Eric Thompson: Lets's get on with the racing

At last all us motorsport fans are ready to forget for a moment the wrangling, the bitchiness, the blaming and the he-said-she-said and go motor racing.

The motorsport off-season has been dominated by two things, neither of them good. First we had the V8 split with some teams and drivers deciding they wanted to do their own thing separate to Motorsport New Zealand and their promoters, the Motorsport Company, and set up their own non-sanctioned championship series.

The one to hit the headlines most, lately, is about the money Hamilton spent hosting the V8 Supercars, which some could construe as a bad look for the sport. In my book, however, that's more about council members, promoters, organisers etc not being transparent and not about racing.

On the other hand, the schism in New Zealand V8 racing is more of a concern. Egos will be egos, I suppose, and there's no denying they have got in the way of many a good thing in the past. While I don't know who's right and who's wrong or who's the perceived injured party, I don't care.

In fact, I couldn't give a hoot who thinks they're in the box set, all I know is if it isn't resolved, and soon, there may not be any V8 racing in New Zealand. There's simply not enough money around to sustain two series.

I noticed a funny thing at the weekend's opening round of the 2011-2012 New Zealand Racing Series at Pukekohe. The drivers just wanted to go racing and wanted the whole issue to be resolved.

The round winner over the weekend, Angus Fogg, has just about had enough of all the wrangling. He told the Weekend Herald that, "It's all a bit of a swinging you know what contest at the moment. New Zealand's not big enough at all to have this sort of split and you would hope that by the end of this season there would be a clear path forward and a unified front.

"But with some of the personalities involved, who knows. I guess it's the survival of the fittest and I'm not putting my money on either one. I'm just focused on this year and see what pans out with the new NZV8 car, which I think is every bit as good as the SuperTourer."

Personalities, eh. I have a sneaking suspicion a lot of the so-called personalities aren't racecar drivers but folk more politically or financially motivated. However, as just a motorsport correspondent, who am I to judge what happens behind closed doors?

Having just written that, it has occurred to me that's exactly where all this angst over what direction New Zealand V8 racing should head should have stayed - behind closed doors until it was sorted out. There's been way too much public airing of views from the respective camps.

I had an interesting chat with longtime V8 racer Paul Manuell after the weekend's opening gambit. Manuell announced earlier in the piece that he was putting his hat in the V8 SuperTourer camp, which is his right as he and his sponsors are paying to go racing, but he was at the opening round of the BNTV8 championship at Pukekohe.

To do both series would be a hell of a commitment not only in the time and resources needed to run both cars, but in the cost.

"If I had the chance to do both series I would jump at it. I would if I could go racing in both classes and if someone wants to sponsor me I'm there. I want to race for my sponsors and the fans," said Manuell.

"I did the NZV8s this weekend but I won't be doing the rest of the championship. I wanted to get some seat time and keep on it. Having said that, we may go to Ruapuna for the next round but we don't have any definite plans at the moment.

"The car was ready for last weekend and so we decided to go for a skid. With all this stuff about the class splitting, the last thing New Zealand motorsport needs is negative opinions going out in the media releases and stuff like that," he said.

He's got a good point. Airing your dirty washing in public is never a good idea. Everyone is united in the thought the category had to move forward after 10-odd years with the same clunkers. Drivers and teams have done a brilliant job in getting an ageing racecar - still using a carburettor - to look and handle like something not from the Dark Ages.

"I want to go racing in something newer and better for myself and importantly my sponsors are tired of the old jigger. I want to go racing for my sponsors as well as myself in a class that's moving forward," Manuell said.

"I was the president of the V8s for 10 years and I don't want to see the demise of any class in this country. No one needs it. It's as simple as that. Whether the two camps can come together again, I'm not too sure. But the place is sure not big enough for both."

Now there is a concern, and probably the most valid one to date, which hasn't been mentioned by the warring factions. Without sponsors you won't have top-notch racing and mark my words, if you confuse a sponsor as to where he should place his money, you may not get any money at all.

On a positive note, while I feel for the drivers, teams and sponsors involved in the big accident in race two on Sunday, it was bloody marvellous to hear bellowing V8s do what they are supposed to do - make noise and go racing. There was some excellent racing in the support classes, too. So good on everyone who turned up and good luck at Ruapuna.