Speedway NZ’s Chief Stipendiary Steward Jake Pulman has announced his retirement, stepping down after a span of 30 years in the position as head official for the sport. Since his appointment in 1982, Jake has undertaken every conceivable administrative task that is possible within speedway, all the while acting as a mentor, trouble-shooter, counsellor and motivator for generations of competitors, officials, staff and board members. Jake was a familiar face at championship meetings up and down the country, and when he was present everyone knew they had to be on their game – from the track promoter right through to the officials and competitors. “I have found my time with Speedway New Zealand to be greatly rewarding but above all a lot of fun”, said Jake in his retirement announcement. “I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with lots of great people and have made many lifelong friendships. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the past and present staff of Speedway New Zealand for their support throughout the years and wish them all the best for the future.” Jake’s speedway involvement began in the 1960’s when he was a promising up and coming solo rider, until a racing accident left him confined to a wheelchair. However, he continued to give back to the sport for the next five decades, becoming a board member from 1976 to 1982 for the ACU (the previous governing body), and being present for the birth of Speedway NZ in 1984. Consequently, he is the only Chief Stipendiary Steward that SNZ has ever had. Testament to his longevity and proficiency, Jake was appointed as Speedway NZ’s third Life Member in 1996, and most importantly was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005 for services to speedway racing. In receiving such an honour from the NZ Government, he joined the likes of Ivan Mauger and Ronnie Moore, while Steve Williams received a similar accolade in 2006. Jake will be sorely missed by the organisation as he steps down from day-to-day involvement, leaving a very large hole to be filled. But on behalf of everyone involved with Speedway NZ, we wish Jake and his family all the very best in his well-deserved retirement. Thanks Jake, for everything you have done for the sport.
Speedway NZ is committed to being an effective governing body for the sport of speedway, and wants to hear your views on how well we are doing. For the first time ever we’re conducting a stakeholder survey, which will give everyone with an interest in the sport an opportunity to provide feedback on the organisation. The survey is based on a Sport NZ (formerly SPARC) survey template, which means that speedway will be able to compare its results with other sports, and also ensures the survey is welldesigned and relevant. To encourage participation we’re giving away a prize to the value of $600 to one lucky respondent. The new Dorian Direct lapscoring transmitter is revolutionising lapscoring in this country, being a hard-wired transmitter that runs off the race vehicle, and doesn’t need charging. The survey consists of a mixture of multi-choice and open-ended questions, and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. It will be available until Monday 30 April. http://www.speedway.co.nz/asp/survey.asp
The seven Directors of Speedway NZ are tasked with providing the governance of the organisation, from strategic decision-making through to judicial and technical responsibilities, and interpretation of all aspects of SNZ's Rules & Regulations. This is an election year, and nominations are now being accepted for the positions of Director and President for the 2012-2014 period. There are no prerequisite skills or qualifications for the position of Director, apart from a desire to devote your time towards the benefit of the sport. Being part of the governance team enables you to stamp your mark on where speedway is heading, and how to get there. The role as SNZ Director currently involves a monthly one-day board meeting, plus a number of other random activities throughout the year (training, seminars, awards dinners etc), and the requirement to attend the 4-day AGM in June. There are conference calls on occasion, and a regular flow of correspondence to read and respond to. Nominations close on Tuesday 17 April and must be proposed and seconded by two SNZ members from different tracks. Forms are available from your local track or can be downloaded from the SNZ website. If you require further information (such as a position description), please contact CEO Tim Savell. The election takes place during the 2012 Annual General Meeting, being held in Wellington on June 16 and 17.
Section S3 of the rulebook (starting page 83) outlines the various safety equipment that must be worn by competitors. Common sense would dictate that all equipment should meet the required standards and fit correctly, but on occasion some competitors don’t meet the specifications when they present themselves for gear checking prior to a race meeting. These are reminders about some of the issues that have been reported recently.
All equipment must fit correctly, being the appropriate size for the competitor. This includes helmets, seats, neck braces, clothing etc. Piercings must be removed before racing. Nylon running shoes are not permitted. Motorcross/BMX gloves containing nylon can only be worn by Motorcycle competitors. Helmets can only be drilled, taped or screwed in accordance with the Manufacturer’s instructions.
The personal safety rules are there solely for the competitor’s protection, so please think twice before taking shortcuts on safety. It is also the responsibility of all competitors to investigate and educate themselves about the effectiveness and availability of personal safety equipment.
Until last season, water-cooled TQ engines were restricted to the use of pump gas with a maximum octane rating of 98. When the allowable fuels for all classes were changed at the 2011 AGM, this created a contradiction in the rules for these cars. T10-2-4(k)(vi) Fuel: maximum 98 octane pump petrol only (refer Rule E5-2-1). E5-2-1 Solo, Sidecar, Open Wheel Vehicles, Modifieds and Super Saloons are permitted to use the following fuels as defined in section E5-1-1: (a) Methanol (b) Avgas (c) Petrol (d) Ethanol/petrol blended fuel containing up to 85% ethanol (E85) (e) Fuel grade Ethanol The Board have proposed a rule change to eliminate this contradiction, changing Rule T10-2-4(k) (vi) to read:T10-2-4(k)(vi) Fuel: maximum 98 octane pump petrol only. All TQ Midget competitors and tracks will shortly receive this information, with the ability to provide feedback as per the consultation rule making process. It is important to respond to this consultation information, so SNZ can make a decision based on as many viewpoints as possible.
It’s a fundamental safety requirement of the sport that all wheels in use either meet the relevant rules, or are tested and approved by a registered engineer. Many classes utilise wheels from road cars, and in that instance the wheels have a three year life in the sport. SNZ scrutineers are tasked with stamping wheels each season as part of the CVI/ greensheeting process, so that the life of a wheel can be accurately determined. Recently, Woodford Glen competitor Maurice King fronted with a wheel on his Ministock that had the SNZ wheel stamps ground off and the centre repainted. This is a major safety issue, as wheels do have the potential to clear the safety fence at any track. Thankfully this indiscretion was picked up by the officials at the track, Maurice was referred to the Board of Directors and he has been suspended until 1 January 2013. Any other competitors contemplating the same offence will hopefully now think again before putting themselves and the sport at risk.
At the 2011 AGM, a remit was passed outlawing titanium in Modifieds. This affected mainly the braking systems of around half the Modifieds in the country, but the Technical Committee believed in the long run that removing titanium was the best option for the class – and the delegates agreed. It has come to our attention that some drivers may still be using titanium brake componentry, particularly those running Red Devil branded equipment. This is a general warning that all cars must be compliant with rule T11-3-4(b), i.e. no titanium is permitted.
Some competitors are trying to obtain a cleaner look on their car by building the rollcage and door plating right to the edge of the vehicle. An application was made to allow this and avoid the need for the 1.2mm panel steel door skins referred to in rule T13-1-3(b). However, the application was declined, and all cars must be fitted with either the original door skins, or panel steel replicas.
Long-time competitors Pat Westbury and Paul Demanser have received permission to run the GM602 Superstock trial engine, as announced last month. SNZ is still accepting applications for others who may wish to join the trial, so contact Head Office if interested (details on page 1) .
The full list of submitted and approved title dates for next season is now as follows:Speedway NZ has uncovered three instances this season where an approved SNZ engine sealer has entered incorrect information onto the sealing documentation. This creates many hassles, especially for the competitor involved who may unwittingly be held responsible for the error committed by someone else. Until now Speedway NZ has shown some leniency, but all sealers are now on notice that they must be accurate in their work, or their status as an approved sealer could be revoked.
3/4 Jan 2013 4/5 Jan 2013 8/9 Jan 2013 11/12 Jan 2013 11/12 Jan 2013 18/19 Jan 2013 25/26 Jan 2013 1/2 Feb 2013 8/9 Feb 2013 16/17 Feb 2013
NZ Stockcar Champs NZ Streetstock Champs Stockcar Grand Prix NZ Superstock Champs NZ Sidecar Champs Superstock Grand Prix NZ Midget Champs NZ Saloon Champs Saloon Grand Prix NZ Super Saloon Champs
Woodford Glen Dunedin Greymouth Nelson Moore Park Woodford Glen Ruapuna Cromwell Dunedin Woodford Glen
Speedway NZ approves dates for each class in a specific order, firstly the New Zealand Champs, then the Grand Prix, and finally the Island titles. Tracks are welcome to submit dates at any time, with NZ title dates due in by 1 June and all other titles by 31 July.
13 April 17 April 17 April 20/21 April
Nathan Shaw of Taranaki has been barred from obtaining a full or oneday licence until further notice. Nelson’s Steve Thomas received a two-week suspension for making inappropriate comments about Officials on Facebook. Malcolm Ngatai was fined $400 for breaching rule M4-7-2(b) by not transferring his licence to a North Island track before competing at the North Island Superstock Champs.
Close off date for submission of agenda items for the next Board meeting Nominations for Director and President of SNZ close General Business items for the 2012 AGM to be advised to SNZ Speedway NZ Board meeting
There are only a few weeks of racing left in this season before the winter hiatus, and before we know it the deadline for submitting technical remits will be here. Technical rule changes in the Superstock, Stockcar, Saloon, Modified and Streetstock classes must be submitted by 1 October this year, so now is the time to be thinking about any changes or rule tidy ups that may need to be made. It’s a lot easier to compare vehicles and discuss issues while racing is still occurring. Any Speedway NZ member (i.e. a competitor, track, official etc) can submit a proposed change, providing the submission arrives by the 1 October deadline.