Rally New Zealand part of worldwide rally research

8 August 2007
Attention Sports Editors

Rally New Zealand part of worldwide rally research

New Zealand will form part of an extensive research project by world motorsport’s ruling body the FIA on the World Rally Championship.

The 38th Rally New Zealand, round 11 of the FIA World Rally Championships, will be staged in and around the Waikato and Franklin districts from 30 August until 2 September.

The Auckland University of Technology will be included with a group of leading universities across the world is to work on a major research project examining the socio-economic impact of the FIA World Rally Championship.

New Zealand has been selected to be part of the new initiative, which will also draw together leading sports research centres in Finland, Spain, Germany and Ireland.

The lead institution in the project is the University of Ulster (Ireland), which will work closely with associates at the AUT as well as the University of Jyväskylä (Finland), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), and the University of Zweibrücken (Germany).

“The FIA recognises the importance of having well-researched information,” said New Zealand’s Morrie Chandler, President of the WRC Commission.

“The promoter of the events in each of these countries will work closely with its local research partner to provide a worldwide view of the true value of the World Rally Championship. The intention is that, in the following year, this research will be expanded to gain in international impact profile."

Dr. David Hassan, from the University of Ulster, Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Institute (SESRI) said: “This is a very exciting development and the WRC is to be commended for demonstrating such foresight. In an expanding sports marketplace it is inevitable that all sports will have to outline their value to sponsors, public bodies and the media."

The research, which started today at the ninth round of the series in Finland, will conclude with the first-ever staging of an FIA WRC event in Ireland on November 16. The report from the first phase of the research will be presented to the World Rally Championship Commission in January 2008.

Rally New Zealand organisers are working closely with AUT to develop the research for the event later this month and they hope that the information with form a key part in their commercial development going forward.

Rally New Zealand begins with the shakedown at Mystery Creek on Thursday 30 August ahead of the Ceremonial Start in downtown Hamilton on Thursday evening.

The rally proper begins on Friday 31 August in the Otorohanga and Waitomo region, day two is in the Franklin District and northern Waikato and final day in Raglan, with super special stages each day back at the rally headquarters and service park at Mystery Creek.

ENDS

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