08/08/2025
Shayne Alach smashing an Aussie lip.
Parramatta, NSW, April 2018.
International competition lifts our sport and is one of the most marketable products we have, drawing upon our inbuilt partisan nature and patriotism.
Chili Bowl does it quite well by having a parade of states and countries, like an Olympic opening ceremony as part of the pageantry and all important crescendo of atmosphere that leads to the green flag.
This photo from this once great track was another exciting event when good people in our sport sent, on several occasions, a couple of containers of Kiwi Midgets to race the Speedcars. The ANZAC rivalry adding that other dimension.
Then we have what I feel is the ultimate.
The International Midget Car Test Series at Western Springs.
What makes it attractive and work is:
1. 'To be continued' - The Story Arc
When its run over 3 (or more) nights you get to leave the stadium on night one like reading the opening chapter of a good book or a new tv thriller series that leaves you on a cliff hanger, unresolved, begging to know what happened next, wanting more. It creates a story arc across the the multiple nights from a national (nation vs nation) perspective. Tallying up the points. Banter with overseas speedway mates. One night of test racing offers little in terms of a story arc.
2. 'The doldrums' - Media Coverage
The lull in the Christmas- New Years news happens every year including sport. Apart from the cricket, the IMCTS @ WS is one of the only events worth covering. In the past we have had numerous news teams turn up to fill their hole. Some even doing live crosses which hypes up the night and gives the sport a rare positive portrayal we need more of. It allows the chance to plug the rest of the series to gain bums on seats. Its a win-win.
3. 'There is No Such Thing as Perfect' - Format
If the driver beside you in the pits gets automatic entry and you have to race your way in the features for 3 or more nights in a row it can feel unfair. The same if they are getting appearance money and you are not. Bums on seats and entertainment is about exciting the crowd and the Test racing delivers that. A few formats have been tried but the best seems to be:
3 teams
3 drivers per team
3 races per night
3 nights
All 9 drivers start from 9 grids.
A points system that's as simple as the rest of the format.
You could have the teams select who starts where like we have in the past or marble draw some of it too. You could have 4 per team but going 12th to 1st in 9 laps is an ask against the best of the best. You could increase the laps but there is the rest of the show to run and no one likes cutting a feature short due to time. Test race drivers wont risk their cars if there is no incentive. Our sport is used to emphasising the features and asking some 'yank' to give it everything in his heat for no return might not work if hes got eyes on the novelty size feature winners cheque. A balance between incentivizing the series while the locals don't feel to hard done by the format or $ would be the aim. Features will always be features and what drivers in our sport have been tuned to be geared up for but the public love NZ vs USA vs AUS and 3 x 3 x 3 is as clean as it gets.
4. 'No Substitute for Quality' - Driver Selection
The better the driver, the better the action, the bigger the name the more marketable the pre series advertising can be. Highlight clips of the worlds best are spectacular. It can be used for future use to promote the sport. Top drivers like to get some bang for their buck. There are some legendary names on the list of drivers who have represented America, Australia and New Zealand in this series and it used to mean a lot to be in those teams. With SVG dragging more NZ motorsport eyes to NASCAR than ever before, names like Larson, Bell, Stenhouse, and now Elliott, Gibbs, Busch and the like are now familiar and all drive or dabble in Midget Auto Racing. Having a local fake an accent and fill in for a visiting team waters down the anticipation and legitimacy. In a perfect world they bring there own cars. When I was a small speedway boy you could not get a more exciting day than seeing all the new American USAC stickers Midgets and some Speedcars in our pits. No offence to the bread and butter of our sport but the cream gets a to showcase the 'best of the best' type of performance we have to offer to some of our biggest crowds.
Does anyone remember the atmosphere with a full stadium, final night of test races, tight scores, the sniff of a Kiwi win! ELECTRIC! Drivers literally driving over each other, and that is after the race! Yelling matches and heavy gazes in the pits.
Here is a dream scenario I dreamed up a while back. I know there's a million things that can be shot down and its unrealistic, but allow me to indulge:
Imagine if Keith Kunz Motorsport finished their California swing as per normal in November and put 3-8 end of season Midgets in a container and sent them to us. Pre-sell some possibly for use by new owners when they land and/or pre-sell for after his drivers use them in the series. Find a place to lock the rest up for next season or until sold. Same with CB Industries or any top team.
I wonder if a used KKM or CBI would be of interest for a NZ team?
Sorry I have not posted in a while. I have been busy. I always do the pictures but I sometimes do the words too. Here's 1000 of them to go with this image.
