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)