Taupo Motorsport Park

[Kiwiboss]

Dear Class Representative, Competitors and Race Contacts,

There are rumours circulating about a proposed interested buyer of the Taupo Motorsport Park (TMP) and that TMP are not in a strong position financially. These are both true and an offer has been made to the TMP Board of Directors, but the sale has NOT happened and it will be up to the TMP Shareholders (TCC are shareholders also) to decide at a Special General Meeting to be held on the 26th February.

TCC along with TMP and Taupo District Council (TDC) have a tripartite Lease Agreement Contract that gives TCC certain use arrangements as remuneration for us giving over our existing track, plant and equipment that was valued at $1.2m.

If the sale is approved, the interested buyer has made it very clear that we will lose those use arrangements and this will most certainly affect ALL of our race meetings. He has also indicated that he will, upon purchase, close the entire facility for at least 3-6 months, upgrade it and re-open with a new image and name. Needless to say his vision is very different to the current arrangements. This means that our Easter and Truck Race Championship meetings and Winter Series for 2015 will be affected. Also in the future we may no longer be able to, nor afford to, hold our ‘traditional’ race meetings.

TCC has several options we are looking at within the next 7 days and we are seeking legal advice with regard to our Lease Agreement Contract. One of those is to look into the possibility of buying some of the debt TMP is struggling with, thereby keeping the place running. Another is to look at purchasing the business ourselves and this is where we need your written and possible financial support.

Therefore we would appreciate a letter from as many of you as possible in support of Taupo Car Club to present with our proposed business plan and to our fellow TMP Shareholders with a view to continue to provide a motor race circuit where we can foster all motorsport at all levels from grassroots to championship. Please pass this onto your fellow competitors and anyone that you wish to. All support is appreciated.

Please send your letters to me at this email address racecoordinator@taupocarclub.org.nz

I thank you in advance from the tireless volunteers of Taupo Car Club who are looking out for the best interests of our customers.. YOU.

Regards
Melanie Coleman & Terry O’Brien
Taupo Car Club Representatives.

[Oldfart]

I hope that the "big brother" situation does not take over, ever.
I have asked if there is a possibility for individuals to contribute so the "local" facility can continue.

[fullnoise68]

Apparently there`s a bit of money in making pet food ......

[Oldfart]

Apparently there`s a bit of money in making pet food ......

Specially when you sell the company!
Remember the days when pretty much anyone could participate in club motorsport. Might be best to treasure those memories cos they might be all we have.

[Kiwiboss]

Specially when you sell the company!
Remember the days when pretty much anyone could participate in club motorsport. Might be best to treasure those memories cos they might be all we have.

I think you're onto something Oldfart, NZ for along time has been the last bastion of the "wages" affordable racer, the rug is slowly been pulled

Dale M

[Kiwiboss]

Apparently there`s a bit of money in making pet food ......

So you collecting recycled cans and scrapping up squashed possum from the roadside Steve, sounds like a new business venture!! need any capital, LOL

[Oldfart]

I think you're onto something Oldfart, NZ for along time has been the last bastion of the "wages" affordable racer, the rug is slowly been pulled

Dale M

Yep. The money being spent now on lots of classes scares potential newcomers off unless they are very well endowed with expendable spending. Even your HMC has scarey numbers which only the affluent can contemplate I hope that 2K can keep flourishing and that the circuit owners don't throw huge entry fees and kill it.

[fullnoise68]

I suppose the downside of one guy having a race track in each island is it eventually creates another division amongst the core of NZ motorsport competitors and punters alike. While it is good to race at tracks with great facilities, if those tracks are run as a business - which obviously they are, so the dollar rules - and the guy on the gate refuses entry to a family of five unless they leave their chillybin in the car - because the track caterer has an exclusive contact, and a can of coke is $7.00 or go thirsty - this also puts people off coming to watch the motor racing. A `controlled ' class or formula has shown in the past to not mean the bits you can or can`t run in your car, it usually ends up being `controlled' by a select few, and as history has shown some of those people continually `re-invent' themselves, and create another `great' class, so you`d hope the same doesn`t happen to some of our tracks.

[Alan Hyndman]

There are a couple of other forums talking about this too:
http://oldschool.co.nz/2011/forum/in...t-up-for-sale/
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143579

My biggest concern at present is my club has already paid in full for the hire of Track 3 on April 11th (sprints and races if anyone is interested). If the track gets closed down for 3-6 months I'm figuring all bookings (not just ours) will be cancelled. Refunds will then presumably be possible depending on what was bought (the assets or the entity that owned the assets (and liabilities)).

Of course I want to continue being able to book the track as well - we have competitors whose cars are slow and don't want to be on the track with the maximum number of starters around them. Track 3 at Taupo gives us the opportunity to cater for those sorts of people.

[CUSTAXIE50]

If Tony Quinn gets his hands on Taupo,it will be a model of Highlands I understand, and my view is in time he will move on to HD if he gets his way.

[Snoozin]

I think it's worth everyone keeping an open mind at this stage - I agree it's likely to become a similar style facility to Highlands, but I wonder, is the limited use at Highlands a feature of the conditions surrounding it's resource consent perhaps? Whereas Taupo is already allowed to operate in the capacity it is, therefore may continue to operate in such a fashion?

I'm not sure I see Mr. Quinn as the ogre many people make him out to be - he is a businessman, and like any business a race circuit will be required to offer a return on investment, so in my mind perhaps we won't see TOO MUCH change in the status quo, rather at this stage let's look forward to an upgraded facility and the prospect of attracting some higher level motorsport to the circuit as well as being able to run our grassroots racing.

Surely no one is narrow minded enough to consider higher end motorsport being able to exist without a foundation of grass roots events catering for beginners, and weekend enthusiasts who are then the spectators at the big events... maybe?

Or am I being too much of an optimist?

[nigel watts]

If you look at the Events Calendar on the Highlands Motorsport Park website - it's empty. Seems that it's largly for the benefit of 'members'
MEMBERSHIPS
In order to enjoy the track to its full capacity (and yours!) a Membership is a must at Highlands. Given that in under a year we have over 100 members and only a handful of memberships left (a waiting list will be put in place) it's safe to say that the facilities and track are popular.

Membership at Highlands is about using the track when it suits you. You'll have up to 80 days a year that you can use the track. With the ability to run the track in reverse and separate it in to three circuits that can be run simultaneously, we have the ability to configure the 4.2km circuit over 27 different ways – and of course there is a fantastic skid pan, which is there for your enjoyment as well!

Our members' experience range from people who have never been on a track before through to members who are still currently participating in championships at the highest level – and everyone else in between. A fantastic benefit of the membership which has developed in the past year is the camaraderie that has grown in the membership – its not about who is best on track, or who has the fastest car, but about a group of people coming together, with a passion for Motorsport, who are excited to have the exclusive use of such an already renowned track.

Yearly access to our museum for your family is also part of the membership, along with entry into our GT Lounge. You'll have first priority for VIP hospitality at our events and we often host off-site member activities to further foster the camaraderie in the group and explore our fantastic surroundings.

It will be a sad day and a retrograde step for NZ Motorsport if Taupo ends up like this. I may well be wrong but it sure looks like a case of the rich catering for the rich. If anyone tries to do this at Hampton Downs I for one will lay down in front of the bloody bulldozer!!

[John McKechnie]

I think it's worth everyone keeping an open mind at this stage - I agree it's likely to become a similar style facility to Highlands, but I wonder, is the limited use at Highlands a feature of the conditions surrounding it's resource consent perhaps? Whereas Taupo is already allowed to operate in the capacity it is, therefore may continue to operate in such a fashion?

I'm not sure I see Mr. Quinn as the ogre many people make him out to be - he is a businessman, and like any business a race circuit will be required to offer a return on investment, so in my mind perhaps we won't see TOO MUCH change in the status quo, rather at this stage let's look forward to an upgraded facility and the prospect of attracting some higher level motorsport to the circuit as well as being able to run our grassroots racing.

Surely no one is narrow minded enough to consider higher end motorsport being able to exist without a foundation of grass roots events catering for beginners, and weekend enthusiasts who are then the spectators at the big events... maybe?

Or am I being too much of an optimist?

Yes, I think you are being too much of an optimist- thats me and you asked the question wanting an answer.
I see nothing, have heard nothing of grass roots events there.
Remember once its gone then its a long drive between Hampton Downs and Manfield.
Nigel is correct,but not about the bulldozer- great talent shouldnt be wasted.

[Snoozin]

That's cool, I don't mind a spade being named as such - you're meaning grassroots at Highlands?

Their resource consent allows them 16 race days per year - so that's basically 5 events per year by the time you consider a Friday to Sunday event. There is STILL considerable opposition from residents as I understand, all of this information is pretty accessible with a quick Google. So of course if you are running a commercial enterprise then of course you are going to want to make those extremely limited meetings count, in terms of attracting the spectator dollar (which, they have done well the times I have travelled to the 101).

As far as catering to Grassroots motorsport, I think the support events at the 101 have done just that. The Euromarque, plus the 10+1 (at 2014's event) were loaded with club spec type race cars.

Taupo is already allowed to operate in a much extended capacity compared to Highlands, and I just can't see why a potential buyer of the circuit would even consider making administrative changes to the point of driving away your core market...

Of course Nigel is correct, that's copy pasted from their website (with all due respect, not a dig).

[nigel watts]

Well this is one of those moments when I desperately hope that I'm completely wrong, and if subsequently it turns out that I, and others, are wrong, then I will apologise now in advance.
What I think we are doing is making our feelings publicly known with regard to the future of the Taupo track. I still miss going to Baypark which was 10 minutes down the road. Taupo & Hampton Downs are almost 2 hours away.
So, fingers crossed, and maybe we can look forward to seeing the Aussie GT's racing at Taupo.

[Spgeti]

Allan I am sorry to hear that an I don't think you are alone. I know it is little comfort but time will reveal all.
From what I have read from other forums it does not sound good and if the Banks are behind it cash talks, promises do not.
It if it happens will be a sad day for those that use it. Taupo is a tourist hot spot and the so called plans do not surprise me and on of the objects in his sights is the NZGP.

Watch this space !!
Cheers, Bruce

My biggest concern at present is my club has already paid in full for the hire of Track 3 on April 11th (sprints and races if anyone is interested). If the track gets closed down for 3-6 months I'm figuring all bookings (not just ours) will be cancelled. Refunds will then presumably be possible depending on what was bought (the assets or the entity that owned the assets (and liabilities)).

Of course I want to continue being able to book the track as well - we have competitors whose cars are slow and don't want to be on the track with the maximum number of starters around them. Track 3 at Taupo gives us the opportunity to cater for those sorts of people.[/QUOTE]

[ERC]

At the risk of being misquoted, I understood that Tony Quinn was happy to have his sand pit at Highlands to play in but his interest in acquiring HD was definitely with a more commercial aspect in mind. In other words, a fully functioning race track.

One can only assume that if he gets hold of Taupo, that he will indeed make it more attractive. Common sense dictates that he will tap into the well publicised adventure tourism aspects of Taupo and incorporate a public kart track (which I understand is a real money spinner at Highlands) and hopefully, a museum where owners with interesting cars may be able to loan them.

If the existing commercial aspects could be retained (and I see no reason why not), he could well be the saviour of the place and could easily keep the Taupo CC on side in some capacity if he so desires - and he'd be silly not to. You can't run a race meeting very easily without volunteers.

He is a man with vision (and cash) and there are far too few of those around and I sincerely hope that if he is successful, the three to six months suspension of activities will be a very small price indeed to pay. As long as race meeting hire fees and therefore entry fees are not out of kilter with the rest of the tracks, I see a very positive future.

[Rod Grimwood]

Why was there only a couple of the Central Muscle Car boys running with the Southern Muscle at Ruapuna Scope meeting a week after the whole lot were all at Highlands the week before.

If what is rumoured to be the reason, then be warned ERC you have it right with the 'vision' but think the vision is more around the 'cash'. And also do research into 'entry fees'

Maybe we all need to re-read the original letter from Taupo Car Club and re-digest exactly what it is saying and what can be lost.

[John McKechnie]

Never forget the Golden Rule- He who has the gold, makes the rules..................

[fullnoise68]

Never forget the Golden Rule- He who has the gold, makes the rules..................

And that John, is the very reason NZ Motorsport is in the state it is ..... instead of the same old faces living off a wishbone, some people need to get a backbone.