drivers, particularly in Europe, had access to sports sci-
ence training and tuition,” explains Budd.
“So we’re talking about mental skills, diet, managing
hydration and core body temperature, especially in heat
conditions. And it was felt that drivers in that part of
the world (Europe) were given these skills and drivers
from New Zealand trying to break in over there were
disadvantaged because they didn’t have it. We certainly
think the program has had a huge bearing on the way
our competitors are performing, not only at home but
also internationally.”
When asked what role New Zealand race tracks
played, Budd adds: “We’ve got a lot of circuits for the
size of the population, eight permanent licence cir-
cuits for four and a half million people. If you look at
Sydney, you’ve got one or two. In this country travelling
distances are so much less, too. There’s a chance that
a lot of young guys will do a heck of a lot more racing
because it’s not a big thing to travel the length and
breadth of the country to do events.”
However, despite all the success at a junior develop-
ment level, top-flight motorsport in New Zealand has
taken some hits in recent years.
“If you go back 10 years we had a V8 category here that
was particularly vibrant and competitive,” Budd recalls.
“Those three guys, maybe not Scott McLaughlin, but
Shane and certainly Greg Murphy also came through
that. We had a V8 category at once stage that had 38
cars running. It’s just a shadow of its former self now
and that’s partly as a result of that split between NZV8
and NZ SuperTourers.
“Certainly, V8s were the premier category and the
Richie Stanaway shapes
as the next Kiwi star in
Supercars, winning the
Sandown 500 as well as
his Super2 debut.