The VK Tracktime team of Vince Sharpe, Kristin Hawthorne and Geoff Evans advise confirmation of their planned promotion for the NZ Endurance Road Racing Championship. This event is set down for the 7/8 May, 2005 at Pukekohe, and will run under the banner of VK Tracktime presents the "NZ Motorcycle Distributors 300".
The race is over 2 hours and ten minutes and will cover 330 km approximately, for two classes being Production Superbike and Sports Production motorcycles run concurrently. Additional to this are supporting classes of Post Classic and 125 GP bikes with some specialist stunt riding and a band to finish off the weekend.
The highlight of the promotion is the negotiations to secure LIVE BROADCASTING by Sky Sport One for both the qualifying sessions (1 hour Saturday), and the Endurance Race and other weekend events (3 hours Sunday). A package will also be made up for delayed coverage to Free to Air TV.
Numerous attempts to secure outside sponsorship have proved an exhaustive and challenging experience. With the time frame becoming critical to the success of the planning, the NZ Motorcycle Distributors Association including Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Triumph, Aprillia, BMW and Ducati have combined to financially secure the event. Additional sponsors include the Metzeler and Dunlop distributors, Forbes and Davies, Protecta Insurance and Kiwi Rider magazine.
Vince Sharpe commenting that "the 600 cc and open class racing this year has been tremendously exciting and probably at an all time best since the bike boom and associated racing period of the 70's and 80's. Endurance Racing can become a little more of a level playing field so to speak with fuel consumption, tyre wear and rider fatigue all contributing to the demanding conditions".
There should be opportunity for dealers to become entrants and field their own teams with this exciting TV coverage. It goes without saying that the better supported this event, the more prominent it will become and establish its own identity for future sponsorship proposals.
We envisage teams will have their pit crew in smart uniforms and yes, we encourage the brollie dollies. We want the glitz and glamour just like Moto GP racing and seek the attention from the public and motorcycle fraternity to acknowledge this event as high profile and a much talked about weekend.
The Endurance race will be started on the flag fall from the legendary Eric Bone and will feature the traditional Le Mans style start. Entry forms will be available via MNZ website or from VKTracktime's dedicated website: www.vktracktime.co.nz
Corporate entertaining is also planned and future development of this race weekend to become a major Auckland event with support from Tourism Auckland and Enterprise Franklin will be pursued.
April press release will confirm further details