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RATS Home on the web
Sun 4 Jul 2010
Some events for the 2010 - 2011 season have been added to the calendar. All dates are provisional, although some dates are more provisional than others. The clubmans dates are probably the most provisional, and the Premier and Thunder meetings dates are probably reliable.
Tue 29 Jun 2010
Racing this Sunday at Hampton Downs This just in from Race Control :
Hi guys,
This weekends round at Hampton Downs is going ahead.
Report time 7.45 - no password or tickets, and parking out the back of the secretariat. Classes include 26 SuperKarts!
Lunch will be provided.
Wed 16 Jun 2010
Racing at Hampton Downs this weekend has been cancelled due to lack of entries. Our next event is now the Whangarei rally. This is our second international rally, being a full on round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).
Update 17 June : Received an email from Race Control saying that the next race meeting is July 4 at Hampton Downs. That is round 2 of the Winter Series, and it's round 1 that has just been cancelled. Watch this space ...
Fri 11 Jun 2010
Added to the Calendar : There is an Escort Car Club meeting at Pukekohe this weekend which is a low key sprint meeting so we only need a low key presence which Ray Reese is covering for us, but if you want to lend a hand you will be appreciated and used - report time is 9:30.
If you'd rather get out on the track and have a play yourself on Sunday, due to cancellation the Hampton Downs track is having a public day, $100 per car for the whole day of track time.
The weekend after that is the first round of the Winter Series at Hampton Downs. Classes running in the series are Alfa, BMW, Formula First, Formula Libre, Honda Cup, Open Saloons, Sports and Sports Racing cars, and special guest class Super Karts. There are 4 rounds in this series, dates are on the calendar page. Our involvement is TBC but I expect it to be start line and pit lane.
Mon 31 May 2010
It's Queens Birthday weekend coming up and there is plenty to see and do. We have enough people coming to survive at Hampton Downs but more is always better so if you've suddenly realised you're available come on down - or up (thanks Iben) :-)
On a slightly related note between us we have a load of young'uns who are just about old enough to start helping in Pit Lane and boy are they keen. Once they start to join the ranks, how many of these smaller non-international events people have helped at will have to be considered when we are doing international events with restricted numbers (ITM400, Top Gear Live etc).
A bit further south Targa Rotorua is happening with documentation and scrutineering on Friday evening on the Village Green and racing Saturday and Sunday around the region. Visit the targa website for details.
Have a good weekend !
Thu 20 May 2010
Altherm 1000 at Hampton Downs There is a FOUR HOUR ENDURANCE RACE on Saturday afternoon 05 June 2010. Practice and Qualifying will be on Saturday morning. In other words it is a one day event. This is an inaugral event so there is not a lot of information about it, particularly we don't know what sort of cars or numbers to expect. The regs are wide open as to what may take part ...
Can anyone please help us out on this one ? Need people for Start Line, and also for Pit Lane if we have the numbers.
Thu 13 May 2010
Pukekohe this weekend just when you thought you could put your feet up and have a rest after Rally NZ, along comes an enduro. Guess your feet will have to have a soak instead :-) This just in from Race Control ...
Hi guys,
Yup, it's that time of year again, The Northern Sports Car Club is running its 6 hour race this Saturday.
Report time is 9.45 for a 10am briefing, practice starts at 11am, race starts 2pm and finishes at 8pm.
Lunch will be provided.
We recommend you bring lots of warm clothing, a complete change of clothes in your car, wet weather gear, and lots of thermos's of soup or hot water to make hot drinks! Waterproof footwear is also a must.
Mon 3 May 2010
RNZ 2010 maps are available by clicking here. This is appendix 3 to Rally Guide 2, the high res maps for the officials and competitors not the low res public map on the RNZ website. It's a 7 mb pdf file, to download it right-click it and save-as :-)
Mon 26 Apr 2010
We're back at Pukekohe this weekend for the Auckland Car Club race day. Report time is 8:45, with lunch and water provided. We'll be looking after the start line and the pits in that order depending on how many people we can muster.
Don't forget Rally NZ is only a week and a bit away now - Wednesday next week it all starts to happen down on Queens Wharf at the Service Park. The timing crew is (over)full but we still need everyone we can get to help out in the service park. Any days, all days, experienced, newbie, all welcome. Contact Dave Shergold or Phil Teal if they haven't already contacted you :-D
Mon 26 Apr 2010
ITM400 is done and dusted for 2010 Well done and thank you to everyone who helped us out in Hamilton for this event, they were long days and that southerly wind wasn't nice.
Message from Race Control - "to our team who worked the ITM400 - WE ROCK!"
Thu 15 Apr 2010
ITM400 sign in times : For anybody not going to the Y, we are in the second group for sign in / breakfast, our report time is 06:45 on Friday and Saturday, and 06:30 on Sunday. Note tha one - it's earlier on Sunday !
It would pay to bring a big bag, if I'm reading the notes right we will be getting issued a total of 6 bottles of drinks when we sign in each day.
23 hours to Pit Lane ...
Tue 13 Apr 2010
Meeting time on Friday morning Will be 06:00 at the Y to arrange carpools (parking passes are needed this year), cars that we're not using can be safely left there for the day. Pete will also be there from Thursday night after 8(ish) with the gear to be issued.
Tue 13 Apr 2010
ITM400 links these might be useful - grab 'em, print 'em, bring 'em ...
The most important of them all - the schedule !
Radio frequencies for the V8 Supercars
Entry list for the V8 Supercars
A map of the track
People have asked whether we are meeting at the Y or direct at the track - I asked Phil and this was his answer "Option to meet at Breakfast on Friday otherwise at take it from there - comfirm time for breakfast is.....XXXX" - so now you all know as much as I do, watch this space :-)
See y'all this weekend at the Y ... or at Breakfast ... (XXXX for breakfast ???)
Sat 10 Apr 2010
Rally NZ Merchandise You will have seen Phil's email calling for people for Rally NZ. The window for RNZ volunteers to order merchandise at the volunteer price is now open, and as usual we only have a couple of days. Click here to download the order form
The deadline for orders is next Tuesday the 13th of April, return the form to
Brenda Lupton
Administration
Rally New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 276 0882
Fax: +64 9 276 0881
Mob: +64 21 272 5592
brenda@rallynz.org.nz
The grapevine says that RNZ volunteers are being issued with a cap, a polo shirt and a polar fleece this year.
Obviously, you can only order gear at this price if (a) you are going to be joining us for RNZ, and (b) you are checking the website and see this notice.
Fri 9 Apr 2010
Hampton Downs this Sunday we have ACC Clubmans racing at Hampton Downs, we'll be covering the start line / pit exit / pit lane in that order depending on how many people we get. Report time is 0830 and the weather forecast is fine, and just for the record Hampton Downs is 10km closer to the Claudelands Bridge in Hamilton than the Harbour Bridge in Auckland ...
Mon 5 Apr 2010
The website has been given a makeover ! - As you've probably noticed, it's now a heck of a lot easier to read than it was, especially the links.
Along with moving the whole thing to a new server a lot of the back-end stuff has been converted from pure handwritten html to php/mysql which will make life easier in all sorts of ways - one small example, the calendar now sorts itself out into current/old events so that bit is always up to date. When I got the website up and running last November after a 3 year hiatus I had to throw something together in a couple of hours so that we'd have something that worked, and I said then "It will eventually be made to look swish and pretty". Well, here's a start.
Any feedback (thanks to everyone who said you couldn't read the links) will be taken on board for use in the next overhaul.
And for those who asked if I use Frontpage, nope, I'm a geek from way back and the only software used in the production and maintenance of this site is notepad :-)
Fri 26 Mar 2010
Briefings for the ITM400 officials are next week. Hopefully everybody who wanted to go and could do all 3 days put a form in applying for a position. Everybody who did that got a job. Briefings for Officials are coming up next week. Pete and I will be collecting gear for all of our Pit Lane team so that's one queue you can avoid. Briefings are Tuesday 30th 7pm in Auckland (Northern Sports Car Club) or Thurs 1 April at the Hamilton Car Club.
RATS aren't doing anything official this weekend but there's superbike racing at Hampton Downs and the weather forecast is good, why not head on down and see the rest of the track (there's more to it than pit lane and the front straight !)
Thu 25 Mar 2010
If you can see this, breath a sigh of relief. As many of you have noticed the website has been down more than it has been up lately, so it has been moved to a new host. If you can see this it means that we are alive and running on the new server, and that the site might actually be here when you check it (or when I try to update it!)
Thu 25 Mar 2010
GPSs and the ITM400 Those of you who have ever tried to get your GPS to direct you to anywhere in Hamilton when you're there for this weekend will know just what a huge pain it is when you need to be somewhere that's on the other side of the track, and your GPS keeps trying to send you down Mill St. This year here at RATS we've done something about it.
With the compliments of the NZ Open GPS Project, RATS is proud (and greatly relieved) to present a special free autorouting mapset for Garmin GPSs that not only knows that there is a track in the middle of Hamilton, but will NOT try to send you through the middle of it !
Click here for more details and to download the maps.
Thu 11 Mar 2010
All enjoying your 'holiday' ? Don't worry, it won't last :-) The Commodore Car Club are running sprints at Pukekohe this Sunday. RATS isn't going to be there but they need some more flag marshalls. If you would like to go ask us for Anna or Deb's contact details.
Also this Sunday, the Auckland Motorcycle Club have a test day at Hampton Downs. Same deal - RATS isn't there but they are way short of flaggies.
Also this weekend Targa are running the Targa Bambina tarmac rally around Franklin / Awhitu. RATS isn't there officially but a couple of us are helping out with mid-stage jobs. Targa are perenially short of helpers, so if you like the idea of a weekend watching cars racing on the roads around Rotorua head over to Targa's website (or email me) and we'll find you something to do for Targa Rotorua in June.
20-21 March there is the Legends of Speed meeting at Hampton Downs. We will be there officially for this one so need people for waving flags on the start line and to patrol pit lane.
Thu 25 Feb 2010
Back to reality and no not the Duayne Dibley variety. Now that the dust from Top Gear Live has settled and we've all had a few days to recover it's back to the Motorsport season. This Saturday sees the HRC 12 hour enduro at Hampton Downs which I don't think we have an official presence at although there are still some marshalls spots to be filled, and Sunday is an Auckland Car Club race day again at Hampton Downs - we are running the start line for this one, so we need some flag wavers. Please let Dave S know if you can help. Even if you're not part of our team you're still most welcome to come along and help us.
The list for the ITM (Hamilton) 400 is pretty much sorted, I think we might still need one more person to help with the pit garages. You must be able to do all 3 days 16-18 April, and if we have too many people the confirmed spot will be allocated on merit (i.e. how much we've seen of you previously) and anyone else will be put on the standby list. Based on experience we can expect one or two to pull out in the last couple of days before the event, so the standbys will probably get used.
Sun 14 Feb 2010
Happy Valentines Day !
Top Gear Live team - assembly time for Wednesday has been brought forward to 8am at the Showgrounds. It will likely be a long day (week!) so bring appropriate supplies.
For those not doing TGL next weekend, there is a 2 day meeting at Pukekohe and we could use people for all positions. All welcome.
ITM400 (Hamilton 400) - if you think you're going to be a pit lane / grid / flag marshall there you MUST have sent in an application by now. Yes it is up to us who we take in the pit lane crew if there are more people than places, but we can only choose from people who have applied. That is out of our control. You should also try to be available for one of the briefings. Pit Lane people go to the Officials briefing, Grid and Flag marshalls go to the marshalls briefing. Dates are on the calendar. You can go to the Auckland or Hamilton briefings, or both if you are really keen :-)
The current list of Pit Lane people is Rick, Benny, Corey G, Cameron, Ed, Ray, Dave S, Pete, Phil, Barry, Iben, David C-B, Kevin, Paul, Dave K, Greg, Ashley, Dennis, Carter, Harley, Gary, Graham, Andrew W and Kris. If you're not on that list and you think you have a pit lane job, speak up now :-)
Fri 12 Feb 2010
Top Gear Live 2010 - details are starting to dribble through. Aim to turn up about 9am on Wednesday, local crew (that's us) call time is 10am for the first rehearsals. We'll figure out parking on the day. We're looking to finish around 8 or 9 that night. Maybe. One meal each day will be supplied, and remember that if it's like last year there won't be time to nip out for anything during the day so come prepared with plenty of water and probably more food. Wear plain black shirts, trousers and shoes. Show times are Thurs 6.30, Fri 5.00 8.00, Saturday 12.00 3.30 and 7.30, Sunday 11.00 2.30 and 6.30, and shows are approx 90 minutes, so our days will finish probably about 2 hours after the last show starts. Remember no cameras in the non public areas (mainly the theatre while it's closed, and backstage). Do check out the TGL website if you haven't already, there's a lot more going on than just the car show and theatre show they had last year. And, of course, watch this space :-)
Wed 10 Feb 2010
Hamilton ITM400 team - You should have filled out an application form by now. Even if you're not sure whether you can make it you need to have a form in to be considered at all. Pit Lane marshalls need this form Officials Application and grid / flag marshalls need this form Marshalls Application. Post it back to Gary Lathrope as per the bottom of the form, or scan it and email it back to Rachael - one of us can give you her email address if you need it.
Fri 5 Feb 2010
Top Gear Live team - Dennis has a meeting with the show organisers next Thursday, hopefully after that we'll have some times etc. Check back here at the end of next week.
Thu 4 Feb 2010
No rest for the wicked, we're back to Hampton Downs this weekend for The New Zealand Motorsport Cup. Classes running are NZV8's, V8 Utes, Toyotas, Porsches, Minis, Ducklings and Muscle Cars. Days are Friday / Saturday / Sunday, report times are Friday 0745, Saturday 0830, and Sunday an almost civilised 0845. Everyone welcome, experienced or not we will find you a job ! Friday and Saturday in particular are supposed to be scorchers so remember hats, water and sunblock.
Thu 28 Jan 2010
We're at Pukekohe this weekend, don't go to the wrong circuit ! LOL The Festival of Motor Racing continues at Pukekohe this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The programme for all three days is the same one used last weekend, follow the link in last weeks update to get the pdf daily schedule with the Festival logo at the top. This is the version that was in the programme, and it's the one that Race Control run the meeting by. On the Festival's website there is a schedule in the competitor information section that is slightly different, don't use that one. Friday mornings "races" are practise, Friday afternoons "races" are qualifying.
There isn't any new information about this weekend so I'm going to take a punt and say report time will be 07:45 at the track each day, no tickets needed for Friday, park outfield on the grass hill near the bridge, Dave K will be at the gate handing out tickets for Saturday and Sunday until 07:50, bring plenty to drink, bring your mates if you think they'd like to have a go because we are a bit light on numbers, and remember to slip slop slap.
Special thanks to Dave K and Ray, who have pretty much held this series together for us.
Fri 22 Jan 2010
What an awesome day at Hampton Downs ! Big fields in all classes and the promise of good hard racing. Just what we like. Report time Saturday and Sunday is 0745. Dave K has the tickets to get us in the gate, and will be at Gate 1 handing them out both days until about 0750 so don't be late :) The official Official Parking is somewhere outfield behind the apartments, although the block marshall on the gate this evening couldn't process the phrase "official parking" when I asked exactly where so you may be able to find something more convenient. Remember to bring water and raincoats. Lunch provided is a bottle of water and a sandwich. If the weather is like today it'll only be very brief showers, but they're also very wet.
Print out this page and bring it with you, it's the daily programme which is the same every day. Friday these are practises and qualifying, Sat and Sun they are races. These are either very hard to find at the track, or easy to find if you want to pay $10. This same programme will be used next weekend at Pukekohe.
Wed 20 Jan 2010
HRC are back at Hampton Downs again this weekend. It's a 3 day meeting, Friday Saturday and Sunday. On Friday we are having a small but emphatic presence in pit lane while the HRC boys look after their start line, then on Saturday we're taking over the whole shooting match. We have enough people to scrape through but others are always welcome. Details for Friday are 0745 report time at the track and no tickets needed, haven't heard anything about Sat or Sun yet. Watch this space ...
Wed 13 Jan 2010
HRC at Hampton Downs this weekend. Information is slowly trickling in. We need to come up with 4 people for a start line crew, at least one of them must know what they're doing. We're not planning on having a presence in pit lane. Info on tickets and meeting places / times still to come, previously for HD events the meeting place has been at the track ... Check here later in the week for updates. Tony can't make it, Pete can't make it, I can't make it, if you want to give Start Line a go this is your chance. New people welcome, and Dave will be sending out the email invitation to everyone but remember, you heard it here first ! :-)
Wed 6 Jan 2010
HRC at Taupo this weekend is happening without us as far as I know, I haven't heard about anyone putting their hand up to go down. The next meeting we are working at then will be the HRC at Hampton Downs on the 16th/17th of Jan. Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Years, and we'll see you trackside :)
Wed 23 Dec 2009
Briefing Dates for Hamilton 400 have been added to the calendar. Grid and Flag Marshalls need to go to a Marshalls briefing, Pit Lane Marshalls need to go to an Officials briefing. Everyone who wants to be at the H400 must send Rachael back their Sporting Official Application form. RATS will be selecting the Pit Lane Marshalls team, but you still need to have applied for the job so we can select you :-)
Mon 21 Dec 2009
The Calendar has been updated to version 5 of the fixtures list with the addition of two HRC 12 hour enduros, one in Jan and one in Feb. The Jan one is at Taupo and RATS only involvement at this stage is an invitation from Race Control to be there, email David or Peter if you want more details on that one. On the fixtures list I see a note about needing numbers for accomodation, so that may be provided. The Feb enduro is at Hampton Downs so we probably have to be there.
If you have friends that you think might enjoy this sort of thing then by all means bring them along and give them a go - the calendar is getting awfully busy and we can't keep doing all this with the same dozen or so people ...
Tue 15 Dec 2009
Top Gear Live 2010 team has been found (for now). They asked us to provide 14 people, we said we would need 17, and it's possible we'll still need more. Problem being that as yet we don't know what we're actually doing ... Watch this space ...
The team so far is Dennis, Dave S, Gary, Iben, Carter, Mark, Benny, Dave K, Barry, Phil T, Pete, Brian, Ed, Tom, Harley, Mike and Ray. Congrats guys, it's going to be a good week - let's hope it's not mid-afternoon on the hottest day in 20 years with 99% humidity again when Mr Clarkson first arrives in the building. And particular congrats to the people who are on the team because they replied to the notice below !
Tue 8 Dec 2009
The Fuel Policy summary has been updated and a pdf version is available to download, see the 'fuel protocol' page for details.
Tue 8 Dec 2009
Top Gear Live 2010 Just to see who's checking the website on any sort of regular basis ... We have been requested to provide crew again for Top Gear Live 2010, February 17-21. We have worked through the list of people who came last year to see who wants to come back, with the condition that this time everyone who comes must commit to all 5-days. We've filled most spots but we still need a couple of people, and we're about to send out a mass email to all RATS members. If you can do all five days and would like to be added to the list of people who are getting invitations before we open it up to everyone, send us an email saying so.
Wednesday 17th February Rehearsal
Thursday 18th February - 1 show
Friday 19th February - 3 shows
Saturday 20th February - 3 shows
Sunday 21st February - 3 shows
Mon 7 Dec 2009
The calendar has been updated to version 4 of the fixtures list.
Mon 7 Dec 2009
TACCOC at Hampton Downs this weekend is under control, no more people needed.
Wed 2 Dec 2009
The programme for Thunder in the Park is available from here, right click to save it or left click to open it in a new window.
Wed 2 Dec 2009
Thunder in the Park media release is available here, sounds like it's going to be a good weekend !
Tue 1 Dec 2009
Thunder in the Park , Pukekohe, this weekend ! Meet at Bombay Motorway Services outside Subway at 08:15 on Saturday and 07:30 on Sunday to get your passes. Race Control have asked for some helping hands for Friday, contact Gary or Pete or Dave if you're available and we'll put you in touch with the right people.
Sat 28 Nov 2009
Report time for the Lotus/Monza meeting at Hampton Downs this weekend is officially 0730 at the track both days, 0800 should be fine. You'll need one of the emailed tickets to get in, email Pete or Gary if you don't have one.
Fri 27 Nov 2009
The calendar for the 2009/10 season is online.
Fri 27 Nov 2009
Welcome to the all new horrible looking RATS website. It's not nearly as pretty as the old one but it's not nearly as old either. It will eventually be made to look swish and pretty, until then please bask in the glory of having current information.