New Zealand Gp - The Final One!

[Guest wolfhound]

Not wishing to steal 'waihekeaces1' thunder with news from New Zealand but here is the latest news courtesy of the New Zealand Herald, 3.4.2014.

 

'The moment has arrived for speedway on Saturday night. If Western Springs isn't chokka, Auckland can kiss goodbye to the opening round of the world championship.

Promoter Bill Buckley, the remarkable inventor/businessman and speedway bike die-hard, has lost maybe $1.5m on the first two years of the FIM Grand Prix contract and is loath to dig deeper. He puts the Springs' capacity at between 25,000 and 30,000 with 15,000 attending in 2012 and just 8000 last year. So this is SOS time - Save Our Speedway. On the plus side, there are no competing events this weekend, helped by the cancellation of the Rolling Stones' concert.

Whether anyone is at fault for the red ink, who knows? Maybe the obstacles are insurmountable. Then again, maybe not. A big crowd is essential, but Buckley says international promoters IMG have driven too hard a financial deal.

I've also heard respected speedway people question whether Buckley is too emotionally attached to the event, to the detriment of its potential.

No one can question Buckley's heart though, nor the achievement of winning approval from the sport's European power base. One thing is clear - what could be a brilliant part of the Auckland event landscape is on the skids.

It will be a crying shame if the city loses a genuine international sporting contest that also encourages motorsport, which doesn't always get the dues to match its deep following.

Speedway ticks enough boxes and presses the right buttons for a non-motorsport enthusiast like me. It involves thrilling, cut-throat duels, a series of one-minute adventures with the odd spill, and the sight of riders doing what looks like the impossible in staying on their bikes. The skill and nerve is stunning.

Speedway still has a working class feel, and is full of interesting characters. There is the historical aspect at Western Springs, a unique venue with a big track and impressive bank. Back in the day, the Springs rocked and not just for rock bands.

Some speedway luminaries including America's highly respected former world champ Greg Hancock believe it should follow other motorsport's high tech improvements. Contrasting that, New Zealand speedway great Barry Briggs reckons the bikes have become too powerful, to the detriment of throttle control and combat action. Overall, speedway retains an attractive, traditional feel. Unfortunately though, traditions in this country have been broken.

There is a huge problem for Buckley and the GP - the lack of big-name New Zealand riders in the top echelons. Australia has two recent former champs in Jason Crump and Chris Holder, and three riders in this year's GP series including Darcy Ward, a sometimes troubled character regarded as the sport's most gifted star. New Zealand doesn't even have a GP candidate.

Transplanted Englishman Jason Bunyan carries the flag as the wildcard entry. With all due respect to a man who does his utmost to encourage the sport here, Bunyan is no Ivan Mauger, Briggs or Ronnie Moore. And there used to be other fine Kiwi riders a notch below that famous trio.

A latter-day Mauger - or even a Larry Ross - would fill Western Springs on Saturday night, no billboards needed. The fans rather than a rider will have to rise to this occasion.'

 

So it seems this years meeting will be the last at Western Springs and if Australia does not pick up the fixture, GP's 'Down Under' will disappear. May be good news for the riders who have great expenses to pay but even better news for British clubs who will not have their top riders missing meetings to compete 'Down Under'.

[mdmc82]

Personally wouldnt mind too much if this location was dropped. Not many speedway riders from NZ and does mean british riders missing several days of fixtures due to it being so far away

[Humphrey Appleby]

He puts the Springs' capacity at between 25,000 and 30,000 with 15,000 attending in 2012 and just 8000 last year.

 

These figures seem to very much contradict the higher figures mentioned by BSI.

[waiheke1]

Thanks for posting wolfhound.

If thise are the true atteneance figures they are also lower than most estimates at the time - not just bsi, but nz media and regulars at the springs all estimated higher.

Hopefully lack of conflicting events and an eveni g start time should boost crowds back to the level of tge first gp.

A real shame that bsi have seemingly priced this too high to make it sustainable, but lack of support from local government hssnt helped.

Id imagine the riders will be disspointed to see it go, an exoenses paid trip to nz I would think was a nice way to kick off the season. A shame also no aussie promoter came on bosrd as that would surely have generated some cost efficiencies.

Anyway, im very grateful that bill b gave this a shot, and hope auckland turns out in numbrrs on saturday.

[theknow 2]

To far and needs to dropped.

[Steve Shovlar]

Hopefully a big crowd but I wouldn't be sad to see it go. Our season started, then stalled because of this meeting, which should either be at the end of February or in early November.

[Triple.H.]

Hopefully a big crowd but I wouldn't be sad to see it go. Our season started, then stalled because of this meeting, which should either be at the end of February or in early November.

No doubt as its a round of the world championship you think it should be replaced with a round in greater Bournemouth for that is the centre of the speedway world.

[waiheke1]

Hopefully a big crowd but I wouldn't be sad to see it go. Our season started, then stalled because of this meeting, which should either be at the end of February or in early November.

 

November wouldnt work, as no way would bsi want the last round here, and its too early forcthe first round of the new season.

Feb would be ideal, but wouldn't work from a springs promotion pov coming while the car speedway season still running.

[Racin Jason 72]

Looks like judging by the crowd and standard of racing it could be here to stay

[waiheke1]

I would be very surprised. Dont know what the figures are, but my estimate is crowd simlar to last year, perhaps slightly up, but nowhere near year 1.

The only way I reckon is If bsi markedly drop the rate and possibly an aussie gp gets added to split transport costs. Or if bill decides last night was so good that its worth him sinking another million and a half dollars over the next three years.

[Undercover Elephant]

I see no reason to just pull out other than the south coast district elite lge darlings having their season openers ruined!

 

Split costs and potentially doubling up with a trip in Australia if it's financially viable are options, it's not easy to just quit on this venture and walk away without all the logistics thoroughly looked into after last night. Bill Buckley and the fans in attendance want this to happen again and again. They love their speedway here with a passion. Costs, shipping, gate money return, advertising, marketing plans etc, it all adds up.

[Guest]

I see no reason to just pull out other than the south coast district elite lge darlings having their season openers ruined!

 

Split costs and potentially doubling up with a trip in Australia if it's financially viable are options, it's not easy to just quit on this venture and walk away without all the logistics thoroughly looked into after last night. Bill Buckley and the fans in attendance want this to happen again and again. They love their speedway here with a passion. Costs, shipping, gate money return, advertising, marketing plans etc, it all adds up.

"They love their speedway with a passion" in New Zealand? Three speedway only venues - Rosebank, Moore Park and Oreti Park - none running on a weekly basis. You could have fooled me.

[LagutaRacingFan]

This is more to do with the BSI's inflated inscription costs.

Why don't they hold a European championship round.

[Haza]

I see no reason to just pull out other than the south coast district elite lge darlings having their season openers ruined!

Split costs and potentially doubling up with a trip in Australia if it's financially viable are options, it's not easy to just quit on this venture and walk away without all the logistics thoroughly looked into after last night. Bill Buckley and the fans in attendance want this to happen again and again. They love their speedway here with a passion. Costs, shipping, gate money return, advertising, marketing plans etc, it all adds up.

the big danger of holding a round in Australia either before or after the Western Springs GP is you could split your crowd would Aussies travel to Auckland if there was a GP in Australia ? Yes some would but my guess Western Springs crowd would be much smaller .

[Yikes]

If the SGP is to go further than the usual locations it needs a NZ or Aussie destination. USA would be good to.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Why don't they hold a European championship round.

Maybe because New Zealand is not in Europe?

[SCB]

If he's £500,000 thats 20,000 fans at £25 a ticket. Thats 6000+ fans a year to break even. Was this event ever going to make money?

 

I just cant get my head around the costs, it makes no sense. Surely the only additional cost this GP has over say the Italian GP is the travelling expenses.So you have to pay for about 50 people to fly to Nz - £700 each and the same for bikes (and that was a quick quote online - I'm sure it can be done for less!) thats sub 50k or 2000 people.

 

So where the hell is it costing Bill Buckley 160k a year even after gate money is taken off his costs?!

 

And if even an Aussie GP comes along and absorbs 100% of freight/travel cost he's still 100k+ out of pocket every year!

[Humphrey Appleby]

I just cant get my head around the costs, it makes no sense. Surely the only additional cost this GP has over say the Italian GP is the travelling expenses.So you have to pay for about 50 people to fly to Nz - £700 each and the same for bikes (and that was a quick quote online - I'm sure it can be done for less!) thats sub 50k or 2000 people.

So where the hell is it costing Bill Buckley 160k a year even after gate money is taken off his costs?!

 

Flight tickets may well be double the above figure. You might get a 700 quid fare if you don't care when or how you travel to NZ, but I recently had to pay over a thousand quid for a ticket to NZ for business, and that was after shopping around a bit.

 

You also haven't factored in BSI's staging fee, which is likely to be well into six figures.

[waiheke1]

Also the cost of totally relaying the track for the event (and then afterwards)I imagine must be substantial.

I believe a figure of 20000 attendance to break even was mentioned. Final loss to bb mentioned on the news last night was $2m (about a million quid) over the three years. Based on reprted attendances, gate money fir the three events would have been round about the $1.75m mark. Had there been average 20k per event that would have been roughly an extra $1.5m.

One of the other main issues was lack of a main sponsor for any of the three events.

So looks like it is gone, sad but i never expected the gps to come here so the last three years have been brilliant and much appreciated

Scb you also omitted accomodation costs, which for a five night stay plus flights could make the total cost over two thousand quid per person. And possibly more than 50 people if you assume fim and bsi officials also have to be paid for?

[Guest]

the big danger of holding a round in Australia either before or after the Western Springs GP is you could split your crowd would Aussies travel to Auckland if there was a GP in Australia ? Yes some would but my guess Western Springs crowd would be much smaller .

 

I doubt these figures are available but it would be nice to know

(1) the overall attendance?

(2) how many New Zealanders attended the meeting?

(3) how many travelled from Australia?

(4) how many travelled from USA?

(5) how many travelled from Europe (if possible breakdown of countries)?

To my way of thinking, it would need a factor showing at least 60 per cent overall were from the host nation to prove the event's worth as an addition to the host nation's sporting calendar.