Nov Date For New Zealand V8 Supercar International
November Date For New Zealand V8 Supercar International
MEDIA RELEASE FROM IMG MOTORSPORT
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MELBOURNE,
AUSTRALIA/October 9, 2000/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/--
IMG's Managing Director Mr Martin Jolly today announced that
the inaugural New Zealand V8 Supercar International would be
held from the 9th - 11th November 2001.
Jolly also announced that IMG had signed a five year contract with AVESCO to promote the New Zealand race. The agreement will see IMG underwrite the cost of transporting all of the teams and race equipment to New Zealand.
"Motorsport has become one of the most significant areas of our business in Australia," said Jolly. "When AVESCO announced that they wanted to take the V8 Supercars outside of Australia, we saw it as natural extension of our existing business that we apply to bring the series to New Zealand.
"New
Zealanders have a strong motorsport heritage and we are
confident that the event will be a huge success and a great
event for the people of New Zealand," said Jolly. "With Paul
Radisich, Greg Murphy, Steve Richards, John Faulkner and
Craig Baird all featuring in this year's championship, New
Zealanders will have
no shortage of home-grown talent to
cheer for," said Jolly.
"As a result, we are already experiencing significant interest in the race from the New Zealand corporate sector, seeking corporate hospitality and sponsorship opportunities," said Jolly.
In New Zealand, IMG also currently manages and promotes the New Zealand Open golf championship and the Ironman New Zealand Triathlon at Lake Taupo.
Director of Motorsport at IMG, Mr Geoff Jones, said the race had previously been scheduled for a February date, however a number of factors had made this impractical.
"We had originally been scheduled for
February, immediately prior to the Australian Formula One
Grand Prix," said Jones. "When that was shifted forward it
impacted on our ability to freight the teams and associated
equipment back to Melbourne in time for the next race.
"The end result is that the race will be held in November 2001 and will be the second last event on the Shell Championship Series.
"We are excited about the date and feel that the November timing will work in our favour," said Jones. "Being so late in the season, there is every chance that the Championship will be decided at our event.
"The format of the event will be 3 x 100km races and a Top Ten Shootout, which is sure to provide spectators with a great mix of speed and spills on the race circuit," said Jones.
"We are currently working closely with Motorsport New Zealand and Pukekohe Park Raceway to put together the support program for the event. It is our objective to develop a program that will showcase the best of New Zealand motorsport," said Jones.
The event will be televised live in New Zealand by TVNZ, on both the Saturday and Sunday of the event, and on Network Ten into Australia. TVNZ currently telecasts the Shell Championship Series and has enjoyed enormous ratings increases over the past 12 months.
Tickets to the inaugural New Zealand V8 Supercar International will go on sale in New Zealand shortly through Ticketek.
The race will be held at Pukekohe Park Raceway, 40 kms south of Auckland. Pukekohe is an existing circuit that also incorporates a thoroughbred racing facility.
IMG Motorsport currently promotes the
Honda Indy 300 on the Gold Coast and is the managing partner
of the FAI 1000 at Bathurst. It is also responsible for
sponsorship and corporate hospitality sales and marketing at
the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and implementation, sponsorship
and corporate hospitality sales at the GMC 400 in Canberra,
which was held for the first time on the Queen's
Birthday
weekend this year.
For further
information, please contact:
Matthew Mahon, IMG, ph (03)
9658 6807 or 0413 101 860 (Australia)
Paul Gleeson, IMG,
ph (09) 522 5346 (New
Zealand)