A Great Article

[Evomike]

The following is a well written article by Sandy Myhre and appears here http://xtramsn.co.nz/motoring/0,,6304-3581455,00.html

If only the rest of NZ main stream media would read this

Four Years In The Making
09/08/2004 01:30 PM - By Sandy Myhre

The normally cynical Australian motorsport media made note of it. Ardent motorsport fans would have known it and applauded, but mainstream media in New Zealand passed it by as if of little consequence. We're talking about Craig Baird and Team Kiwi Racing's pole position in the Commodore at a race track in Victoria a couple of weeks ago.

At first glance it's nearly a "so what?" statement but consider this: In the toughest saloon car racing series in the world, where less than one second can separate the top 25 cars, Team Kiwi is the leading privateer operation and the leading single-car team. They are also the only New Zealand team in the Australian V8 Supercar Series and, as if that wasn't bad enough given the inevitable sheep-shag jokes, arguably the least well funded.

TKR simply weren't supposed to get pole, went the early script. There were predictions they'd shut up shop after just one season and head home to the hills with their collective tails between their woolly back legs, bleating about the unfairness of it all. But damn it, they're still here and blimey, doing rather well.

It's slightly ironic that this clutch of racing Kiwis is headed by an Australian. Team owner, David John was considered something of a corporate whiz-kid when he arrived in this country at a ridiculously young age to set up Chrysler about six years ago. His motor racing venture started as a kind of epiphany. He was watching Bathurst on television, decided he'd like to enter a car the following year, discovered he'd first have to purchase a franchise and then have to race the entire season in order to compete at Bathurst - and did just that.

Team Kiwi's first driver was Jason Richards, fresh out of New Zealand touring cars. He was paired with Angus Fogg for the team's first assault on Bathurst in 2000 and it's fair to say they were all very green. In fact, David John's first-ever visit to Mt Panorama was with his own New Zealand team.

But, they started their campaign with some vigorous (if somewhat amateurish) patriotism. Thanks to few members of the Williment Sports Travel group, TKR kicked off their first event in Australia with a mixed-race haka on the grid. It was the first time this had ever been allowed and unwittingly, TKR probably did more for New Zealand tourism across the Tasman that first year at Bathurst than a multi-million dollar advertising campaign on Australian television ever could. In any event, the team ended the long day in 15th position out of 48 starters. Even the Australian television commentators (who were skeptical of the team's chances at the start) afforded them some grudging respect.

Now, nearly four years later, Team Kiwi Racing is still competing and consistently moving up the qualifying sheets. When Jason Richards left for Team Dynamik (partially owned by New Zealander, Kieran Wills), Craig Baird took over as principal driver. He fitted the criteria in that he's a Kiwi but he also brought with him formidable racing and set-up experience and a degree of business savvy previous drivers perhaps lacked. He has become an essential conduit between the marketing and engineering sides of Team Kiwi, strengthening both.

Neither is Craig Baird a slouch on the track even if, in recent years, he has lacked the mechanical equipment to prove it. He is, after all, one of only two Kiwis to have won the New Zealand Grand Prix three times, he has competed extensively overseas including in the British Touring Car Championship. He came back to the southern hemisphere to drive for Stone Brothers Racing in Queensland but, for a number of reasons, his tenure was relinquished after one season.

The Winton pole position has been hard-earned with a team so lean it's the owner who issues the press releases. Not for them the luxury of a media manager sitting in the press centre pounding over a keyboard. On the plus side, however, neither is there a public relations person dictating when and if the media can speak to their driver. Hell, when you've started a race near the back of the pack more times than you'd care to remember, a pesky journo' would be a welcome sight. In cold north-east Victoria in July however, it was a different story. And although the team had been in the top ten before, this was different. Bairdo had arrived. It took a while to sink in.

"I didn't realize at first that I'd got pole. I had to wait for about five other drivers to do the Top Ten Shoot-out and since I expected all of them to beat me. It's like being told you've won Lotto, there's something a bit unreal about it. It wasn't until I woke up the next morning and knew there'd be no-one in front of me when I started the race, did it register."

Team Kiwi Racing has an association with Paul Morris Racing for their chassis although all the engine, exhaust and gearbox development work is done in-house under the management of Australian, Neil Burns who was formerly with Team Brock. The experienced and seemingly unflappable Martin Collins - a man with who helped BMW Racing to eight straight touring car titles in New Zealand - is TKR's racing team manager.

David John says progress is a result of experience and dogged determination. He actually calls it "cutting through the bull****". What he means are the endless hours of analysis, testing, more analysis and more testing coupled to the frustration of being under-budget. It was noticeable from television coverage at Winton that the "All Black" Team Kiwi Commodore was minus significant sponsor signs. This was partly a ploy to "encourage" sponsors to come on board and partly bald truth and appears to have worked. Mr John says he's poised to sign two more sponsors. Craig Baird being at the sharpest end of qualifying would have done their cause no harm at all.

There is also no doubt that deciding not to contest the New Zealand V8 touring car championships and instead focusing effort in Australia, is reaping a dividend.

If there's been a noticeable improvement in performance this year, there have also been disappointments - two non-finishes at Perth were damaging to championship aspirations just when thing were looking promising. Craig has been as high as 6th but is currently in 13th place. And while it's good news to be consistently high in qualifying, there is now an expectation and pressure on the team to perform where there never was before.

The tight, twisty Oran Park track in Sydney is the next V8 venue (a circuit not dissimilar to Winton). After that, the long-distance races kick in with Sandown in Melbourne in September followed by the famous Bathurst in the first weekend of October. Baird will be partnered by Kiwi driver, Mark Porter, who is currently lying 4th in the second-tier V8 Supercar competition, the Konica-Minolta Series. It's the most experienced two-driver combination they have mustered in four years.

It's not a new experience for Team Kiwi to be labeled under-dogs. The difference this year is the dog growled, rolled over and snapped back at the chasing pack. It could so readily happen again.


About The Writer

Sandy Myhre
XtraMSN

Sandy Myhre was the first woman member of the NZ Motoring Writers Guild and the first woman member and first President of the NZ Motorsport Media Association. She was a member of the team which set (and still holds) the New Zealand economy driving record.

Her first book, '50 Years On Track' (Hodder Moa Beckett) is available in New Zealand.

[HDTVKSS]

isnt Tasman technicly a NZ team?

[Vee8]

Tasman, technically, is a hybrid. Of the four blokes who own it, two are Aussie and two are NZ, while the team is based in Sydney and the driver is a NZer.

[lcfp2297]

...and Team Kiwi are based where? Does that make them a hybrid?

[Vee8]

Don't know much about Team Kiwi but I gather they are New Zealand owned, which makes them NZ in my books even if their base and main focus is in Oz.

[Tracy]

Hi All

Team Kiwi's "head office" (or whatever else you would like to call it) is in Auckland, and Tasman's website says it is 'Sydney's only v8 supercar operation'.

So by that TKR is the only team 'based' in NZ

[GTRMagic]

Isnt SBR technically a Kiwi team also, the 2 principals from the Shaky Isles?

[Techo]

TKR -so it has a NZ (living in)ownwer & a NZ postbox, the car and resourse to supply it work here in Sunshine Vic with some w/end workers to boot.

SBR - NZ born & bread owners (living in OZ) ans few Kiwis on board.

Tasman - well your dreaming are'nt you. it a take over job.

What's the difference ? - we are all humans- poms no better than ozzies, nz sometimes better than ozzies - it's not a international world series counrty v's country.. multinational team effort !

[Evomike]

Hi Guys a few points that should be made so you can see why the media relate to TKR as a true Kiwi team.

1. TKR are the only V8 Supercar team to compete in a National series here in NZ each year for the last three years.

2. TKR Tour New Zealand each year, from the top of the North Island to the Bottom of the South Island, doing Hotlaps and instore promotions for the their fans and supporters.

3. The team is 100% funded by New Zealand sponsors, they are based in Auckland, New Zealand with most of the crew including Team Manager Martin Collins, Team owner David John and the rest of the part time crew who also live in NZ flying to and from Australia for most race meetings.

4. The TKR base in Australia at Sunshine is a satellite facility and if you have ever seen it, it is the smallest workshop facility of any V8 Supercar team.

5. TKR have their own transporters, tools, equipment and a new teams Head Quarters in New Zealand on the cards thanks to a new sponsor for early next year.

6. TKR have won three NZ National Championship titles/events since they started three and a hlaf years ago, they are the current NZ V8 Touring Car Champions, they have provided Kiwi drivers Jason Richards his start in V8 Supercars, Angus Fogg the opportunity to Co Drive at Bathurst on debut. John McIntyre his first V8 Supercar drive at Sandown, they have also run Kiwi Mark Porter in the Konica Minolta Series, and of course Kiwi Craig Baird in V8 Supercars. Not to mention NZ Touring car drives to Richards, Fogg, McIntyre, Andy Booth and Nick Ross.

7. The small staff of fulltime employees at TKR in Sunshine are all Kiwis that jumped at the opportunity to stretch their wings and move up to the V8 Supercar Championship with TKR after working with the team in New Zealand on their NZ Touring Car Campaigns.

The key and I guess one of the philosophies on inception is that TKR is a Kiwi team that was set up for Kiwi Drivers and crew members to have the opportunity to compete in one of the worlds best touring car classes by using the stepping stone of the NZ Champs as the path to achieve this. So I guess this makes them more than an Australian V8 Supercar Team with a Kiwi flavour, they are a Kiwi Team and they are tying to provide opportunities for kiwis in motorsport.

In saying that, TKR is not silly enough not to welcome the valued support and knowledge of the Australian V8 Supercar fraternity either. I also know that TKR admire what SBR have achieved.

[Just Do It!]

TKR have done well on a shoe-string, Evomike.

[Sol]

"7. The small staff of fulltime employees at TKR in Sunshine are all Kiwis"

Most maybe, but not all. Now, I don't think that Frank Adamson has yet started barracking for the All Blacks.

[Evomike]

Originally posted by Sol
"7. The small staff of fulltime employees at TKR in Sunshine are all Kiwis"

Most maybe, but not all. Now, I don't think that Frank Adamson has yet started barracking for the All Blacks.

Might want to check that fact there Sol. Frank is no longer with TKR

[Sol]

As of Winton he was.