Football club motor racing set for NZ?

26 January 2011

Tottenham Hotspur could be battling it out with Real Madrid in New Zealand later this year – in super race cars each backed by the football teams.

Taupo’s international circuit has provisional agreement to bring the glamorous Superleague Formula, one of the most keenly followed in world motorsport, here around November.

“It’s tentative at this stage, there is great deal of water to flow under the bridge before we can say it will happen, including finance,” said the CEO of Taupo Motorsport Park, Geoff Langham.

“But the most difficult part is getting the championship organisers to consider New Zealand, and we’ve achieved that and more. Many circuits around the world would dearly love to host Superleague Formula.

It was Mr Langham’s vision, experience in motorsport and many local and international contacts which have brought this to reality. Mr Langham said his brief had been to bring a large event to Taupo and the race circuit.

“The leading executives of Superleague Formula will be here in the next few weeks to meet with us, inspect Taupo Motorsport Park and our facilities, and generally get the lie of the land,” said Mr Langham.

The Taupo circuit is rated international Grade Two, which is the standard required by Superleague Formula.

“This formula is one of the best-kept secrets in motor racing, at least in this part of the world,” Mr Langham explained. “To get New Zealand on their radar is quite a coup, the event has not been contested any further south than China until now.

“Everything about the championship is extraordinary, with single-seaters that perform like Formula One cars, using 750bhp V12 engines.

“It’s raced at some of the world’s most famous circuits including Monza, Nurburgring and Donington Park.

“Big money produces extremely close and exciting racing: last year the winner, RSC Anderlecht, scored 699 points over the 12 rounds, just two points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. You don’t get much closer than that.

“After Formula One it’s one of the biggest titles in the world, and definitely the most innovative with the football club involvement - that’s the really attractive part, the thing that draws so many fans worldwide.

“Each car carries its club’s colours – and it’s not just putting their name to a sponsorship, the clubs take a real ownership role and get heavily involved with their teams,” he said. “The clubs are in it to win it.”

Twenty of the world’s most iconic football outfits are involved, including PSV Eindhoven, AC Milan, Liverpool, Basel and Porto. Among them, they have won a staggering 264 league titles, 154 domestic cups, 15 European Cup / Champions' League titles and 37 other major international competitions.

The football clubs are attracted by a far-reaching TV entertainment package, using cutting-edge broadcast technology.

In a radical race format comprising two 40-minute feature races and a five-lap ‘dash-for-cash' Super Final, the drivers chase a total of NZ$10 million in prize money. In 2010, champion Davide Rigon won approx NZ$3.3 million.

New Zealand driver Chris van der Drift pilots the Galatasaray car. It was in this championship that he had a spectacular crash at Brand Hatch last season, effectively ending his title hopes. The spill, in which his car was launched into the air and split in half, was televised worldwide and is now a youtube favourite.

“Chris is a top driver in SuperLeague Formula, with five wins and 12 podiums in the first half of the season before his crash, so it makes sense they would come to New Zealand,” said Mr Langham.

The proposal is that Taupo host one of the three final rounds in the 12-stop championship, in or about November. Mr Langham said he has begun the process of seeking the funding required to run the event and will be looking to local and national governments, local, national and international businesses and of course motorsport and football clubs and enthusiasts.

"Having successfully doubled our number of rounds last year, we believe a 12-event calendar - which don't forget comprises 36 races in total - is the perfect number to stick with moving forward,” explained Superleague Formula Competitions Director Robin Webb.

“The Chinese rounds taught us a lot last year so I think Superleague Formula's fourth season of competition is the right time to be visiting more countries further afield and introducing the series to new fans and markets.”

2011 Superleague Formula calendar (provisional)

Round 1 Italy Autodromo di Monza April 16/17
Round 2 Portugal Autódromo do Algarve May 7/8
Round 3 Holland Circuit TT Assen June 4/5
Round 4 Germany Nürburgring June 18/19
Round 5 Spain Circuito de Navarra July 2/3
Round 6 Belgium Circuit Zolder July 16/17
Round 7 UK Donington Park August 6/7
Round 8 China Ordos International Circuit September 10/11
Round 9 China Beijing International Street Circuit September 17/18
Round 10 TBC Non-European October
Round 11 TBC Non-European October
Round 12 TBC Non-European November

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Superleague Formula, where top international football clubs back high-powered race cars like the one driven by Kiwi Chris van der Drift, is mooted for Taupo later this year.

ENDS

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