Supercars shambles shows sport here stuck in slow lane
It should come as no great surprise that the Australian Supercars are not returning to New Zealand next year after the closure of Pukekohe Raceway to motorsport.
Even if Pukekohe had held on for another year or two, it was never a long-term viable option. It’s too old, narrow, bumpy and dangerous. The days of man versus machine versus track are long gone.
Ramifications of a shunt are too costly and motorsport at all levels is a business, with every team owner sensitive to costs.
On top of car repair bills from crashes, the cost of travelling to New Zealand is eye-watering for not a lot of return for the teams.
Couple that with the political climate regarding trying to save the world and making everything electric, having big bangers thundering around New Zealand is a hard sell when seeking funding from local or central government.
One of the biggest red flags was the rhetoric from Supercars and Auckland Unlimited after the final yahoo at Pukekohe. There was a lot of talking about “exploring” other options but very little doing.
There was a puzzling lack of foresight around trying to find another feasible venue a few years ago when it was becoming obvious somewhere new would be needed.
A number of venue owners could have got together to create a contingency plan for when, not if, Supercars exited New Zealand.
Then again, we’re talking about New Zealand’s fractured motorsport landscape.
Before the Kiwi round in September, Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said: “While 2022 will mark our final weekend of racing at Pukekohe, we appreciate that through our time racing at the circuit, we have forged great partnerships with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, long-time naming rights partner of the event ITM and amazing support from our loyal Kiwi fans.
“We have other great venue options available and will now begin discussions regarding our 2023 calendar. It’s our absolute intent to continue racing in New Zealand and we are now exploring alternative venues for the New Zealand event for the future.”
Okay. By November and after the release of the 2023 Supercars race calendar, Howard said: “We are still in progressive talks with our counterparts there for an event in the future. However, as they continue, it is in the best interest of all parties involved to focus on 2024 and beyond.
“We have every intention to return to New Zealand and we are confident of an announcement in the new year regarding a partnership with a new venue.”
Yeah, right. This waffle has all the hallmarks of the debacle surrounding the loss of the World Rally Championship, which took 10 years to get back.
There’s a lot of jabber about holding the Kiwi round at Hampton Downs. Unlikely. The North Waikato racetrack has capacity for only 20,000 fans and consent to host 30,000.
Two other facts count against the track: It’s not within the Auckland Supercity boundary, so no Auckland council funding, and there’s pretty much only one way in and out. There would be traffic chaos.
Most of the other circuits in New Zealand don’t have the funding or infrastructure to hold the event.
Some say Highland Park has the infrastructure but not everyone can afford to travel to Cromwell.
It’ll be interesting to see just how hard Supercars try to get back to New Zealand, as they have a very large and engaged fan base here.