Motorsport: Plenty of Kiwi-power steering

FIA vice-president (Asia-Pacific) Morrie Chandler reckons there's still a chance New Zealand will see rallying's best on Kiwi roads again. Photo / APN

New Zealand is punching above its weight in the running of motor sport.

For a small country, it was well represented at this month's FIA general assembly in Paris.

Morrie Chandler was back at the top table as one of the vice-presidents (Asia-Pacific region), Brian Gibbons remains deputy president mobility, Mike Noon goes on to the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism and Emma Gilmour stays on the Women in Motorsport Commission.

"Nothing's really changed I suppose," said Chandler. "I've been re-elected but I don't know if it's good or bad as I wasn't planning to do it again ... I did think it would be good idea to get some younger people in.

"It's great that Emma's back.

"I don't think a lot of New Zealanders realise just how much influence a couple of Kiwis have with the FIA and world motorsport. As a vice-president of world motorsport I sit across all aspects and decision making of world motorsport."

Chandler, in an earlier FIA life, was the World Rally Commission president. He still has a soft spot for the sport and - despite his bigger-picture role now - retains an interest in it.

"I still have a great interest in rallying and my position within the FIA allows me to attend all their meetings, which I sometimes do ... I also do a few of the rally events as the official FIA steward and keep in touch with all the people involved."

Speaking of rallying, it was announced this year that New Zealand would not take up its option of hosting the 2014 round of the WRC after Australia put on the event this year. We have been alternating the hosting of the championship with Australia, but the cost was just too much for New Zealand to sustain.

"The problem is this has just not worked," said Rally NZ chairman Peter Johnston. "The lack of continuity has significantly affected the commercial viability and our ability to resource the event with skilled personnel to a world-class level."

To provide a more sustainable model with continuity of profile and interest, Rally NZ has suggested a three-year stint in Australia followed by three years in New Zealand.

Rally NZ is one of New Zealand's longest-running international events as part of a world championship. The event, which has been run for more than 40 years, was first included as a round of the WRC back in 1977.

The problem with handing it over to the Aussies for three years is that it might be too hard to get it back.

But Chandler reckons there's still a chance we'll see the best gravel bashers in the world back on Kiwi roads in the future.

"I feel we'll get it back again and we'll just have to work on the new promoter [joint effort between Red Bull Media House and The Sportsman Media Group]," he said.

"I had a meeting with them last week and it's a matter of convincing them it's not all about having thousands of people standing on the side of the road. I suggested to them that if they did their job right it's all about getting people to watch it on television - which is the whole world.

"If you do that properly it doesn't matter how many people are standing on the side of the road. As a fan base, New Zealand is a fairly small market so from a manufacturer's point of view it's a bit of an issue.

"At the moment we're trying to find a way forward and the good thing is there is a lot of sympathy and support," said Chandler.

If New Zealand has any chance of seeing the WRC back on Kiwi soil we have the right man in the right place with Chandler sitting at the top table.