V8 Supercars chief executive Martin Whitaker is sure the category's future in New Zealand is strong.
V8 Supercars has had to take over the promotions for this weekend's Hamilton 400 event after the previous local promoter ran into financial troubles following last year's races.
But Whitaker believes New Zealand is still akey destination for the championship, although he refused to confirm whether the Hamilton event's future had been secured.
"The most important thing is our relationship with New Zealand as a whole and that is very much a long-term relationship," Whitaker said.
He is clearly keen to continue with the Hamilton street-circuit event, which has been a part of the calendar since 2008.
Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker claimed to be "horrified" shortly after taking office in December when she discovered the V8s had received $27.4 million from the previous council for the first three years of the event.
Whitaker said the challenge this weekend was to prove to Hardaker that the event was worth the expense. "They've obviously had some tricky times [but] I don't think it pays to dwell on the past," he said. Whitaker hinted V8s would be keen to find another local promoter to ease pressure on his team.
