ITM 500 Auckland volunteers finish on top   11 Dec 2014

11 December 2014

ITM 500 Auckland volunteers finish on top

New Zealand’s largest annual motorsport event, the ITM 500 Auckland V8 Supercars race, has enjoyed a strong finish to 2014, winning the ‘Best Volunteer Group’ award at the annual V8 Supercars awards held in Sydney recently.

The award was presented at the 16th Annual V8 Supercars Gala Awards Dinner held at The Star in Darling Harbour on 8 December, and attended by more than 900 V8 Supercars officials, sponsors, drivers, team personnel and media.

The Best Volunteer Group award is judged by V8 Supercars race directors and stewards, who rate volunteers at each of the 14 events on V8 Supercars Australia’s annual race calendar.

Volunteers at each event are judged on a number of categories, including the professionalism of race control, administration and flag marshals, and the speed of vehicle recovery from the track in event of an accident.

James Warburton, V8 Supercars CEO, says volunteers at the ITM 500 Auckland scored highly in these categories, and particularly impressed in their commitment to delivering a world-class event.

“The general cooperation and willingness of the volunteers at the ITM 500 Auckland really stood out. This hard, and often behind-the-scenes work by volunteers, is a vital part of creating a superb event experience for racing fans.”

“The overall presentation of the Pukekohe circuit and the service levels that the volunteers at the ITM 500 Auckland achieved were excellent. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) - which, on behalf of Auckland Council, invests $1 million in sponsorship annually to the V8 Supercars event as part of Auckland's major events portfolio - accepted the award on Auckland’s behalf.

Brett O’Riley, ATEED Chief Executive, says the Best Volunteer Group award is great recognition for what is a significant annual economic anchor event for Auckland.

“Volunteers are an integral part of the ITM 500 Auckland which in turn is an integral event in Auckland’s major events portfolio, aiming to generate a per annum economic return/Return on Regional Investment (RORI) of at least $7 million and deliver around 50,000 additional visitor nights.”

“The event also generates a huge amount of international media exposure and enhances Auckland’s liveability - all of which are key outcomes for Auckland’s events portfolio.”

Andrew Baker, Franklin Local Board Chair, says this accolade solidifies Pukekohe’s status as the spiritual home of New Zealand motor racing.

“This award is a great acknowledgement for Pukekohe and the Franklin region, and reflects the high calibre of people that are a part of the motor racing community in our region. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors from Auckland, New Zealand and abroad to the next ITM 500 Auckland in 2015.”

The next ITM 500 Auckland event will be held from 6-8 November 2015 at Pukekohe Park Raceway, moving back to a November date for the first time since 2003.

Independent analysis, by Fresh Info Co, shows that the 2014 event returned $7.11 million into the Auckland economy, exceeding the $7 million target.

Recent winners of V8 Supercars Gala Awards ‘Best Volunteer Group’ include the Plus Fitness Phillip Island 400 (2013 & 2011) and the Wilson Security Sandown 500 (2011).

The ITM 500 Auckland 2015 will take place from 6-8 November at Pukekohe Park Raceway with official charity the Returned and Services Association (RSA).

The 2015 event will mark the third year of a five year investment in V8 Supercars (2013-2017) by ATEED on behalf of Auckland Council. The annual investment from ATEED (capital, interest on the loan, sponsorship, leverage) is $2.131 million or $10.656 million over the five year term.

ENDS

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