How to secure the future of New Zealand motorsport: a view


MotorSport New Zealand acting CEO Elton Goonan is actively working on a case for increased funding from Sport New Zealand.

He reckons motorsport-related industry returns around $250 million into the economy.
"We're currently working with the FIA to undertake an economic impact study to try and get a true indication of what this number is. We need to make sure the government and the wider public are aware of our athlete's achievements on the world stage and the economic value motorsport has in New Zealand,” he says.
Events such as TRS, Supercars and the recently cancelled World Rally Championship round have helped show the beauty of NZ to the world. The next step is to tell these stories and show the numbers to government departments.
While MSNZ has directly promoted championships in the past, its role is currently more ‘pure’, enabling staff to work specifically on the future of the sport.
“We are the governing body for motorsport in New Zealand as delegated by the FIA, so we have a huge range of responsibilities. At the moment, this model is working and it has allowed the office, particularly in more recent times, to focus on the wider promotion of the sport. We are fortunate that we have some very good event promoters active in the sport,” he said.
With both the race and rally promoter agreements up for renewal in 2022, Goonan says MSNZ will be reviewing the current arrangement to see if the business model is delivering what the sport needs.
“In the current environment we need to be looking at all the options and what can be done to get the best outcome for the sport in the future.”
This is excellent news, and may indicate that after an extended period of difficulty, MSNZ has understood the threat facing the sport in this country post-Covid, and begun to focus on core business and the mission at hand.
Now we just need to get the Government to understand the contribution the sport makes and to start recognising the hard work that has put our racers on the world stage and at the forefront of championships in every continent in the world.

This blog is derived from a full page feature written for New Zealand automotive industry publication Autofile. You can read the whole story here: https://autofile.co.nz/magazine/2020/9

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Elton Goonan

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