Super-car event blows hot and cold for firms

Many of the V8s are already back in Australia. Photo / Sarah Ivey

While figures are set to roll in over the next few days on the impact the Hamilton 400 had on the city's economy, several businesses around the racetrack say trade was down compared with a normal weekend.

Yesterday was the start of the two-week clean-up after the three-day motorsport event as Hamilton continued its come-down from the weekend of partying.

A report commissioned for last year's event revealed $28 million was spent over the weekend and Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock hoped the figure this year would be at least $20 million.

But the council did not commission another report - last year's took three months to complete - as it was a costly exercise.

However, figures about how much was spent at the actual event will hopefully be known this week.

Double the amount of merchandise is thought to have been purchased at stalls this year.

But some restaurants in the suburb of Frankton, near where the racetrack was situated, say business was slow.

A Seafood Grotto employee said the eatery had only about a third of the number of customers it usually had on a weekend night.

"I think people were under the impression it was difficult to get into Frankton. People were saying they'd heard that all the roads were closed."

But Mr Simcock said it depended on what part of the city you went to.

"Certainly the central city did very, very well. Some restaurants reported it was their best period ever."

Promoter Dean Calvert said he had not received any complaints about the event. Roads were opened yesterday and the 28,000 seats in the eight grandstands would start to be cleared this week.

Thirty Holdens and Fords that competed in the event were double-stacked on trucks at the racetrack, driven to Auckland Airport and loaded on specially built racks in two Qantas 747 jumbo jets.

Half of the V8 fleet, several sporting broken bumpers and headlights, were flown to Melbourne yesterday. The remaining cars are to leave for Brisbane this morning.

And about seven freight trucks carrying equipment such as tyres and petrol will be shipped back to Australia at the end of the week.

Australia's Gibson Freight is responsible for carting the vehicles from their workshops across the Tasman to the Hamilton racetrack and back again.

Managing director Peter Gibson said the company, which specialises in transporting race cars and motorbikes to motorsport events around the world, brought over about eight staff but contracted about 50 people from local companies to help out.

The pit crews have two weeks to repair any damage in time for the next event on the V8 calendar, at the Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria.

Inspector Paul Carpenter said there were fewer arrests during the three-day event than over a normal weekend.

"With thousands of visitors ... this is a credit to all involved. Staff on the street reported a positive vibe that, combined with an enhanced, highly visible police presence, has ensured a really successful weekend."