New bid puts V8s back on the start grid

Auckland's seemingly doomed V8 supercar race could be salvaged if a last-minute bid with the backing of motoring magnate Colin Giltrap is successful.

The V8s were thought to be lost to New Zealand after bids based in central Auckland and Wellington failed.

But Australian V8 racing boss Tony Cochrane is due to arrive here tomorrow to begin last-ditch talks with three competing groups, including a Whenuapai Airbase syndicate and another group involving Mr Giltrap.

Mr Cochrane told the Herald on Sunday if he could not find a track and a promoter by the end of the week New Zealand would lose the V8 race for next year.

Two groups, both serious contenders, were proposing Pukekohe as a short-term solution with the race moving elsewhere in the long-term, he said.

Mr Cochrane would not reveal who was managing the bids, but one is understood to be from a group including former IMG general manager Dean Calvert, who promoted the failed Auckland city street race bid, as well as Mr Giltrap, who also owns New Zealand's A1 Grand Prix franchise.

Mr Calvert refused to comment on the new bid, other than to say the group would be holding a press conference on Tuesday. Mr Giltrap, who has been out of the country for two months and is due to meet with Mr Calvert this week, said he would give the bid any assistance he could.

A third bid, managed by town planner Pete Sinton and centred on Whenuapai airbase, was "hanging on by a thread" and had been significantly disadvantaged by "unworkable" conditions imposed by the Government, Mr Cochrane said.

Defence Minister Mark Burton agreed to make the airbase available for up to 10 days a year for V8 racing, but said the Air Force would have to be able to reclaim the base at 24 hours' notice in case of a "significant emergency".

But even if the conditions could be altered, Whenuapai was only a long-term option and not a possibility for 2006, Mr Cochrane said.

Mr Cochrane, chairman of race organisers Avesco, said the ultimate deadline for a decision was July 24, the day Avesco has to finalise its international calendar.

"Quite frankly, if I can't get something nailed and finalised next week we've got no hope of keeping New Zealand on the calendar for next year," he said. But he remained hopeful a viable bid could be found.

"We're doing all we possibly humanly can to keep it alive in New Zealand for the sake of our fans."

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey was still optimistic about the chances of attracting the race to Whenuapai and said the council would do everything it could to ease the regulatory and resource consent burden for the bid.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY