STONE BROTHERS GLAD TO SEE NEW ZEALAND FUTURE SECURED
21/5/2004 20:43 (Press Release) -
Successful V8 Supercar team owners Ross and Jimmy Stone are delighted that the future of their category has been secured in their home country of New Zealand.
It was announced today deal has been struck to move the annual NZ V8 Supercar race from the Pukekohe Raceway to a temporary street circuit in the heart of downtown Auckland from 2006.
The Stones own and operate Stone Brothers Racing which campaigns the Pirtek Falcon of Marcos Ambrose and the Caltex Havoline Ford of Russell Ingall in the current championship, which heads into the fourth of 13 rounds in Darwin this weekend.
Ambrose helped SBR its first V8 Supercar Championship last season and currently leads the 2004 championship hunt.
“It is great to see the sport grow to this level in New Zealand,” said Ross Stone.
“The knowledge base of the Kiwi fans about V8 Supercar racing is quite remarkable.
“The fans are passionate whether they are Ford or Holden supporters.
“I am a believer that the support we have in New Zealand could justify a couple of races over there in the future.”
The new race will literally be held through the heart of Auckland. The start-finish line and pit lane is located beside Victoria Park that will also host race control, administration, corporate facilities, family attractions and merchandising areas.
From there the circuit runs past the Auckland viaduct, up to Sky City Casino and back down to Victoria Park. The track is 2.6km long with an extremely fast back straight. More than 10,000 grandstand seats will be available as well as ample viewing areas and large screen televisions throughout the circuit.
Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company (AVESCO) Chairman Tony Cochrane today announced that Auckland had secured the 2006 event ahead of an extremely impressive submission by a consortium from Manfield near Palmerston North.
An anticipated 170,000 people are expected to attend the first event in 2006.
Next year’s final New Zealand round at Pukekohe will have a little extra incentive for the Stone Brothers.
The Stones grew up on 15 minutes from Pukekohe and did a lot of their own racing at the venue in the early days of their successful careers.
“We have certainly been trying to win a V8 Supercar round there (Pukekohe) for the last few years with our own team, but just haven’t quite got there,” said Stone.
“It would mean a lot for us to win there, but I guess we now just have one more shot at it before we move on.”
The first practice session for this weekend’s Darwin round will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2.30pm local Darwin time.
Release Date: 20/05/2004
Stone Brothers Racing
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