V8 Supercars has said it is still very keen to hold a race in New Zealand but such a race will be on its terms, at a venue that has a long-term future, and that won't break the bank. It has done a deal with the Hamilton City Council to write a cheque for $1.25 million and cut both parties' losses.
Some pundits are championing Auckland or Wellington but I can't see either of those cities being exposed to the sights and sounds of man and machine battling it out around its waterfront.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown, who's in the process of trying build a city state, isn't likely to entertain the idea despite Auckland's failure to host a single annual international event of any note these days.
Mind you, a round of the World Rally Championship is coming back to Auckland next year so let's hope some obscure local council doesn't start complaining about the damage to a snail's eardrums, or something.
As to Wellington, a few councillors tried to get the V8 Supercars but to no avail. Not wanting to hold an international event in your own city seems odd, especially when in the past street racing in the capital was a huge hit. At one stage in the late 1980s the Wellington 500 was a round of the inaugural FIA World Touring Car Championships. And remember folks, motorsport is the second most watched global sport in the world - sorry about that, rugby, but you don't really feature - behind soccer.
I hear some mumbling, "What about Hampton Down?" Well, what about it? It's too short and there is no money to extend and finish it.
One suggestion was to use the former Air Force base at Whenuapai but to build a circuit on a flat airfield would be to make something the drivers might enjoy but from the fans' perspective it would be as boring as bat guano.
Former racer Frank Radisich and town planner Peter Sinton apparently conjured up a deal with Phil Goff, when he was Minister of Defence, allowing them to race at the base from 2008 to 2014. If that's the case, they have to get a track built by 2013 and will have only one more year before the consent runs out.
There is one more option and that's Pukekohe, where the races were once a great success. I know the track needs upgrading, as well as the stands, but the infrastructure is all there and there's enough room on the infield to extend the track. The place has provided good fast racing in the past and has led to lot of Kiwi success.
Some of the drivers have said they wouldn't want to go there. But it's not really about them, it's about the sport and its development long after they've hung up their helmets.
I had a chat with the acting chief executive of V8 Supercars, Shane Howard, after the decision that next year's V8 Supercars race would be the last held in Hamilton.
"The Hamilton decision has given everybody clarity and that there will be a race at Hamilton next year and we're going to make it a hell of an event," Howard said.
"It also gives us the ability to go out and find a new home for the event. It is our intention to race in New Zealand and that's what we intend to do.
"But that said, there is no guarantee after 2012 [that there will be a race in New Zealand]. It is now our No1 goal to go out and find a new home and we would like that home to be closer to a larger population and major corporate centre.
"We can now move forward with confidence that after 2012 we can establish another venue. The racing history and transtasman rivalry is second to none and a Kiwi team and driver won here this year."
I then pressed the point about the possibility of picking up Pukekohe quite cheaply these days.
"We'll investigate all opportunities whether they're cities or tracks," Howard said. "You know, Pukekohe put on some fantastic races but obviously it would need some major upgrades but we wouldn't rule it out."
In my book, if something isn't ruled out then it's still in contention.
And something else Howard said made me think we need to keep at least one V8 Supercars race on this side of the Ditch.
"It's a big show as you know and we have some of the best racing in the world ... the cars are fast, they look good, they sound great and have great public appeal. We're heading to Texas in 2013 and the promoter, when he spoke to [V8 Supercars chairman] Tony Cochrane, said he wanted the three best motorsport categories in the world: Formula One, MotoGP and V8 Supercars."
So let's try to keep something with an international flavour on our shores rather than things only about five countries play.
