years to gain resource consent and two years to build 40 apartments and the first part of the 3.8 kilometre circuit, which will be ready for action in two months.

Mr Roberts says the development team were called dreamers.

"They said we were dreamers, tossers - well we proved them wrong," he says.

He says the secret to success was a passion for motorsport and the simple motto ‘get it done’.  

Ladies offered to be the chance to be "Speed Queens"

MotorSport - 17th September 2009

Speed Queens is giving New Zealand women the driver training and track day experience

Operating out of Pukekohe Park and the new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Speed Queens has been created to encourage ladies to "leave hubby at home" and join other like-minded women for an exciting and challenging day at New Zealand’s most recognised race circuits.

Participants experience an entire day of track driving behind the wheel of a wide variety of race and track day vehicles that include Subaru Impreza WRX STis, Holden Commodores, HQ Holdens, BMW E30s and Suzuki Swift Sport Cup cars.

Speed Queens calls on the cream on New Zealand’s young driving talent to act as driver coaches and provide the ladies with expert tuition, advice and training from the passenger’s seat.

The likes of rising internationals Richie Stanaway and Mitch Evans, Porsche drivers Jono Lester and Simon Evans, Toyota Racing Series pilots Dominic Storey, Alastair Wootten and Andrew Waite, Speedsport Scholarship winner Nick Cassidy and Suzuki Swift Sport Cup racers Ben Dallas and Sam Robinson have all joined the Speed Queens Trainer’s Team.

The first Speed Queens Track Day, named ‘Speed Queens One’, is to be held at Hampton Downs on Friday 13 November, giving ladies the chance to be among the first to lap around the new international race facility at speed.

For more information on Speed Queens and to book a spot, visit www.speedqueens.co.nz

Bamber Banking on A1GP
By Bernard Carpinter - The Dominion Post - 01/09/2009

Earl Bamber is pinning his hopes for his motor racing career on a second season in New Zealand's A1GP car, after running out of cash for his European campaign.

Back home in Wanganui, the 19-year-old driver said his three European meetings in the Formula Master series had been valuable experience but he could not afford to continue.

"We've got no money," he said bluntly.

At his final master outing, as a support category at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he qualified third then came fifth and sixth in the races, struggling as his new team lacked experience in setting the car up.

"We've done some racing, learnt some new tracks and kept my hand in for a while," Bamber said. "That was the most important thing, to do some racing over the winter."

Now it all depends on the selection for the A1GP team, which seems to be a choice between Bamber and former driver Jonny Reid.

"I'd love to be driving it again, it was a great opportunity and a great experience last year," he said.

And though the Kiwi team has usually alternated between two drivers during each season, Bamber hopes he can be the sole driver. Last season he shared Black Beauty with Chris van der Drift.

"I think it's the only way to go to be honest," he said.

"There's such huge advantages. It's just having continuity in the team."

Driving the master car had been valuable because the controls were very similar to those in the Ferrari-built A1GP cars, he said.

Meanwhile, it is not clear whether New Zealand will host a round of the A1GP series this summer, after staging meetings at Taupo for the last three seasons.

Team owner Colin Giltrap organised those meetings but has pulled out of event management and the A1GP chiefs are talking with the new Hampton Downs circuit not yet completed about staging a meeting there.

A1 Grand Prix Coming to Hampton Downs  
www.sportsweb.co.nz

The Hampton Downs management team are delighted to have secured future rounds of the A1GP beginning this season. Hampton Downs was designed by Formula One track designer, Clive Bowen, with high speed A1GP cars in mind.

The design incorporates modern thinking of extensive run-out areas coupled with a demanding yet safe racing environment. The 450 acre Hampton Downs Motorsport Park will be a corporate entertainment centre, with many other activities available and an extensive hospitality infrastructure.

Having the event in the North Waikato will be a major boost for National & Regional tourism plus the flow-on effect of economic benefits, estimated by the Government to be $25 million for the Taupo event. Placing the International A1GP in the middle of a much larger population base should increase these numbers considerably. Government assistance for the event is being sort along the lines of America’s and Rugby World Cup to ensure that the event is presented and marketed to an international standard for a maximum return on investment for New Zealand.