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Post by midway on Mar 9, 2014 20:11:53 GMT 12
Just fill it back up with shotcrete like before cheap as ,does the job ,and brings the interest out in the crowd when it flys in all directions under a hard hit .you can place steel chips in the crete if you wish ,and as the cars slide along the wall sparks like a grinder , the crowd love it .
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Post by teamkaos on Mar 9, 2014 20:43:48 GMT 12
i didn't even bother going on Saturday night cause thought the teams races on Friday night were pretty tame compared to palmy.
First 2 races the track was way too wet so hardly any contact and then the palmy / rebels race was so one sided it was just follow the leader with no contact.
The last 2 races were a lot better thou, how teams racing should be. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2014 22:17:19 GMT 12
Well you missed out on a great night's racing then!
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Post by h8flagracers on Mar 10, 2014 10:04:52 GMT 12
I would think if small clubs like Greymouth Blenhiem Nelson etc all put in new walls years ago surely Auckland can.With the largest pop in the country this should not be a problem. the population in auckland has nothing to do with the auckland track or money into auckland track, it actually works against them. theres lots more things to do in auckland on a weekend then just speedway, unlike the tracks you named, & even the likes of stratford, palmy, etc.. they have another track to compete with for a start.. the place is getting better slowly, it just ainty going to happen over night as alot of you think. (unless you are all keen to chip in money & time to do it?  ) |
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Post by steelpanther on Mar 10, 2014 11:56:57 GMT 12
Both events are unique in their own way. It's not a matter of one event being better than the other. Nothing beats the carnival atmosphere at Palmy but I'm there for the teams races and what I saw in Auckland at the weekend was first class. I love both events and for me they are the highlights of the racing calendar. Is it February yet?
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Post by chunkey on Mar 10, 2014 12:06:48 GMT 12
Both events are unique in their own way. It's not a matter of one event being better than the other. Nothing beats the carnival atmosphere at Palmy but I'm there for the teams races and what I saw in Auckland at the weekend was first class. I love both events and for me they are the highlights of the racing calendar. Is it February yet? Every month is February in Welly's , Sun, wind,, cicadas ,wind, flies, wind and wind! |
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Post by steelpanther on Mar 10, 2014 16:13:11 GMT 12
Priceless Chunkey!!!
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 8:58:00 GMT 12
This season has been amazing for Teams racing, because quite literally anyone could have won, and most teams in the semi's at Auckland have won or lost against each other so far this season. I often think that despite less "apparent" planning, less prestige and less teams, Waikaraka teams is often better because each team has had more races and gelled by then. I think that the less teams also works there and am glad that they have dropped the idea of throwing in numerous stockcars to make up numbers.. quality over quantity. I was going to include the Standard stock situation into my original posting but didn't because if some of these very brave fellows hadn't have stepped up to the plate over the last couple of seasons this event may not have survived. But I'm very greatfull that at least in the last two seasons the teams have been able to full their ranks with supers. |
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 9:03:35 GMT 12
The Poms would not have been part of the equation anyway but the others with the exception of Wanganui were the lowest scorers in their groups at Palmy this season. That's not to say they wouldn't have gone well at Auckland but probably a reasonable indication of where they're at this season. Based on Palmy teams champs results the Panthers would have been your weakest team heading into the Nats. That's based on there last results!! Sorry for the last response, busy end to the weekend up here. I sincerly apolgise to any teams or members if my use of the word 'WEAK' caused some to be a bit angry with the statement. Having re read my posting this was a very poorly selected word & disrespectfull to all compeditors who brave the world of teams racing. Having thought about it for some time & to clarify the original statement 100%, I should have used the term 'SEMI FINAL CONTENDERS'. I'll learn from my mistake & take more care in future. Richard O. |
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 9:14:12 GMT 12
I don't want to get into the whos better debate , but WP as a venue is second rate at best and that's being kind. obviously no ones spent any money on it for years and it shows. I agree 100% superstock, there is no point in even trying to debate this point. My main aim of this thread was to try to get the message out the wider speedway audience throughout NZ that this event, on some points is equal to that of the Palmy teams. By getting more support by attracting paying travelling customers, then some revenue could be channelled back into the venue. The Teams Nats is now disadvantaged being run out of Auckland as there are so many other entertainment avenues seeking a reduced pool of £££ resources. Travelling spectators in my view is the 'Growth' area that this event must be pitched to. I'm still puzzled as spectators seem to be pulled directly to Palmy without contemplating coming up to Auckland, even every couple/alternate years. Before you all start I know it costs a lot of money to travel to these events & the ££ will only stretch so far each season. |
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 9:16:57 GMT 12
Having stockcars as a support class on the final night is a great move too - Bruce, you should do this at palmy teams too! The boys and girls all get fired up after watching teams racing, making for a more eventful evening for all involved! Couldn't agree more. These guys are the true weekend warriors of our sport. It just amazes me that they can't wait for the next week to do it all again!!! |
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 9:22:12 GMT 12
Maybe no one has had any money for years to spend on Waikaraka and sure it needs a lot of money spending there. Some money has been spent there recently - did you not notice the new catch fence, the painted clubroom floors, the wiring to the light towers, the pot holes and drainage work, an operating sound system, etc so you SuperStock and Rightturn are more than welcome to spend some of your money at Waikaraka or even raise some money would, I am sure be greatly appreciated by the ASSCC. (Auckland Stock and Saloon Car Club.) Oh! I forgot to mention the track surface, that doesn't come cheaply either, but we won't mention the wall. Anybody got a spare $30K ........? Hi there. It nearly brought tears to me eyes the track surface there over the weekend. Not a rut or hole in it, drivey as now thats what Waikaraka is famous for!!! Wish we were still running a sidecar, would have loved a go on that baby!!! Keep offering a great product & no one will care about the surroundings. Great Tremendous effort to all involved in making this event happen. ex 52a all chrome machine....... |
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Post by ricardo63 on Mar 11, 2014 9:28:41 GMT 12
Thanks all for some really great replys to this thread. I thought it may get a little outta control with a provoking title but all handled it in your stride. The message behind the thread was really to promote that each meeting is top notch & that the Teams Nats is well worth considering putting on your viewing agenda for next year.
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Post by The Observer on Mar 11, 2014 9:39:56 GMT 12
The Teams Nats is now disadvantaged being run out of Auckland as there are so many other entertainment avenues seeking a reduced pool of £££ resources. Travelling spectators in my view is the 'Growth' area that this event must be pitched to. I'm still puzzled as spectators seem to be pulled directly to Palmy without contemplating coming up to Auckland, even every couple/alternate years. Before you all start I know it costs a lot of money to travel to these events & the ££ will only stretch so far each season. Ricardo63 - some good comments on this thread, but I will have to call you on this paragraph, particularly your first two sentences. Name one other city in New Zealand that has 2 million people on its doorstep, that would only have to pay entry fees and little travelling cost to attend a speedway meeting. Auckland is the perfect place for a major teams event. Without doubt venues play a part in building the aura of an event, and you have alluded to the lack of investment $$$ poured in to WP. If you attend any other club run facility in NZ you will find the same challenges, yet they are all investing in there facilitys to improve - some better than others. You don't have to get far out of Auckland to see some club run tracks who have made dramatic improvements compared to 10 years ago - Rotorua and Huntly spring to mind. Of course there are others that have not changed in what feels like 20 years or 30 years. I guess its up to clubs trying to decide whether to reinvest all there money into competitors prize money, paying "volunteers" or "promotions", or retaining earnings to improve there facilities. I guess the changes different speedway tracks/clubs have made in there facilities will tell you which direction they have done down. However I digress - with AUcklands population they only need 0.75% of people to support a speedway event to get the same crowd as Palmerston North. Don't try and tell me there is soo much competition for events in auckland - the population can handle that. Perhaps if WP is in dire need of an upgrade it might finally make sense to build a new speedway facility that can take 20,000, and target a few big events a year to improve the profile of speedway in Auckland - and likely NZ since that is the biggest part of NZ. Image 3 seperate major speedway events - International Open wheel meeting (international midgets and sprints) Teams Nationals, and SGP (the bikes). If you can pack out the facility three times a year with those three, then do another 30 nights during the year of racing with the two clubs (springs and WP using the same facility you could suggest ione combined facility would be worthwhile - well, perhaps better than two seperate tracks who do not get any investment, or lack skills to maintain ie wall or track surgace respectively Why not even have a bike track inside it so Rosebank can still use it on Sundays. IN regarsd to more domestic visitors - which I think is admiting defeat - trying to build up more teams will solve that problem, as more drivers always brings more spectators, and affilated crew, hangers on etc. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2014 10:06:22 GMT 12
Good points Obbey ,It was quite a brave statement Ricardo classing the Team Nats as a better event than Palmy .
What were the crowd numbers in comparison ..
And when you start comparing events and venues with one another little old Rotorua Citys World 240,s would blow them all out the back door .
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Post by BarryB on Mar 11, 2014 10:20:33 GMT 12
Good points Obbey ,It was quite a brave statement Ricardo classing the Team Nats as a better event than Palmy . What were the crowd numbers in comparison .. And when you start comparing events and venues with one another little old Rotorua Citys World 240,s would blow them all out the back door . Just because the crowd is smaller - and obviously you can't fit a Palmy-sized crowd into WP anyway - it doesn't mean the on-track action is lesser. It obviously depends on what criteria you're using to define the word "better", but I suspect most people forgive all when the on-track show is the bees-knees. Barry B |
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Post by Jamo on Mar 11, 2014 10:24:44 GMT 12
Oh! I forgot to mention the track surface, that doesn't come cheaply either, but we won't mention the wall. Anybody got a spare $30K ........? Hi there. It nearly brought tears to me eyes the track surface there over the weekend. Not a rut or hole in it, drivey as now thats what Waikaraka is famous for!!! Wish we were still running a sidecar, would have loved a go on that baby!!! Keep offering a great product & no one will care about the surroundings. Great Tremendous effort to all involved in making this event happen. ex 52a all chrome machine....... Track was smooth but hardly call it drivey. Poleline was black and slick and outside had marbles so no drive. Agree would have great for bikes. |
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Post by Jamo on Mar 11, 2014 10:31:42 GMT 12
No serious money will be spent on improvements at Waikaraka with the uncertainty arounds its future when the lease expires in 2017.
Current lease with council makes council reposnsible for grandstand maintenance only. Everything esle is tenants responsibility.
Why would anyone invest tens of thousands of $$ on acpital projects when come 2017 you may not have future there anyway??
This is why council extended lease for the Springs out to 2017 so that it ties in with lease expiry at Waikaraka.
Big issues coming up for speedway in general in Auckland in the coming years. 2 distinctly differant groups (Springers and Wacky's) likely fighting over 1 possibly racing venue and neither of them being the venues they currently run at!! Inteesting times ahead.
Given above, would any of you invest your own money in to making Wacky are flasher place?? I doubt it so no point harping on about it being a dump.
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Post by Admin on Mar 11, 2014 10:39:27 GMT 12
When comparing Waikaraka with other tracks like Rotorua don't forget Rotorua own their venue as do some other club run tracks. Money invested is assets improved.
Totally different to the leased from the council Waikaraka Park.
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Post by steelpanther on Mar 11, 2014 12:40:16 GMT 12
Barry's last post hits the nail on the head for me where he says that "most people forgive all when the on track show is the bees-knees" as was the case on the weekend.
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