2004 Procar Schedual Released

[Zinger]

MOTOR racing promoter PROCAR Australia has scheduled a return to metropolitan circuits Eastern Creek, near Sydney, and Sandown Park in Melbourne in its 2004 championship calendar, announced today.

PROCAR Australia Executive Chairman Ross Palmer also confirmed the date for the third international Bathurst 24-Hour race, 19-21 November.

Eastern Creek and Sandown, not visited since 2001 and 2002 respectively, will host rounds of the PROCAR Champ Series showcasing at least five national categories.

The PROCAR Champ Series will feature the Australian Nations Cup Championship, Australian GT Performance Championship, V8 BRutes Series, Australian Production Car Championship and Australian Formula 3 Championship.

The full Series starts at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 event in March and will be followed by six independent PROCAR rounds in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

However, Formula 3 will open its season in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 23-25 January. F3’s major race of the year will be a non-championship event.

Mr Palmer said negotiations were under way for an eighth PROCAR event, which would be in October either on the Gold Coast Indy weekend or at a Queensland or New Zealand venue one week later.

“I’m very happy with this calendar, which ensures we return to the provincial circuits that have attracted the best support in recent seasons, plus metropolitan venues that give us access to large markets and high-quality corporate hospitality facilities,” Mr Palmer said.

“The calendar has been designed to take best advantage of an exciting new addition to our off-track attractions in 2004.

“This concept, to be the subject of separate announcement, will add a new dimension to a day at the motor races. And not only will it appeal to our spectators, it also will offer valuable commercial opportunities for teams and their supporters, especially car manufacturers.”

Mr Palmer said the number of categories and cars – up to 180 – featured in the PROCAR Champ Series, the new off-track concept and popular existing attractions such as the ute musters, would ensure PROCAR fans continued to enjoy Australia’s best-value motor racing entertainment programs in 2004.


2004 PROCAR Calendar (*)

Date Venue

18-21 March Adelaide Parklands, SA (Clipsal 500)

16-18 April Oran Park, NSW

14-16 May Sandown, Vic.

18-20 June Winton, Vic.

16-18 July Eastern Creek, NSW

6-8 August Wakefield Park, NSW

17-19 September Symmons Plains, Tas.

21-24 or 30-31 October Major event (Qld or NZ)

19-21 November Bathurst 24-Hour

* Subject to finalisation of arrangements with circuit operators.

[jetsetter]

I see Ross Palmer has ignored Qld, WA & SA & has done the same as the V8's & given three rounds to NSW & two to Victoria. What motorsport promoters have to realise is there are people outside NSW & Victoria that want to see motorsport.

[Zinger]

Four rounds in NSW if you count Bathurst.

[bartman71]

there was talk earlier this year about 2 rounds in tassie a week apart
1 at symons and 1 at baskerville

[TSR]

It is good to see that PROCAR kept the V8 brutes, and stop Aussie Bernie TC from taking another catagory and destroying it like he is currently doing to the V8supertaxi's. Good on you PROCAR, and I will be attending your Sydney rounds next year.

[pete55]

I thought Adelaide was in SA; WA is in a difficult positon because there is no competitors from over there really thereby no extra local cars would compete.
If there is no round in QLD then RossP has lost me as a fan though. I think i might have to take up golf again. There should be a round at QLD Raceway at least and if they go to Indy (i wouldn't) there would be two.

[jetsetter]

I didn't count an Indy meeting as a Qld round & didn't count the Clipsal round as SA round purely because the cost of attending one of these meetings means a lot of the Procar fans who would normally attend can't afford to, i think that Ross Palmer has dropped the ball on this occasion & missed a chance to pick up supporters that are disgruntled with the V8's.

[Zinger]

No Procar at AGP ??

[TSR]

Not enough room on the program what with
the main attraction F1 then you have either the porcshe or lambo challenge, then the mini's celb race plus the supertaxi's. I might have forgot the other
catagory.

[pete55]

Watching the AGP F1 coverage is like watching the V8 coverage. Bloody boring.
Without NC there i don't reckon i'll be watching it.

[jetsetter]

I couldn't see NC getting much T.V. at the A.G.P. anyway with Channel 10 televising the weekend.

[Matt H]

Thats right.,

Dump phillip island. I wonder why. Was it do with track safety, or other reasons.

dont go to new zealand, keep it an australian sport, and keep the costs down.

cheers

matt

[pete55]

What's the point of going to NZ with it anyway. I reckon the costs associated with shipping a full field of all classes would be out of reach. Looks like RossP is following in bighead TonyC in wanting to expand overseas. Maybe he should get it right in Australia first.

[TSR]

The grab of the almighty Dollar seems to be on Mr R Palmer agender, andit looks like he is following one Aussie Bernie down the same path. Leave it in Aust Ross you have a great series don't get greedy like your enemy TC.

[iconic]

yeah keep it in australia, and have a round in queensland please... there are some qld based teams in procar right?

[jetsetter]

Whether they have Qld based teams or not is irrelevant, they have Qld based supporters who more than likely won't get the chance to see them race next year.

[pete55]

Good way to alienate those supporters in my opinion. How can Qld have none and NSW four.

[jetsetter]

Unfortunately top level motorsport in this country has decided to ignore Qld as much as possible & have as many meetings in NSW as possible.

[mixxer]

Not happy Jan !!!!!!
Another class of racing more interested in its sponsors than its supporters interest's.

Say NO to NZ

[HRT #1]

Originally posted by pete55
What's the point of going to NZ with it anyway. I reckon the costs associated with shipping a full field of all classes would be out of reach. Looks like RossP is following in bighead TonyC in wanting to expand overseas. Maybe he should get it right in Australia first.

If RossP was to promote and market the Procar Series in NZ then I don't see any problem with that, than I would assume that Procar has to pay to bring out all the international drivers that race in the Bathurst 24hr each year, so a NZ race would offset those costs paid out to have those international drivers that come out here. Maybe GTRMagic can correct me if I am wrong at all.
As for the cost of shipping a full field of cars to NZ, I am fairly sure that the sea freight companies pay for it through sponsorship if not it would be NZ who pays as they do for the V8's.

Thats the beauty of having International races the host has to pay.

[Zinger]

It is disapointing that QR is not on the schedual the Procar Series don't get a look in at the Indy Event (they are so early on the program that no one knows they are on) so they will miss out on the Queensland market all together.

[Onlooker]

How big was the crowd at the QLD round?????????

The Oran Park round clashes with Konicas at Winton.

[pete55]

If AA give a bit more time to NC, GTP etc the Procar program would get more recognition. Ch.10 never gave it much recognition either even when they telecast it. Let them (AA and CH.10) die a natural death, which in my opinion they both deserve.
RossP, instead of talking about it, give us the third mag that you have been talking about. Put some about the V8s in it, some F1 etc and certainly some Procar stuff in it. Hit AA where it hurts. When you've achieved that, give Ch.7 a wake up call too.

[Crash Test]

Onlooker- All told the QR round had a pretty good attendance. Bit of a shame that something can't be sorted out there, but I suppose the fans will have their say...

Q: What is happening at PI next year? I hope they don't have plans to turn it into a grass farm...