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Post by Rota on Jun 8, 2018 18:30:48 GMT 12
John, I am one of those you label the SPL crowd which is a huge generalization. I enjoy open wheel racing. Why should I have to enjoy stockcars, which I don't? Now in any one season I visit 3,4 or more tracks that run classes similar to Waikaraka, including Waikaraka, if they are running classes I do enjoy. I for one am happy it will remain 2 tracks but I certainly wish Waikaraka well and would never say one is better than the other. They can coexist! Apologies TonyR (are you from circuit racing by chance?). I should have sadded the words "some members of" before the SPL crowd bit. I agree most SPL fans will like some variety and want to see the best for the sport. There have been a few that have made comments like "No way would the open wheelers want to merge & have to share pits with the WP classes" that gave rise to my comment. My comment was more indicating that the team at Waikaraka do not have any hatred toward the drivers and teams at WS. In fact we enjoy hosting them at the John Webster (and I personally would love to be able to see more open wheeler races. In saying that, my ideal night would be a mix of contact and non contact races to provide variety.
I can admit that was probably me. When I posted that, I really should of pointed out the certain classes I was referring to. The only class i would like to join with (me being involved with Open Wheel) would be Super Saloons/Saloons to be honest. |
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Post by The Observer on Jun 8, 2018 20:01:47 GMT 12
A brand new speedway being built to the satisfaction of th current promoters requirements?
Should be a day to celebrate.
Waikaraka Park team must be feeling left in the dust. Hopefully something happens there, or eventually theybalternate weekends at the new facility.
I appreciate the posts on the differences between tracks and the progress they have made (or not made) over the years. Interesting stuff
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Post by hienekenno1 on Jun 8, 2018 21:03:30 GMT 12
Cool western springs is sorted,now back to waikaraka,im sure Bruce Robertson will have plans with the council for the next few years,just needs a little spruce up,council says stockcars are staying there so will be interesting what they do.
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Post by midway on Jun 8, 2018 21:28:32 GMT 12
Cool western springs is sorted,now back to waikaraka,im sure Bruce Robertson will have plans with the council for the next few years,just needs a little spruce up,council says stockcars are staying there so will be interesting what they do. Councilor Denise Lee for the Maungakiekie and Onehunga wards didnt sound to impressed ,stating we know now where the funding will go ,.. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2018 21:36:25 GMT 12
A brand new speedway being built to the satisfaction of th current promoters requirements? Should be a day to celebrate. Waikaraka Park team must be feeling left in the dust. Hopefully something happens there, or eventually theybalternate weekends at the new facility. I appreciate the posts on the differences between tracks and the progress they have made (or not made) over the years. Interesting stuff Yes, one group will be celebrating and the others regrouping. A shame though that the new facility will be built out of the city - there was a real opportunity there regardless of what flavour of racing you like the most. I can't see the Waikaraka Park team ever getting to run on the new facility. The primary reason SPL took themselves out to Colin Dale is they did not want to run with stock cars and made it clear that stock cars were not part of their future. That leaves the Waikaraka Park team with no opportunity for any funding assistance (all going in to make the deal work for SPL) and a facility they have to make work or lose stock car racing in the city for good. So yes, a day to celebrate for some, but a day for careful consideration of options for others.... Much to do! |
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Post by number1fan on Jun 8, 2018 21:38:37 GMT 12
This thread before the announcement was made has so many people hating on SPL and making up stories about how they are going to take over Waikaraka and how the current classes there will get shafted. Now that the announcement has been made everyone is saying what about waikaraka and that they have missed out. Im personally am glad its going to somewhere like Colin Dale Park and not waikaraka. If western springs is going to be more and more restricted by the council in the future the right call has been made by SPL. I cant wait to see a purpose built open wheel venue in 2020 Ummm....please point to the SPL hating??? The Waikaraka people have been open to uniting. It was not us who walked away from the discussions. The hating has come from the SPL crowd. The SPL crowd were the ones saying they did not want stockcars if they had control of Waikaraka Park. The Waikaraka team were open to looking forward to more classes and variety The thread over on the Open Wheeler board is even more hating toward Waikaraka Park.
Now I note you have only made 6 posts yet you have been here for over 18 months...And you make a post like this. How about being honest about who you are rather than hiding behind a second username.
I am happy debating the pros and cons of the changes mooted for Speedway in Auckland - but this type of guerilla tactics is below the belt. As you can see I am very open about my connections....It even says it in my avatar.
Why does it matter who I am. I wouldn’t have a clue who you are even if I walked directly past you. If it means anything to you my name is Ryan and I am just a fan of motor sport. But for dirt racing I prefer open wheel non contact racing. Don’t worry I won’t bother you any more by posting on here. I’ll stick to watching racing and enjoying it instead of being a keyboard warrior. |
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Post by speedwayjunkie on Jun 8, 2018 22:21:39 GMT 12
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Post by spuddy on Jun 8, 2018 23:07:20 GMT 12
A very good read and what I imagined as being more accurate than the spin that SPL put on it |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 6:44:24 GMT 12
Albany Ward Councillor John Watson's Facebook post below.... "Wow…what stunning duplicity! This story appeared less than 24 hours after Auckland councillors were told at an ‘emergency’ briefing’ on Thursday that no agreement had been reached with the Speedway promoters and that any ‘future’ decision would have no implications for the controversial cricket oval that Auckland Cricket doesn’t want and which NZ Cricket does want, but which they expect the Auckland ratepayers to pay for (in fact this story was probably written (and the deal struck) well before the councillors’ meeting). That’s the way the Goff Council rolls. Unfortunately for Speedway fans, it means that the Speedway promoters have raised the white flag without even putting up a fight (despite all the bravado beforehand and the fact that Auckland Council received a record number of submissions from fans demanding that Speedway be allowed to stay at their iconic home of 90 years). Not to put too fine a point on it, the promoters have been ‘bullied’ (their words not mine) by RFA into leaving the Springs. They have obviously decided to look after their business interests first and foremost given all the uncertainty but that doesn’t alter the fact that they leave the Springs with their tails between their legs on no other grounds than that RFA have told them to (not your elected representatives I might add who have had absolutely no say in this). So Speedway fans… a couple of bods at the unelected RFA determine what happens to our Auckland sporting codes – whether it be Speedway, cricket or league – it makes no difference. But remember though … the Warriors did show what can happen if you do put up a fight and get the Auckland public behind you. Pity the Speedway promoters didn’t even put it to the test. There certainly was no Jim Doyle in your corner. To be honest though Speedway is but a mere a pawn in the much bigger game plan to put the bulldozer through Eden Park and build the mayor’s vanity project, the Waterfront Stadium (you know the one with the $1 million report, kept secret for a year and denied councillors until an Official Information request from Radio NZ). Wake up Aucklanders! Your sporting heritage is being sold down the river for an illogical, grandiose strategy imposed by a handful of faceless bureaucrats with little or no appreciation of our region’s proud sporting tradition." |
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Post by powerslide on Jun 9, 2018 8:05:00 GMT 12
Hey John Watson - I've been awake and fighting this for over six years as have thousands of others. Where have you been and what have you been doing to help save the springs? Nothing seems to be the answer!
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Post by midway on Jun 9, 2018 10:31:53 GMT 12
The dirty washing always seems to rear its head after decisions have been made by those who have no transparency .
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 13:18:03 GMT 12
Hey John Watson - I've been awake and fighting this for over six years as have thousands of others. Where have you been and what have you been doing to help save the springs? Nothing seems to be the answer! Mr Watson is a politician - I think the answer to your question is "....Auckland Council received a record number of submissions from fans demanding that Speedway be allowed to stay..." He can bang the popular drum as hard as he likes now, that's what lazy politicians do. They don't get involved enough to understand the issues or make informed decisions - they rant like they were the only one standing with the masses, when it is their job to stop it getting to that point. The comparison to the Warriors is tenuous at best (so was the use of that analogy by SPL). The Warriors had a NRL compliant facility (right sized pitch, compliant crowd capacity, training facilities etc.) They were also in the middle of building the fan base and loyalty for their franchise. Fortress Mt Smart was a big part of defining themselves and giving their fans a 'home'. It was the wrong thing for them and their business back then, and they rightly fought hard to stay. 2028 and a new stadium? The Warriors have already expressed an interest in moving, because their business building will be at a stage where taking the fans to 'somewhere special' and putting their home base on the same level as the Sydney Football Stadium will be the right thing to do. Mr Watson does not seem to understand this - the Warriors are leaving MT Smart if you all did not know that already, but they are doing it under their own power and when it is right for them. Western Springs is not the same as Mt Smart. Even the die hard fans will have seen the track fall apart and the number of serious crashes increasing in recent years. That is because the track has been too small for a long time, and can't take the horsepower or tire tech anymore (like many tracks in NZ). The pits are not big enough for the competitors and 12 nights is not a racing season - Western Springs, no matter what your attachment to the place and history is, is a constraint on the sport, not a bastion to be fought for. Mr Watson certainly does not understand this because he does not know enough about the sport. The western springs track,if it were in the USA, would probably run County events and possibly a State Event for midget cars (not sprint cars), but it certainly would not run National events. Mr Watson would have preferred himself and other casual Auckland Speedway fans to still be sitting on the terraces in 20 years, hot dog in hand cheering for the 'kiwi battler' giving the yanks a race blissfully unaware the 'kiwi battler' was twice as talented as the yanks but suffering from lack of race time, sponsors and had never developed the same set of skills because they had learned their craft on a nuts track. A bit like cheering Ngaruawahia on against Melbourne - go you good thing; bugger, lost again. SPL going to Colin Dale is probably the worst outcome for SPL and their fans. Mt Watson could be critical of RFA for not being stronger if anything at all. The Councillors and RFA should have insisted on speedway staying in the city for the fans and then done all they could with Stadium budgets to make that an amazing reality. The speedway was the tail wagging the stadium strategy dog. It had the most leverage and would have been the most inexpensive part. Who ran it, who had control, who had to share and how it would be managed was an entirely separate conversation and RFA should have knocked heads together until a solid business plan was in place that worked for SPL so they didn't end up in a position of having to pay to go to the wrong place. Mr Watson could be critical of what has occurred, but he will know nothing of nuances and detail, so he won't. He will just bang the popular drum for as long as someone is listening and then he will move to the next 'Oh no how did that happen - someone needs to be accountable' drum with a different audience. Sorry MIDWAY, said I was out, but now I am back in (for a while....) |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 17:14:30 GMT 12
whats the time frame on this getting started for the colin dale build..?? whatever they say it is you might extend it a couple of years..with hold ups, budget problems you may add another 12 months to the build.. then get your head round the fact you may not end up getting all that you hope your getting..im seeing grassed seating,,,concrete block toilets...I mean ..,in the end other than a track to race on ..what do you really need??!!
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Post by midway on Jun 9, 2018 17:57:43 GMT 12
One must say thankyou Bill Buckley For his ambition to build a speedway with a large percentage of funding from his back pocket
There are many who stand by and watch ,but very few that achieve ,and those who simply criticize on all accounts
Giving Bob Clarkson a hand ,and seeing the result brings back a pleasant memory ,so good luck Bill and be rest assured those that have the ability ,to give a helping hand are the people that enjoy speedway as a sport ..
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Post by midway on Jun 9, 2018 18:09:25 GMT 12
. then get your head round the fact you may not end up getting all that you hope your getting..im seeing grassed seating,,,concrete block toilets...I mean ..,in the end other than a track to race on ..what do you really need??!! If you return to another SPeedway club down the road, there vision is much the same after 50 years |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 18:49:32 GMT 12
yep thats what you get if you dont have other clubs using your facility..
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Post by graemeh on Jun 9, 2018 18:58:53 GMT 12
. then get your head round the fact you may not end up getting all that you hope your getting..im seeing grassed seating,,,concrete block toilets...I mean ..,in the end other than a track to race on ..what do you really need??!! If you return to another SPeedway club down the road, there vision is much the same after 50 years Thats a bit harsh, haven't you noticed in the last 50 years the Clubrooms, sealed pits and new lighting all done with no Council support. All done on land that is leased. How much more would you spend on things that ultimately you cant take away. Would have been the ultimate irony if SPL had of walked in and taken over. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 20:15:06 GMT 12
If you return to another SPeedway club down the road, there vision is much the same after 50 years Thats a bit harsh, haven't you noticed in the last 50 years the Clubrooms, sealed pits and new lighting all done with no Council support. All done on land that is leased. How much more would you spend on things that ultimately you cant take away. Would have been the ultimate irony if SPL had of walked in and taken over. Vision is one thing, money is another. What the other speedway down the road has managed to achieve has come about from a lot of people giving their time and sweat for free without moaning and whinging to be able to run uninterrupted for 50 years. Competitors and friends of speedway putting the effort in themselves and working together to get the best they can with what they have got. I have no doubt the if the other speedway down the road had $500k spent on it every year by council on maintenance and upgrades, and a Bill to chuck in good money after bad to keep things going, their 'vision' would have achieved several sh*t loads more than people standing around with their hands out ever did. Very Harsh Midway, and I am sure if you think about it you will regret that post. Circumstances could easily have been reversed, and if they were do you really think you would have survived the bad times - you very nearly did not and would not have if you weren't rescued on more than one occassion. Now is not the time to kick someone when they are down, especially if you think they are down and out when really they have just stopped to tie the shoelace so they can run faster. 50 years of continuity counts for a lot, especially when the people who have been involved stay involved. You would do well to remember you were offered a life line and tuned the nose up. When you need it again, it will be offered again - and there my friend is the big difference. The woods are still in front of you if you thought you were out of them and basking on the sun. |
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Post by midway on Jun 9, 2018 20:45:23 GMT 12
I am happily sitting in the sun ,and more so ,from leaving the place behind ,I kind of remember a bloke that fits your description well ,or blow and no go ,why because i enjoy being a working Volunteer as stated on some of the newsletters by one or two clubs ..
I must of touched a raw nerve ..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 23:27:24 GMT 12
Well, I enjoyed the debate while it lasted. I am quite sure you have no idea who you have been trying to make a point with. I have been waiting for a point, but it has just descended into school boy nonsense. Enjoy the sun, and good luck for the next two years - I do hope it works out.
GoFast out for good.
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