New Zealand 2006 and beyond

[Guss]

From ww.car.co.nz

Kiwi options for V8 Supercars
Mark Fogarty


A return to Pukekohe or a move to Christchurch are the only short-term solutions to keeping New Zealand on the V8 calendar next year.

Following Wellington’s failure to get approval for a proposed street race in time for 2006, AVESCO is searching for a stopgap solution until a long-term home for the popular trans-Tasman round can be secured.

V8 Supercar czar Tony Cochrane revealed that Pukekohe, just outside Auckland, and Ruapuna, near Christchurch, were the only contenders for next year.

“We’re trying to find, for the sake of the fans, a short-term solution in NZ and at the same time, start to try and focus on what could be a long-term solution,” Cochrane said.
“There are only two short-term solutions; Pukekohe and the circuit at Christchurch.”
AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach confirmed that V8 administrators were committed to salvaging the NZ event.

“We will do everything reasonable within out power,” he stated.
While not ruling out a revived bid by Wellington for 2007 and beyond, he warned that the NZ capital had to move quickly.

“We’re not going to lock our options up for effectively three years,” Cattach declared. “They can go through the process and if they are successful, they could anticipate at the end of it that we could probably still be there.”

Added Cochrane: “What we’ve said to them, in a nutshell, is ‘If you want to continue on and keep the game going, be our guest. But we’re not going to lock into your option on that basis.’”

Cattach explained that a return to Pukekohe couldn’t be considered until a potential promoter came forward. “We need a promoter,” he said.

“IMG [whose contract ended with this year’s farewell round’ probably would do it and so would a couple of others, but at this stage we haven’t concluded any arrangements because we’ve only just come out of the mess with Wellington.”