Leave inflated egos at the door
This weekend marks the inaugural Hampton Downs 101 endurance event, one of the most expensive line- ups of machinery let loose in the North Island.
It will represent the latest benchmark for the continually growing Australian GT Championship. What was once a humble series has grown into the second- biggest circuit- racing series in Australia behind the Supercars Championship.
Conversely, the Supercars has seen a decline of sorts in 2016, as Volvo and Ford’s factory support is confirmed to be leaving the fold at the end of the season.
The biggest problem to beset motorsport in Australasia over the past quarter- century has been egos and the resulting damage they unleash upon this trivial game of driving around in circles that we all irrationally love.
Supercars and AGT look set in the coming seasons to vie for the same slice of the viewership pie, with mud already being slung over the fence in various forms — from hollow statements in the media to uncanny date clashes and driver bans.
We went through a similar process 20 years ago when the Australian Super Touring Championship tried to tackle the Supercars juggernaut. They, too, boasted about having more manufacturer involvement and superior technology, only to wind up six feet under a handful of years later.
Both classes have incredible merits; from the beautiful silhouettes of AGT to the bareknuckle on- track dogfights and high spectator count of the Supercars. But both classes also have gaping issues.
Maybe it would be best for both halves of the coin to leave their egos at the door. History serves up plenty of examples of what can happen when they get in the way. ABOUT US Editor Tony Verdon Editor at Large Liz Dobson Contributors Colin Smith, Mathieu Day, Matthew Hansen, Bob McMurray, Cameron Officer, Donna McIntyre Cover design Janina Roque Cover photo Supplied Advertising Todd Fuller 021 986027 todd. fuller@ nzme. co. nz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The new Opel- based Holden Commodore features torque vectoring? ATrue B False Which brand isn’t on the Hampton Downs 101 grid? ALamborghini B Dodge C Nissan S13, S110 and Gazelle are models of? A Nissan Silvia B Toyota Supra C Honda Integra Which athlete became a BMWbrand ambassador this week? ASonny Bill Williams B Eliza McCartney C Steve Adams The new Mercedes X- Class pick- up truck was launched in? A Germany B Sweden C Australia VWPhaeton shared architecture with? ABentley Continental Flying Spur B VWPassat C Citroe¨ n C6 The Nissan Fuga is unique because? A It comes with a 7- speed automatic B It comes with a V8 engine option C It weighs more than 2 tonnes Ypsilon, Gamma, Aurelia are models of? ASaab B Fiat C Lancia Kiwis in Hampton Downs 101? A14 B 9 C 7 Car made famous in AFord Mustang II B Chevrolet Nova C Pontiac Firebird
Beverly Hills Cop?