Bidding warfare erupts over 2001 NZ V8 visit
27/2/2000 15:40 (Jason Whittaker) - After successfully conquering Australia, AVESCO is planning a bold new expansionism campaign through the Oceanic region, beginning with New Zealand in 2001.
After just one round of this year's Shell Series Championship, plans are already well under way for the SCS of 2001, with much of the attention focussed squarely on the land of the long white cloud where three proposals are fighting for a position on next year's SCS calendar.
Reports from New Zealand suggest that proposals have been made to AVESCO for races at Pukekohe Park Raceway outside of Auckland, a street-circuit event on the Auckland waterfront, and an event to be run at the Whenaupai Airport base on the outskirts of Auckland.
Powerful sports marketing company, International Management Group (IMG), has thrown it's support by the Pukekohe Raceway bid, the same group behind the Gold Coast Indy event, the Bathurst FAI 1000, and the wildly-successful Adelaide 500.
The support of IMG gives the proposal great credibility in the eyes of the AVESCO board, with the Pukekohe Raceway event now appearing the most likely to receive the nod.
The fast, flowing Pukekohe previously held a V8 Supercar "showcase" event in 1996, where in excess of 20,000 people made the journey to the circuit, three-quarters of an hour south of Auckland.
General Manager of the NZ arm of IMG, Adam Berry, has told us that the group is, "currently tendering the event" and has made an official proposal to AVESCO.
The Pukekohe bid has stolen much of the limelight from the Auckland city street circuit proposal, which has received most of the attention since AVESCO announced it's plans to run a race in New Zealand last year.
The race, which will be run around a specially-constructed street circuit encompassing Auckland's waterfront district, is still being tendered however now appears unlikely due to the high costs associated with running a "street circuit event."
Event Management Specialists (EMS), are behind the Auckland city V8 bid and have made a proposal to the Auckland City Council to stage the race.
While the consortium is still waiting a response from the Council, a Sponsorship Manager from the Auckland council told us, "the funding requirement from the city were beyond what the budget could endure," making the EMS bid impossible without the funding and support from the Auckland City Council.
The high costs associated with running an event at a non-permanent facility are also expected to keep the Whenuapai Airport base bid out of the running.
However, a source from inside the Airports PR department has told us an approach was made to the circuit by the local mayor and high-profile NZ motorsport man Frank Radisich, father of V8 racer Paul. Radisich is believed to be at the forefront of the Whenuapai proposal.
The Airport has hosted Historic meetings in the past, but the finances required for construction of the massive amount of infrastructure needed for a V8 Supercar race is likely to be well out of reach for Radisich and the rest of the consortium.
Most in Kiwi motorsport circles would rather see the V8 visit used to enhance New Zealand's permanent racing facilities, leaving the Pukekohe Park Raceway bid as odds-on favourite to host the V8's next year.
The successful bidder will hold the race in October of 2001.
Meanwhile, a source heavily involved in the bidding warfare in New Zealand has told us the Kiwi race is one of two overseas races being planned for next year, with Malaysia being the second of the two.
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