Where did the $6.6 million get spent? As rate payers and tax payers we are entitled to know.
Where did the $6.6 million get spent? As rate payers and tax payers we are entitled to know.
You know, there is just something special about the track , the place the atmosphere, ever since I was 9 yrs old , 1963 GP we trunddled up in a green mk 3 with a roof rack on top , the car was a beast in its day.
Then it was about 4 yrs later I had the chance to go back up north, & saw the track again in awe & the smell of onions from the hill by the car park normally with Ernie , Gary & Leo & a few times after mthat after that if I was lucky, as the years flowed by I was lucky to experience first hand the beautiful energy of the track , in different cars but never the long track [like many of you here I guess] , the circut really is fanastic [old &new] the hill & right hander well in fact all the corners had magic to them, like any race track I guess just gets you going ....................... Go Puke
Grant- I have just been reading about your group-
a chap was asking Leo questions, and his answers , as usual were laconic
Q-What have you been doing to the car, she seems to be going pretty good?
L- not bad.
Q-I was watching as it came over Rothmans and it was sitting pretty flat?
L-not bad.
The tyres must be pretty good with grip like that?
L-not bad.
Questioner then went to another man and Leo heard-
Who were you talking to?
Thats "not bad" Leo, hes a mate of "not bad" Ernie and they are from the "not bad" team from Timaru.
Taken from-Leo Leonard-A Personal View m/m June 1974
lol thats not bad .....re in those days as for " hey must be good tyres" , I still remember , how we learnt that skimmed tyres were the go provided you looked after them eg not cooking them [skidding a tyre not 2 much under or over steer ], etc etc. [1974 ???] could have been B&H , or are you talking of winter series ?? where slicks were used .......... The Timaru Group kept things close , most of those races were won in pit stops , although they were very good steerers............. Ernie was light years ahead when it came to planing j... no disrespect to any one else ....he had been at it longer had the experience at that point & time & kept it up .... thats not badOriginally Posted by John McKechnie
I am with Grant about Puke, my initial visit there was on my 1st big Northern adventure called the 1996 Tasman Series. I have enjoyed every experience I have had there including oral gymnatisics with officialdome and I often use experiences gained there to illustrate a point to an official who maybe exceeding their capabilities.
I understand were Grants coming from as he has great childhood memories from Puke and i bet many others do, been the fact its 50 years old probably holds alot of historic value to many people. But to me its my least favourite track to race on, its all about "horsepower" down the back straight which equals $$$ and "Big Kahoonars" though the valley of death, the mountain(hill to me) and Jennian(turn one) race cars that can beat me at Puke i've beenable to beat at other tracks because they didn't have so much accurate handling set up, just stick more HP in has always been the way!!
Manfeild is my most favourite track with Hampton next, both good technical tracks that require skill and a good set up/ handling vehicle!! Taupo and SI tracks next, i'll still race at Puke but not fazed if i never did again but appreciate its long history.
Dale M
Yep, history is what is keeping alot interested. Done a couple of laps, and yes it was a horse power track, get passed by big boys down the back staright, sneak up on them(sometimes even pass) into hairpin, hassle them up and over the hill, they sneak away down front straight, and then up their date again around Champion (flat) into esse's and then onto back staright, that was the first lap and then as they stormed off and got further away each lap catch up about 8 laps later in pits. Don't know if I would push as hard over hill and through champion with concrete everywhere.
Did meeting with long track, man it was easy to be taking 2 takes at that left elbow.
WWeellllllll mine was a mix really Dale , did a lot of racing there , escort sports, liquor king ,anglias, & the mustang etc probably spread over 25yrs , for sure the child hood memories as well . What people forget is when a track is closed down like Bay park you can never get it back & it has a great impact on the community as a whole .as you know we did a lot of testing locally etc etc there & it was a very valuable assett is you wanted to stay up the pointy end after bay park closed I used extended weekends at other tracks [& or] used the odd country road to bed in brakes etc etc , like when Taupo got rebuilt I think there was a holding period & racers were walking around like a beer with a hang over ,Rod I understand where you are coming from also , thats a part of motor racing , wasnt it fun coming up on a quicker car & playing cat & mouse we all have some storys to tell & Dale you have done some home work over the last few years on the suspension department , I heard the odd comments how yr cars is going plus you are driving it really well to boot [I have my spies lol ], I remember it was very heavy also , must catch up soon we keep saying it . Any way it is great to talk & catch up like this ...talk soon Grant
I find Pukekohe quite an interesting track inasmuch as you can have a car with good acceleration but runs out of steam before a slugger. Those with good horsepower, may or may not attack the valley of death or the mountain as quick as less powerful or slower cars.
I wouldn't dream of overtaking anyone on the mountain, even if I am inches from their rear bumper as there is zero room for error. Equally, Jennian is hellish quick, but in classics, coming away with the bodywork intact is preferable to a risky overtake.
Hampton Downs seems exceptionally tough on the front left tyres and brakes, so Puke is much kinder (and therefore cheaper).
Last edited by ERC; 04-27-2013 at 06:37 AM.
[QUOTE=ERC;28053]
Hampton Downs seems exceptionally tough on the front left tyre QUOTE]
If you turn in early and understeer otherwise it is the LH rear that takes the hiding
With a bog standard, front engined, rear wheel drive, heavy cast iron six, cast iron head, cast iron manifolds etc, in a fairly light chassis and a fibreglass body, understeer is a given, even when you turn in late!
I don't know about that Ray, generally a race car is about consuming products like tyres and brakes, etc, its the nature of the beast i guess and some tracks consume them more than others, to me Puke consumes engines trying to get down that damn long straight(now gone?) and probably a few panel-beaters have gotten rich from Puke as well. I don't find Hampton hard on tyres and brakes at all and im stopping a 1600kg car, sure it does eat them but no more than any other track, i just luv the technical side of racing at Hampton as the racing is close and fun(EG, Ricky Coopers in-car)
To me the vehicle types, technology and speed has changed in 50 years but Puke hasn't been matched in safety or modern improvements and i'd wish they'd actually spent the money doing this as they said they would, but as the Supercars is a "one Weekend" circus its all smoke and mirrors and to hell with the other 51 weekends. I doubt one could build a track like that today with all the resources consent issues, etc. Still, lets make the most of it while its there as surely one day it wont be!! just make sure those barriers don't consume your car in the mean time!!LOL
PS: Just heard that yesterdays BMW Fest at Puke turned into a "Smashfest" half a dozen cars into the concrete barriers and one taken to hospital, thats all i've heard?
Dale M
Heard the same Dale. Quite a badly mangled car I believe. Maybe BMW won't be back either?
I just hope that our final race of the season at the HRC meeting at Pukekohe on Saturday is panel damage free. If it isn't, then maybe we'll have to reconsider too. Roll on the HD track extension being built as I can see a lot of value in making our series 100% HD based if there are three track configurations. Beats having to include Pukekohe and Taupo for variety. I would also be happy running a couple of one day meetings on the new short track as I also see it as more cost effective at the moment.
It won't stop drivers being invited to other tracks but the races just won't count for points -just one of the options we are going to have to consider for the future, just to maintain grid sizes. If that means cars set up to perform/handle better at HD, so be it.
Last edited by ERC; 04-28-2013 at 12:05 AM.
It was pi$$in down quite a bit if the day, and a few offs but, some of the blocks need to be removed in a few places. Railway as an example.
I wonder who the person is that can make that call?
Well, well. Concrete walls and cars don't mix. So much for the safety side of it. Think i would rather root a left tyre than the whole car.
Roger, are the concrete barriers still down the inside of the back straight leaving no where to pull over if you have too stop, and can not see why they are around Railway, once again some one needs to make a call.
I ran with the BMWs at Puke yesterday. Bearing in mind that I haven't raced there since the Grand Prix in 1979 and had a few demons to exorcise I really enjoyed it despite having a mixed day.
Apart from the new complex at the back which is as if someone has parachuted the Taupo infield in, the track is as daunting as it always was. As there were passing rain squalls all day the track was very slippery in all the usual places, especially railway and there was standing water on the inside of turn one. I didn't see the accidents (was a bit busy changing gearboxes) but the damaged barriers and tyre marks on the approach to the hill and on the hill suggest that both cars went straight in or close to it so the position of the barriers would not have made a difference. To be honest I didn't feel the barriers were intrusive from a driving perspective at all but my spectators complained they blocked the view pretty much everywhere except in the stands.
It is hard to see where all the money has been spent, that's for sure. Its still bumpy, the drainage is crap and the new complex had standing water at the apex of the left hander all day. Interestingly, I felt that the grip levels were poor there during testing on Friday in the dry but were better than the rest of the track in the wet. These three new corners are quite slow, especially the second left hander (exacerbated by the standing water at the apex) and it has certainly slowed the maximum speed down. I fitted my longer diff for this meeting which was a mistake.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised, there are certainly more passing opportunities now, especially for people reluctant to launch around the outside of turn one!
Amazingly Howard I have just come off MyLaps looking for your results...
Shame I was down south yesterday so therefore unavailable to assist with the gearbox change.
"..as if someone has parachuted the Taupo infield in..." doesn't fill me with anticipation for next weekend!
Pleased you can get MyLaps to work!!!
My slaves Kayne and young Phil were wonderful, we changed it between races, got to the dummy grid with about 30 seconds to spare.
Looks like I will have to be there next weekend as a FF mechanic to return the favour to Phil.
You bring along a spare gearbox Howard? Wow... Shows me up for the hobby racer I am! Checking tyre pressures and fluids is about my limit. As for MyLaps, their upgrade has been a disaster...
Raced on Puke with and without chicanes. I think I liked the chicanes better because in my opinion it added a little more skill and daring, but mostly more passing opportunities under brakes. You had to get through the back straight chicane without slowing excessively to be fast.
Many will disagree, I have no idea what it is like now. Cannot remember the last time i was even there. I guess I am luke warm about the place, but I had great success at the track, so i guess I should have fonder memories.
I loved Levin and Manfield however. Before I ever raced there Dad kept telling me stories of a magician who was very quick around Levin. He told me if I could get around there in this certain time i would be doing alright. The magicians name was Kerry Grant.
I vividly remember the first ever race meeting at Manfield. Some people were miles quicker than anyone else. Neville Bailey came and told me the apparent secret to getting around the big sweeper onto the front straight. It is actually the same secret to the carrousel at Lakeside here in OZ. It didn't take long for most people to cotton on.
The long distance races at Puke, that can get my juices going. Being able to work away for your stint was very enjoyable, especially if the pit board was telling you if you were leading the class or needed to catch other cars. Watching the split come down while catching was a study in concentration, especially in the dark. I think I have just changed my mind. I do like the place.
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