If I had to choose I’d say I’m more of a Goons fan, yet here I am tapping away at the keyboard of my laptop with the words to Monty Python alumni Eric Idle’s wonderful (and no doubt deeply subversive) comedy song ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ running on a constant loop inside my head.
I say deeply subversive because the song was written for the movie Monty Python’s Life of Brian, specifically for the final ‘crucifixtion’ scene, in which a bloke on a cross next to ‘Brian’ starts singing the song to make him (and the other similarly ‘hung-up’ individuals) feel a little better about their predicament.
Which, in a roundabout sort of way is what my column this week is about.
If, for instance, you took as gospel some of the stuff written about our sport (particularly on some Facebook pages) you could be forgiven for thinking that things are in a parlous (defined as ‘in a bad or dangerous condition’) state.
Yet from where I stand things – in general – could hardly be better. On any weekend, for instance, there are literally hundreds of events from one end of the country (not to mention the world) across all the many and varied disciplines to either compete in yourself of watch in person, via a Livestream, or on TV.
There are also now any number of talented car and/or engine builders and trade suppliers able to make a living from the motorsport sector that if you want – literally – anything from a Dzus Fastener to a race-ready LS1 crate engine all you have to do is get on the phone/email/facebook, hand over your credit card details and it will be delivered to your door.
Of course, most of you probably know this. But the way human beings are wired means if we read something somewhere from what seems like a credible source, we tend to mentally nod and agree with it. Unfortunately most commentators here and across the Tasman seem to focus on the negatives rather than the positives.
Me? I’m the opposite. And to help bring some (much needed) balance to the local ‘commentariat’ I bring you 12 things that are good about motorsport here and/or around the word at the moment. People first, then series and/or events. (Disclaimer. Bar 2KCup I either have had, or still do have, some sort of involvement with all of the ‘good buggers’ or ‘good things’ mentioned here.)
Scott Dixon
Seriously, I don’t think we have had a better ambassador for our sport since the late, great Bruce McLaren. As a kid (because that’s actually what he was at the time) Scott copped a bit of flack for the way he dealt with the public. A lifetime living and working in the fishbowl of US racing has smoothed any edges he might have had though and to watch him now both in and out of his PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Indycar is an absolute pleasure. A driver at the very top of his game in arguably the toughest open wheeler category in the world…and he’s one of us. Priceless.
Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin
Those of you with memories as long as mine will remember the days when having a Kiwi compete ‘at Bathurst’ or in ‘the Aussie Touring Car Championships’ was a novelty. Now two of the best drivers in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship (how the series is known today) are Kiwis. They’re not the only ones either, but right now they are the best. Importantly, both grew up watching the series on TV here and attending the annual NZ round. And both had their hearts set on competing in it (rather than trying to get to F1) from an early age.
Mad Mike Whiddett
With more than two million followers on Facebook and an incredible six (yep six) million views for his Crown Range drift video on YouTube, Mad Mike is not just New Zealand’s most recognised ‘racing driver’ in terms of social media ‘cut through,’ he is arguably our country’s best known ‘athlete.’ That’s a million MORE followers, for instance, than rugby poster boy Dan Carter. NBA pro basketballer Steven Adams might earn (a little!) more but he (again, by way of comparison) has ‘only’ 230,000 followers on Facebook.
Nick Cassidy (pictured above)
One of the great things about motorsport here in New Zealand is that no matter who you are, or where you live, you’ll ‘know someone’ who is a bona fide superstar, or superstar in the making. Take Nick Cassidy. He used to live round the corner from me in Auckland’s West Harbour and went to the same primary school my kids did. When I was asked once to name ‘the next Scott Dixon’ without hesitation I said ‘Nick Cassidy.’ Last year he made history by being the first Kiwi to win Japan’s Super GT series. And I see he’s just won his first Super Formula race in Japan…so I guess sometimes I can be right.
Sir Colin Giltrap & sons
I was actually there (at The Giltrap Group’s then new office/showroom complex in Auckland’s Great North Road) when the deal was done. So I know just how important it was to Scott Dixon’s fledgling career that Sir Colin agreed to buy the brand new Indy Lights car Stefan Johansson had ordered but was, er, yet to pay for. Had Sir Colin not stumped up for the new car, Scott would had had to struggle with the original car’s ‘well-past-its-use-by-date’ tub and rather than go on to greater things in the new, fresh car, Scott could have…..well, let’s not go there! Since then Sir Colin and sons Richard and Michael have gone on to invest in the careers of several other notable young Kiwi drivers, including Hayden Paddon and Shane Van Gisbergen, not to mention the impressive but ultimately ill-fated A1GP series
Ken Smith MBE
Ken Smith has been good to me. As the reporter who originally broke the story (n Auckland’s short-lived The Sun newspaper) of his need for triple bypass heart surgery back in 1987 he could easily have black-listed me. Yet apart from the odd grumble (because believe me, Kenneth James Smith reads EVERYTHING written about himself or a race he has contested) when I have got something wrong, he and I share the sort of professional friendship I wish I had with more drivers. First and foremost I love writing about Ken because he defies so many stereotypes. The other reason is that like Sir Colin Giltrap he is a giver, not a taker. A rare quality in our sport.
SAS Autoparts MSC NZ Tasman Cup Revival Series
When, 13 (or is it 14?) years ago a bloke called David Abbott phoned to ask if I was interested in ‘writing the odd press release about our new Formula 5000 series’ I was happy to help. Like a lot of guys of ‘a certain age’ I had been gob-smacked/awestruck etc by the likes of Graham McRae, Teddy Pilette, Warwick Brown et al when the 5000s were the big drawcard at Teretonga when I was a kid, so just getting close to the raw, visceral machines was going to be a bonus. Since then of course the series has consolidated its status as one of the best historic single-seaters categories – and as such is the envy of others in the UK, US and Australia – in the world.
Historic Racing Club
Seriously, I don’t know how Chris Watson does it. From an office the size of any similar organisation’s broom closet at the back of the Auckland Car Club building in Auckland’s Mt Roskill, he oversees an empire (of sorts) which organizes, promotes and otherwise sorts out the day-to-day activities of club racers from Northland to Taupo. Join the club and Chris can help you get your competition licence, enter an event, hire a timing transponder, even sell you some advertising space for the Livestreaming of an upcoming event. Legend!
D1NZ/Grassroots Drifting
While all the great and good in local motorsport officialdom were wringing their hands about the dearth of ‘young people’ joining clubs and starting out on the motorsport ladder the ‘young people’ in question were creating their own sport (not to mention pathways) Drifting. Like Freestyle Motocross (FMX) Drifting gets rid of all of traditional motorsport’s boring bits (the straights) and focuses on the exciting bits (the corners). Helping seed and grow the sport here in the early days was access to cheap(ish) imported sports cars from Japan……..so we have more to thank Peter (PJ) Johnston for than…let’s see; Scott Dixon, Brendon Hartley and the possibility of getting a WRC round back here in NZ.
Targa NZ
It’s appropriate that Peter Martin is one of life’s ‘driven men.’ His has by no means been an easy road, but the annual Targa NZ (and associated events) tarmac rally remains in good health (more challenging/interesting/attainable/sustainable etc, etc) because of Martin, the former motor trade and finance industry exec who bought it 10 years ago. The ultimate ‘Big Picture’ guy he took the 20th anniversary event to the South Island in 2014, somehow persuading authorities and those living on them to close some absolutely iconic roads. Like? Like the Crown Range, and the (only) one! between Queenstown and Glenorchy. Since then he has added the biennial Silver Fern (gravel) Rally to his event roster, and if current plans come to fruition he will…………..whoops, that might not quite be ready for publication, sorry Pete!
2KCup
It’s a case of like father (Chris Watson), like son for 2KCup founder and general mainman James Watson. Like the grassroots drifting scene the 2KCup (as in cars can cost no more than $2000 at time of purchase) was born out of equal amounts of frustration and opportunity. Frustration in that the cost of ‘going racing’ in any sort of new, or purpose-built, car. Yet opportunity in that TradeMe (at the time) was chock full of second, third, fourth etc etc hand 5-speed manual 2.0 litre cars nobody else seemed to want. That was in 2013 and five years on the category could not be in better health having introduced hundreds of new competitors to the country’s tracks and given others a cheap and cheerful reason to dust off the suit and helmet and get back involved.
The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship
Is this series not the best, closest, most exciting ‘tin-top’ one in the world right now? If nothing else the TV coverage is everything anyone from a hardened fan to a casual watcher could ever wish for. Then there is the racing. There is usually less than a second separating the top guys from the blokes (and bloke-ess) at the back and the standard of driving these days is simply superb. The cars look and sound sensational and the drivers engineers and team managers to a man (and woman!) always appear friendly, approachable and ready with a quip, despite the incredible pressure they must be under.
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