|
|
|
|
WELCOME TO TRACK TORQUE
HAMPTON DOWNS JUNE NEWSLETTER
|
|
|
Well we have had an exciting and busy June! Tony Quinn, the owner of Highlands Motorsport Park, is excited about seeing the full potential of his recently-acquired Hampton Downs facility realised over the next 16 months. Thanks to everyone who has provided suggestions - we are well underway on planning for future developments.
Quinn intends to have tender documents produced fairly quickly for the bigger projects, such as the construction of corporate suites and a control tower above the pit-lane garages, a go-kart track, a second skid pan and a track extension which will add a kilometre to the existing 2.8km layout, so quotes can be obtained and contracts issued over the winter for work to start in spring.
“There are four or five different projects which can all be tackled by different contractors at the same time without affecting the day-to-day track operation. There’ll be a flurry of activity when spring sets in and I expect a fair bit of finished work by Christmas and into early New Year.
Here is a preview of the proposed new race control, corporate suits, and a state-of-the-art new conference centre.
|
|
“I was excited, like everyone else, when Hampton Downs was first talked about and Chris Watson and Tony Roberts embarked on this ambitious plan to build a fantastic facility on the outskirts of Auckland, in the rolling hills of North Waikato. It seemed like an idyllic project within easy reach of Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton. I want to finish it properly and it’s going to be an exciting project.â€
“In about 16 months’ time it’s going to be a truly fantastic facility to visit and there’s no doubt that Hampton Downs and Highlands are going to be the two best tracks in New Zealand. If we have any international categories here, it would be sensible to expose them to fans at both Hampton and Highlands.
“There’s another thing to remember – Claire has a great saying that Hampton Downs is a friendly track. Everyone’s got different things that they want to do at the circuit, and the role of Hampton’s staff and the facility itself is be friendly and accommodate what people want to do.
|
|
What a month for kiwis in Motorsport! We have watched Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley, along with teammates Nico Hulkenberg, Nick Tandy, Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard finish 1-2 at Le Mans!
This was a big achievement by the drivers and the Porsche Team in the most respected long distant race in the world. They are the first Kiwis to win this gruelling race since Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon in 1966.
Earl Bamber said on reflection “It was overwhelming to hold this trophy in my hands and be cheered by so many people,†says the 24-year-old New Zealander. “When you dream of winning Le Mans that would normally be about the time you wake up. But this dream continues in real life.â€
|
|
|
|
Photo credit; LAT Photographic
|
|
|
Mitch Evans was 2nd in his class and we also witnessed excellent driving from Ritchie Stanaway. We cheered when Hayden Paddon get a career-best second place in the world rally Italy Sardinia. Young Nick Cassidy swept the board in F3 in Japan and Chris van der Drift continued his dominance of the Asian Porsche Supercup series.
Kiwi Brendon Hartley drove the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. What a machine!
Go the Kiwis!!!
|
|
|
We have had a range of visitors this month including Mike Hosking and Glenn from Newstalk ZB coming to Hampton Downs to give the racetrack a go with BMW Driving Experience.
|
|
|
We hosted the 2015 Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy for 6 days, check out some pics below:
|
|
|
We also had the Organic Ag conference and Bio Day trade show at Hampton Downs. This was an opportunity for producers of food and fibre to come off the farm/orchard and look at organic programmes.
|
|
|
The Mahindra North Island Endurance Series had the second round at Hampton Downs on Saturday 27 June.
|
|
|
We had a special visitor for this event! What do you guys think of our new Hampton Downs start finish-line flag-marshal?
|
|
|
Congratulations to Spurdle Motorsport's Andrew Porter and Sam Fillmore, who have taken victory in the six hour race at the Hampton Downs round. After finishing sixth in the three hour race, the pair continued to take home a dominant victory in the six hour, finishing several laps ahead of their nearest rivals, Jones and Barrie, while ten laps adrift, Carpenter, Eden and Owens finished third.
Inky Tulloch and John McIntyre took victory in the Squawking Magpie three hour at Hampton Downs. After mechanical issues at the first round saw the Tulloch Motorsport Camaro finish a distant second place, the team rebounded at Hampton Downs to take victory over the International Motorsport run Audi R8 of Andrew Bagnall and Rick Armstrong.
Round one winner, John DeVeth and Glenn Smith, finished third after a late pit stop dropped them behind the IMS R8. Starting from pole position, McIntyre leapt away from the second place starting R8 of Bagnall and Armstrong, with McIntyre quickly catching the tail of the field.
|
|
Reigning Hampton Downs 1 hour winner, Ian Hayr, entered the opening race of the North Island Endurance Series weekend as a race favourite - collecting pole position earlier in the morning.
However, the race wouldn't go Hayr's way - the Porsche 997 pilot forced to fight through the field to take back the lead of the race.
After winning the start, Hayr lost the lead and several other positions at the mid-point of the race during the safety car, falling out of sequence with his main rivals, before taking the win.
Having made an impressive start, second generation racer, Richard Oxton in the Trass Family Motorsport Ferrari 430 Challenge ended the first lap in second place, ahead of the Freem Porsche 911 shared between Sam Fillmore and Andrew Porter.
|
|
|
Head along to the final at Pukekohe Race Track on 27 July!
|
|
This weekend we have the 2KCup Relay Race. The Dunlop 800 will be New Zealand's largest and longest endurance race. Featuring over 60 cars in a single race class, with over $100k worth of daily drivers on show it’s still anyone's race, as due to the fact that nearly all the teams average lap times are within seconds of one another.
A race more than 20 years in the making! The cars were shipped here from around the world, many years ago, put through their paces, with only an odometer well into the 100,000’s of kilometres to show for their years of unrelenting abuse!
Only $20 on the gate for adults and under 12 years are free. Come along and check out the action!
|
|
On the 12th July at Hampton Downs we have our popular Brass Monkey Event, which is the only event run in time groups, apart from the classic trial and single seater race, which are also part of the program for this event.
Running in time groups means the cars in your race will be doing similar lap times so you are guaranteed to get some close racing.
|
|
|
Hampton Downs will be at the CRC Speedshow - NEW ZEALAND'S LARGEST AND MOST EXCITING SHOW ON WHEELS on 18 and 19 July – come and visit us for information about the venue and events!
|
|
Motul Cusco Advance Gymkhana Challenge
The Advance team along with Hampton Downs will once again bring you the Gymkhana series to be held on the skid pan.
A short technical course is set up on the skidpan & drivers will go up against the clock, each driver has 5 runs to post their fastest time.
All skill levels are welcome and there are different classes catering for fwd, rwd and 4wd cars.
For more information check out the Advance Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AdvanceMotorsportNZ
The next date is Saturday 18 July. There is a morning group, an afternoon group and a full day option!
Prepay to receive a discount - head to www.hdticketing.co.nz
|
|
|
Playday at Hampton’s – UPCOMING DATES
|
|
|
Mothers Chrome Expression Session
With just over a month to go, the 2015 Mothers Chrome Expression session (in association with Mount Shop) is shaping up to be one huge event! With over 300 cars already pre entered as well as all garages and apartments sold out, we’ve already broken records from previous events.
If you haven’t heard about Mothers Chrome Expression Session, here’s what to expect: hundreds of the toughest street and track cars packing out Hampton Downs Racecourse. There are sessions throughout the weekend to keep everyone busy, on and off the track, including Cruising with passengers, Drag Racing, Drifting, Power skids, as well as the Gymkhana/burnout pad open all weekend long.
There’s also a huge show & shine, trade sites and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested, head to www.chromenz.co.nz and fill out an entry form if you want to get your car on the track or in the show. You can also pre purchase weekend spectator tickets online and save 40%.
Early bird tickets go up on 2 July at midnight so get in quick at www.hdticketing.co.nz!
|
|
Heading .....The Event
The Shorai Batteries International Motorcycle Classic is NZ's biggest race meeting and it's blowing up...in a good way. It's getting bigger.
Nearly 300 riders will launch themselves down the track at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park at Labour Weekend.
Moreover, this year it's spreading its wings and morphing into an international event.
Formerly called the Barry Sheene Classic, it's now called the Shorai Batteries International with riders coming from around the globe to compete.
The International is the feature race each day, with the 10 fastest riders from NZ, Australia, UK and the Rest of the World forming up to do battle.
The 40 riders will be decked out in their country colours and national pride will be on the line as they race their raw, high-octane machines at speeds of more than 250 km/ph.
No traction control, anti-wheelie, launch control or other electronic trickery.
These machines are the muscle cars of the bike world.
Full grids is the mantra with race classes for pre-war bikes right through to 1989.
This year we not only have the classic sidecars racing but also the first round of the NZ National Championship for modern sidecars. Isle of Man TT kiwis will be back to chase the title at Hampton Downs.
It sounds like thunder and its modern Bears (British, European, American) racing bikes coming to the event for the first time. Ducati Panagales, RSV4 Aprilias, BMW S1000s, Triumph Daytonas, Buells.
The Oceania Challenge, an annual point’s race between Australia and NZ, will be incorporated as usual in the meeting. The Aussies won it for the first time last year. The Kiwis are out for revenge.
Legends Graeme Crosby and Robbie Phillis will be on stage Sunday night in the dinner/entertainment feature. The Great Debate is the feature with a team of flightless kiwis taking on some bouncy Aussies to prove which country is the quickest.
Harley Davidson's coming to play at the Shorai International. Bruce Anstey and Robert Holden were just two of the great kiwi riders to compete on Harley's.
We will be featuring Harley dragbikes, hot rods and some eccentric builds in the pavilion.
There will also be a track ride at lunchtime for those lucky enough to own a Harley and this will be a chance to clear the carbon without a copper up your butt.
Early bird tickets will be available at www.hdticketing.co.nz from 2 July 2015.
|
|
PORSCHE FOR 2016
It may not be one of our best kept secrets, but the 2016 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing will celebrate Porsche.
The Festival is the country's largest historic motorsport event and takes place over two weekends in January at the Hampton Downs circuit in the North Waikato. In 2016 the event will be held over the on January 15-17 and 22-24 with Stuttgart’s finest the stars of the show on both weekends.
|
|
A packed schedule of motor racing action on the circuit includes Formula 5000 and Historic Muscle Cars, as well as numerous other exciting single seater and tin-top classes, including the festival debut of the popular Pre-65 class on the second weekend. And of course, there is plenty of mouth-watering Porsche racing to look forward to as well! Organisers are aiming to have a number of highly significant Porsche cars on display and in demonstrations and ‘works’ Porsche drivers will also be in attendance.
The Porsche Club of New Zealand, in partnership with the event organisers, is also inviting all Porsche owners - and anyone else that loves cars - to be part of the 2016 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing Celebrating Porsche. There will also be a record attempt to line up the most Porsches ever assembled in one place at one time in New Zealand.
|
|
We'd love you to be part of the event and celebrate - along with 23,000 spectators over both weekends - one of the great racing marques of all time. There are a number of ways you can join in.
Do you have a significant Porsche racer or road car and would like to demonstrate it or display it? We'd love to hear from you. If you want to drive to the event in your pride and joy there will be a huge Porsche display on both weekends; on the first Sunday there will be a 'Most Porsches gathered together in one place in NZ' record attempt, and on both weekends a Show 'n Shine event.
If you're more interested in track action, then perhaps you have a racing Porsche you want to bring out of the shed to compete in the Porsche Racing Series. Got something older? There are also historic Porsche races and Dual Sprints on the schedule. And if you're after the full adrenalin experience, and you race regularly, then the European one hour enduro planned as the feature race for the final Sunday with a Pro/Am line up might just be the thing for you. There's going to be something for everyone.
Early bird tickets are available from 1 July at www.porschefestival.co.nz
|
|
|
Check out the billboards below - These are actual billboards in Detroit, Michigan put up by GM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
