31 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Just received from NZ:

 

"Motorsport will lose the use of iconic Pukekohe Park Raceway, with Auckland Thoroughbred Racing announcing plans to expand its operation at the venue from next year.

"The last motorsport event has been scheduled for April 2, 2023, as horse-racing takes centre stage.

"But Supercars have confirmed their commitment to continuing in New Zealand, despite the loss of its primary venue over the past 20 years.

" 'It's obviously a great loss to farewell a circuit with so much history and heritage to both New Zealand and Australian racing', said Supercars chief executive Shane Howard.

" 'Legends were created here and it was the location of Supercars' first ever international Championship race. Its legacy will live on for many years to come..' ."

From 1963, Pukekohe had replaced Ardmore aerodrome as home venue of the New Zealand Grand Prix.  Now just more misty memories.

 DCN

[marksixman]

Denny, Chris, and many others rotating in their graves. Very sad news.

[BRG]

Good news as I could never figure out how to pronounce it.

[Glengavel]

Bl**dy horseracing. Is there any other sport that exists only to keep bookies in Bentleys and sheepskin coats?

[opplock]

This has been expected for decades. The horse racing authorities imposed severe restrictions on motor racing activities held at horse racing venues. From memory Levin couldn't hold a car/bike meeting if a horse racing meeting was to take place anywhere within 40 miles. 

 

I assume Supercars will now migrate to Hampton Downs. A few miles down the road.    

[Michael Ferner]

I wonder what "supercars" are. I suspect they wouldn't excite me anymore than a race full of thoroughbreds. When was the last time real racing cars ran at Pukekohe?

[Ray Bell]

You mean Formula Fords?

 

After all, New Zealand's prime openwheeler series was run for these useless things for a time.

[djr900]

Was it originally & primarily a horse racing venue ?
rather than a motor racing circuit ?

If so it's a shame to lose any track, but it's good they allowed motor racing at all.
So many sports won't share venues with motor sport , usually for no good reason.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
.....From 1963, Pukekohe had replaced Ardmore aerodrome as home venue of the New Zealand Grand Prix.  Now just more misty memories.
 

Wigram had a turn in 1974 (F5000)

Manfeild from 1992 to 1995 (Formula Atlantic 92, 93, then Formula Holden)

Ruapuna in 1998 and 1999 (Formula Holden)

Teretonga 2002 to 2007 (Formula Ford to 2005, then Toyota Racing Series)

Manfeild 2008 to 2020 (Toyota Racing Series)

Hampton Downs 2021 (Toyota Racing Series)

No NZ GP was held in 1996, 1997 or 2001, otherwise all not mentioned were at Pukekohe.

[john aston]

You mean Formula Fords?

 

After all, New Zealand's prime openwheeler series was run for these useless things for a time.

 Or , as I call them , the single seaters which have provided the closest ,best supported , most affordable and successful racing for nearly 50 years ... 

[opplock]

 Or , as I call them , the single seaters which have provided the closest ,best supported , most affordable and successful racing for nearly 50 years ... 

 

Hear, hear but I think you mean "nearly 60 years". 

 

For Michael's benefit Supercars is the official title for the Australian version of silhouette tintop/banger racing. A series with an uncertain future as both Ford and General Motors no longer manufacture cars there. Ray and others on here prefer to call them Stupidcars. NZs premier single seater series has been Toyota Racing Series since 2005. They last ran at Pukekohe in March 2009. Hampton Downs has hosted subsequent TRS races in the Auckland area.      

[Nick Planas]

Good news as I could never figure out how to pronounce it.

So come on, someone - let's have an answer to the implied question, as it occurred to me that I haven't a clue either (about many things, but this in particular!)

 

Nick

[opplock]

 When was the last time real racing cars ran at Pukekohe?

 

9th January 1971. Ferrari 246T (Graeme Lawrence), March 701 (David Oxton). 

Edited by opplock, 20 July 2022 - 21:54.

[GregThomas]

So come on, someone - let's have an answer to the implied question, as it occurred to me that I haven't a clue either (about many things, but this in particular!)

 

Nick

Sorry, you really need a kiwi accent to do it properly.  The tracks been on borrowed time for quite a while now. The bikes have had limits put on what can race there so the National series hasn't gone there for several years. "Safety" improvements for the taxis have reduced runoff and put barriers just where a bike doesn't want them. 

Getting a crowd there has been difficult too of late. Last time I was there for the Motorcycle National Series, the crowd was so thin it was suggested competitors go into the stands and thank them for coming. Wouldn't have taken long.

[Tim Murray]

So come on, someone - let's have an answer to the implied question, as it occurred to me that I haven't a clue either (about many things, but this in particular!)

Nick

Taken from this post from that much-missed New Zealander David McKinney:

Pukekohe - pooky koe-y (first syllable as in cookie)

He did explain elsewhere that this was the Anglicised version, as the correct Maori version was rather more complex.

[Vitesse2]

[Nick Planas]

Thank you! Brings back memories of a lovely NZ friend who I worked with in London in the '80s, who called me "Nuck" all the time. Of course she was insistent that I had the accent, not her, but we were in the UK... 

 

I wonder how many of the visiting drivers took the trouble to pronounce the name correctly?

[opplock]

The answer is almost certainly none. Up until I left in 1981 I only knew the anglicised pronunciation. It was only in the 1980s that Maori pronunciations were commonly adopted and, for example, Wanganui became Whanganui. I got very confused when I first returned in 88 as they seemed to have changed half of the place names in my absence.  

[70JesperOH]

During the group A touring car period of the 1980s to early 1990s, Pukekohe had a place in my international motorsport calender. As a part of the Nissan Mobil 500 series, with the streets of Wellington being the other part, local and international touring car teams diced for victory in tough enviroments. Wellington as a rough street circuit, and a week later the fast nature of Pukekohe, although it had a pair hard braking points. In the mid-1980s the series was held during the early part of the year, but soon moved to a slot late in the year, after Bathurst and Macau with the pair of Kiwi races to wrap up the year.

 

I think the group A TWR Jaguar XJ-S had it's final race during the 1987 Pukekohe 500 kilometer in early 1987.

 

I will miss the circuit, just for newer get the pronounciation right!

 

Jesper

[Catalina Park]

This should help...

https://www.youtube....h?v=j2LpG3Fkmwo

Edited by Catalina Park, 21 July 2022 - 11:10.

[Lee Nicolle]

During the group A touring car period of the 1980s to early 1990s, Pukekohe had a place in my international motorsport calender. As a part of the Nissan Mobil 500 series, with the streets of Wellington being the other part, local and international touring car teams diced for victory in tough enviroments. Wellington as a rough street circuit, and a week later the fast nature of Pukekohe, although it had a pair hard braking points. In the mid-1980s the series was held during the early part of the year, but soon moved to a slot late in the year, after Bathurst and Macau with the pair of Kiwi races to wrap up the year.

 

I think the group A TWR Jaguar XJ-S had it's final race during the 1987 Pukekohe 500 kilometer in early 1987.

 

I will miss the circuit, just for newer get the pronounciation right!

 

Jesper

Both the Wellington and Hamilton Touring Car events were a round of the NZ Off Road Championship!!

And Pukekohe was fairly rough as well.

As for that track it has always been a motorrace track at a horse race venue. A pity to lose it as it has always put on decent racing. 

But no doubt it will be replaced for Stupidcars with another street circuit. Going to a proper race circuit would never be sensible!!

[Lee Nicolle]

Hear, hear but I think you mean "nearly 60 years". 

 

For Michael's benefit Supercars is the official title for the Australian version of silhouette tintop/banger racing. A series with an uncertain future as both Ford and General Motors no longer manufacture cars there. Ray and others on here prefer to call them Stupidcars. NZs premier single seater series has been Toyota Racing Series since 2005. They last ran at Pukekohe in March 2009. Hampton Downs has hosted subsequent TRS races in the Auckland area.      

Errr, Banger racing is a form of demo derby. Stupidcars would never be any good as they fall apart in a crash!

Seriously they could be a good form of racing if they were actually cars with relevance to a production car instead of obese underpowered Sports Sedans. Powered by cubic dollars. 

The current cars are an Opel powered by a 5 litre Chev that owes most of its parentage to a Boss 302 Ford and cut and shut to fit a Holden Commodore chassis. And a Mustang that is a total Funny Car. John Force would love it!! An ugly characature fitted to a 4 door Falcon chassis. to what is a fairly attractive car. Powered by a Boss 302. Yeah a 1969 engine but at least it is a Ford. And for a while we had V8 Volvos as well as V8 Rear drive Datsuns as well. Still playing in the level 2.

Next years rules,,, which are still being sorted has a Camaro that is NOT sold in Australia by a defunct manufacturer V a Mustang that looks like a Mustang,, well sort of that you can actully buy here in Oz. Made in the US but made RHD for our market.

Hence the continued name of Stupidcars. 

[GregThomas]

Pukekohe was and is rough. I believe it's on peat or something similar. I've been to meetings there held after trucks had been raced there. The apex of the hairpin usually had the seal pushed up into foot high waves on the entry side - and trenches on the exit. 

 

If the taxis - or stupidcars - do come back, it's not likely to be a street circuit as it's understood the Auckland council won't come to the party with finance. Auckland is probably the only council now which could afford it. So it's likely to be the Tony Quinn owned Hampton Downs down the road a bit.

Edited by GregThomas, 21 July 2022 - 18:58.

[Gary Davies]

As a lad in England, buying Motoring News on the way to school to catch up on the most recent Tasman Series events, I came to the conclusion it was ‘Pukey Koe’.

Twas years later when a Kiwi pal enlightened me - Pook-a-Koey, with Pook being pronounced as Book.

Mind you, back then I used to say things like Australia, Ghee-long, Melbourne and Lawnston (as in Tasmania).

Now I know it’s Striya, Jlong, Melbn and Lawnsesstn.

[kingswood]

  Good on ya Davo, mate

 

As a lad in England, buying Motoring News on the way to school to catch up on the most recent Tasman Series events, I came to the conclusion it was ‘Pukey Koe’.

Twas years later when a Kiwi pal enlightened me - Pook-a-Koey, with Pook being pronounced as Book.

Mind you, back then I used to say things like Australia, Ghee-long, Melbourne and Lawnston (as in Tasmania).

Now I know it’s Striya, Jlong, Melbn and Lawnsesstn.

 

[Ray Bell]

Correction...

 

It's actually 'Malbn' to the natives.

 

Which is way better than the untold abbreviations we get in other places.

 

Murbar

 

Mullum

 

Dee Bay

 

The Isa

 

The Curry (I actually prefer to call it 'Clonkers')

 

The Alice

 

etcetera...

 

But there is nothing, nothing I say, worse than mispronouncing Goondiwindi.

 

You hear 'Guendiwindi' and 'Goo-(as in book)-diwindi' and other troubling efforts, but it's so simple. Gunnd-windy.

[Michael Ferner]

Yeah, this. I never really understand how people can have trouble pronouncing Oachkatzlschwoaf.

[Gary Davies]

Ditto with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

[Vitesse2]

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is pretty easy as long as you know how Welsh letters are pronounced - although I'm not sure this is actually a correct translation of cappuccino: https://www.walesonl...uccino-21505873

 

But even knowing how English letters are pronounced will not enable you to get Woolfardisworthy (in Devon) or Happisburgh (in Norfolk) right.

[john winfield]

 

But even knowing how English letters are pronounced will not enable you to get Woolfardisworthy (in Devon) or Happisburgh (in Norfolk) right.

 

And just when you've mastered the pronunciation, and have reached Woolfardisworthy, you find that you're in the wrong Woolfardisworthy, and that the one you want is also in Devon, but forty miles north.

[Michael Ferner]

 

But even knowing how English letters are pronounced will not enable you to get Woolfardisworthy (in Devon) or Happisburgh (in Norfolk) right.

 

 

That's the trouble with letters - it's not about how they are pronounced, because the words existed already for ages before letters were invented. It's about usage of letters to approximate pronunciation, and English has a bad track record there.

[Vitesse2]

That's the trouble with letters - it's not about how they are pronounced, because the words existed already for ages before letters were invented. It's about usage of letters to approximate pronunciation, and English has a bad track record there.

English is mostly consistent, but those two place names most definitely don't conform to your theory, Michael!