RallySport Magazine September 2016

near Jost, they obtained copy that was
worth hearing, whether you agreed
with him or not.
In recent years he sided with the FIA
Promoter and did his best to inflict the
sport with his revolutionary concept of
final stage Shoot Out points. It was very
entertaining to hear what he said, but
happily that little plan was killed off by
the FIA.
And another aspect, one
thing on which you could not fault him,
was the way he supported his drivers,
and none so much as his prima donna,
Sebastien Ogier. Every time Ogier
complained about his unhappy life
as the world champion, especially on
the basis of running order rules, Jost
backed him up.
We don’t yet know who will be
the new VW Sporting Director, but
whoever it is will have a hard act to
follow.
I am waiting anxiously to see how
F1 settles down to Jost. He has been
good fun for us.
Does the WRC need jazzing-up?
The WRC Promoter, when not
actively pursuing new, but
inexperienced, countries for the WRC, is
performing splendid work with providing
attractions for fans.
The problem with the promoter is
that that there is also an unwelcome
crossover of initiatives with the sporting
authorities. This has been going on
for years.
When ISC was the promoter, there
was a confrontation with the FIA on the
subject of organisers being guaranteed
positions in the calendar in exchange
for payment. That idea drifted away.
Some years later this matter
re-emerged through the current
promoters’ agreement system, in
conjunction with the current filming
opportunities.
There have been various other
overlapping debates, the final stage
Shoot Out idea being a recent
example, in which the FIA said this sort
of plan is not one of the promoter’s
responsibilities.
Jost Capito makes a
presentation to Martin
Holmes in Portugal in 2015.
And, of course, the recent plans
for going to China have been
enthusiastically pursued by the
promoter.
The sport does not need jazzingup.
It needs proper management,
transparency of policies, provision
of facilities and formats which are
media-friendly. And an appreciation
that rallying is for everyone, not just
for the elite, for whom the sport is a
passion and not the business that the
hierarchy seems to want.
Sometimes it seems only the fans
love the sport, but I don’t believe that.
QUINNY’S BOOK A GREAT READ
Whether you’re a motorsport fan or not, Tony Quinn’s new book, “Zero
To 60” is a tremendous read that you’ll find hard to put down. Quinn,
a multiple winner of Targa Tasmania, moved from Scotland to
Australia in his early 20s, then, with his wife Christina and their four young
children, landed on New Zealand shores in the early 1980s.
He founded a fat rendering plant called Fatman, which sowed the seeds for
a remarkable story of success in petfood. He moved back to Australia in the
mid-1990s and in 2015 he sold his business, VIP Petfoods, for over A$400m.
The Tony Quinn success story also includes building the $25 million
Highlands Park racing circuit in Cromwell, in the South Island of New
Zealand.
“I turn 60 soon and while I’ve achieved a lot in business and motorsport, I’d
like to think there’s a lot more to come,” Quinn says.
“Since I finished the book so much has happened in my life, so think of
this as part one of my story! I’ve already got some great feedback on the
book from people whose opinion I respect.
“They all tell me it’s an easy and entertaining read, and I hope people
enjoy it.”
The Tony Quinn story is one of rags to riches. A self-made man who
has been through the hard times and has made his own luck, the affable
Scotsman is an iconic figure in the business and motorsport world, and his
story is one that had to be told.
It’s a compelling read and one that we thoroughly recommend.
SEPTEMBER 2016 - RALLYSPORT MAGAZINE | 49