There's a big weekend ahead on the motorsport front at Hampton Downs.
It's the second edition of the 'Nextgen' NZ championship - designed to reinvent the national racing calendar.
The series features race categories that have previously showcased the likes of Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, Matt Payne and Liam Lawson.
Founder of National Racing Group Promotions Tony Quinn says that this championship is something he is fully engrossed in.
'I don't get to see the impact of the change, because I see the change happening week to week.'
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're back into the summer of motorsport. This weekend, the
opening round of this year's nixt Gen New Zealand Championship
is underway at Hampton Downs. It's got reorganized last year
in an attempt to tidy the calendar and bring a
bit of order to the season. Tony Quinn's behind it
as founder of National Race and Group Promotions, and Tony
as well as Tony Morning Morning must it must give
you a real sense of satisfaction, you know, given what
(00:22):
you're doing for the sport and you're getting the rewards
and seeing the fruit of your labor, all of.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Those things make and you know, I just I love
New Zealand. I love the place. I love the people.
I even love the toilets. I think it's a great place.
It's definitely God's country. And this morning I've just arrived
at Hampton Downs and it's looking a picture.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I was going to say, it's a clear blue sky.
Certainly my part of the world. I'm assuming down the
road it isn't yours. As you sit there looking at
that facility, and whether it's Tower Pa or Highlands or that,
I mean, that's got to fill you with some pride
doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yes, it does, and I suppose because it's been it's
been part of my life and I've been totally engrossed
in the whole thing. I don't I don't get to
see the impact of the change because I see the
change happening week to week. But when you do revisit
it after a period away, it is a special place.
(01:21):
You know, Hunting Downs is a proper racetrack, you know,
it's it definitely is fit for purpose.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Anyway, just take us through this this reorganization. What did
you discover what needed to be done last year? Did
that work? And how you sit then for this year
or is there more to do?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
There's always more to do. But the sport was in
a bit of disarray and disorganized and uneconomic, and people
weren't getting paid and they were relying on volunteers too much,
and you know, people didn't want to do it because
it was there was no point in doing it because
it get paid to do it. So we took it
(02:02):
on last year at the last minute, and so through
the season and at the end of that we said, right,
this is what needs to happen to fix it, if
you like. And so this year is really our first year.
We did it last year to sort it out, but
this year is our first year of being a true
(02:23):
promoter of the summer series. And you know we've brought
people on like Repco and Sky. You know, there's some
good people behind it this year, and you know it's
looking really good. We've got some really positive news about
some of the superstars that are coming out this summer.
(02:44):
And this is where New Zealand fits into the whole
global motorsports scene. Our season is when everybody else is
having winter holidays, you know, you know in the northern hemisphere,
and we need to re rebirth that whole situation. It's
been forgotten about for the last decade or two, and
(03:05):
we need to rebirth that whole opportunity for people to
come from Europe in America down to New Zealand in
the summer. We need to get the tourism thing gone,
because that's what New Zealand's good at. It's good at
lots of things, but it's really good at tourism. And
I believe that everybody that comes here meant seriously. I
(03:25):
still have people from Australia that come to Highlands and
say how long has this been here? For I can't believe.
And I'm not just talking about highlands. I'm talking about
the actual environment. And for some strange reason, all the
dollars that we spend on television and magazines telling everybody
how good it is, when they get there, it's just
(03:47):
a totally different experience from them. So, you know, I've
always thought New Zealand. New Zealand's strength is its natural beauty,
and if we can get people here to see it,
I think it's a job well done.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Exactly. You mentioned Sky a moment ago, television coverage and motorsport.
What are the numbers around it? Is it successful? And therefore,
you know, not only for the fan watching the cars
go around the track, but the fact that you're putting
New Zealand out to the world.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, look all, yeah, yeah it is. And I think
what I would lean on is that there has been
a tendency to be very traditional about it and rely
on the traditional motorsport fan. But I think what we've
seen in the last five ten years is F one
reaching out to far more, a far bigger audience, and
(04:39):
their numbers have just gone berserk, and off the back
of F one, we should all be trying to keep
up with them with you know, lifestyle segments as well
as the sport. I believe that there's a lot more
need for lifestyle content in television with the sport, and
again that that can bring in tourism. And you know,
(05:03):
you need to use every second of television to promote
what you've got. You know, it's it's yeah, it's all
right watching cars going round and round, but they need
to And look just at the weekend last weekend, we
were at the Gold Coast and we saw the cars,
the vight cars jumping over the curb. Yeah, and you
know that's already got millions and millions of eyeballs around
(05:26):
the world. So you know, that's our job in New Zealand.
We have to we have to. We're a small country
and we need to try as hard as we can
and we will, but we just need to be And
tivs are good at thinking outside the square as well.
So so brace yourself. Who knows what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right yourself? Good on you, Mike, Good to catch up,
appreciate and have a fantastic weekend and a good season.
I have a summer. Tiny Quinn, founder of the National
Rising Group Promotions I got everything, They got the GT
world and they got the GT four finishing up. That's
in Australian contest. Movie. Grig movie is in a GT
Bowl this weekend, so those two are coming across. The
Testament will be finished up. So you get everything from
the eighty sixers through to the glamour cars and the
(06:04):
fan experience, the whole thing. So Tony Quinn is to
be congratulated for his energy and effort and success in
New Zealand motor racing. For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to News Talks at B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
We're back into the summer of motorsport. This weekend, the
opening round of this year's nixt Gen New Zealand Championship
is underway at Hampton Downs. It's got reorganized last year
in an attempt to tidy the calendar and bring a
bit of order to the season. Tony Quinn's behind it
as founder of National Race and Group Promotions, and Tony
as well as Tony Morning Morning must it must give
you a real sense of satisfaction, you know, given what
(00:22):
you're doing for the sport and you're getting the rewards
and seeing the fruit of your labor, all of.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Those things make and you know, I just I love
New Zealand. I love the place. I love the people.
I even love the toilets. I think it's a great place.
It's definitely God's country. And this morning I've just arrived
at Hampton Downs and it's looking a picture.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I was going to say, it's a clear blue sky.
Certainly my part of the world. I'm assuming down the
road it isn't yours. As you sit there looking at
that facility, and whether it's Tower Pa or Highlands or that,
I mean, that's got to fill you with some pride
doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yes, it does, and I suppose because it's been it's
been part of my life and I've been totally engrossed
in the whole thing. I don't I don't get to
see the impact of the change because I see the
change happening week to week. But when you do revisit
it after a period away, it is a special place.
(01:21):
You know, Hunting Downs is a proper racetrack, you know,
it's it definitely is fit for purpose.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Anyway, just take us through this this reorganization. What did
you discover what needed to be done last year? Did
that work? And how you sit then for this year
or is there more to do?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
There's always more to do. But the sport was in
a bit of disarray and disorganized and uneconomic, and people
weren't getting paid and they were relying on volunteers too much,
and you know, people didn't want to do it because
it was there was no point in doing it because
it get paid to do it. So we took it
(02:02):
on last year at the last minute, and so through
the season and at the end of that we said, right,
this is what needs to happen to fix it, if
you like. And so this year is really our first year.
We did it last year to sort it out, but
this year is our first year of being a true
(02:23):
promoter of the summer series. And you know we've brought
people on like Repco and Sky. You know, there's some
good people behind it this year, and you know it's
looking really good. We've got some really positive news about
some of the superstars that are coming out this summer.
(02:44):
And this is where New Zealand fits into the whole
global motorsports scene. Our season is when everybody else is
having winter holidays, you know, you know in the northern hemisphere,
and we need to re rebirth that whole situation. It's
been forgotten about for the last decade or two, and
(03:05):
we need to rebirth that whole opportunity for people to
come from Europe in America down to New Zealand in
the summer. We need to get the tourism thing gone,
because that's what New Zealand's good at. It's good at
lots of things, but it's really good at tourism. And
I believe that everybody that comes here meant seriously. I
(03:25):
still have people from Australia that come to Highlands and
say how long has this been here? For I can't believe.
And I'm not just talking about highlands. I'm talking about
the actual environment. And for some strange reason, all the
dollars that we spend on television and magazines telling everybody
how good it is, when they get there, it's just
(03:47):
a totally different experience from them. So, you know, I've
always thought New Zealand. New Zealand's strength is its natural beauty,
and if we can get people here to see it,
I think it's a job well done.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Exactly. You mentioned Sky a moment ago, television coverage and motorsport.
What are the numbers around it? Is it successful? And therefore,
you know, not only for the fan watching the cars
go around the track, but the fact that you're putting
New Zealand out to the world.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, look all, yeah, yeah it is. And I think
what I would lean on is that there has been
a tendency to be very traditional about it and rely
on the traditional motorsport fan. But I think what we've
seen in the last five ten years is F one
reaching out to far more, a far bigger audience, and
(04:39):
their numbers have just gone berserk, and off the back
of F one, we should all be trying to keep
up with them with you know, lifestyle segments as well
as the sport. I believe that there's a lot more
need for lifestyle content in television with the sport, and
again that that can bring in tourism. And you know,
(05:03):
you need to use every second of television to promote
what you've got. You know, it's it's yeah, it's all
right watching cars going round and round, but they need
to And look just at the weekend last weekend, we
were at the Gold Coast and we saw the cars,
the vight cars jumping over the curb. Yeah, and you
know that's already got millions and millions of eyeballs around
(05:26):
the world. So you know, that's our job in New Zealand.
We have to we have to. We're a small country
and we need to try as hard as we can
and we will, but we just need to be And
tivs are good at thinking outside the square as well.
So so brace yourself. Who knows what's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Right yourself? Good on you, Mike, Good to catch up,
appreciate and have a fantastic weekend and a good season.
I have a summer. Tiny Quinn, founder of the National
Rising Group Promotions I got everything, They got the GT
world and they got the GT four finishing up. That's
in Australian contest. Movie. Grig movie is in a GT
Bowl this weekend, so those two are coming across. The
Testament will be finished up. So you get everything from
the eighty sixers through to the glamour cars and the
(06:04):
fan experience, the whole thing. So Tony Quinn is to
be congratulated for his energy and effort and success in
New Zealand motor racing. For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to News Talks at B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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