As the co-founder of VelocityNews, Matthew Hansen’s return to the publication as it’s new Motorsport Editor, bring’s you the full force of his opinions and the delivery of front-foot news on New Zealand and International motorsport news.
Publisher Mark Petch said, “It’s great to have Matthew back at the helm of VelocityNews as his experience and skill-set is exactly what we need to take the next step with the growth of our web-based publication’s. New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of Europe, and a minimum of two hours ahead of Australia, so we are ideally positioned to be first with the delivery of Motorsport new’s and events from around the world“.
“I am also sure that Matthew’s experience, having spent the last five years with the NZ Herald’s Driven publication as a senior editor with that weekly publication, will be of great assistance to our motor-racing editor Zane Shackleton, who mixes his passion for motor racing along with studying journalism at AUT.”
Back in 2012 Hansen and Simon Chapman met as keen amateur photographers at the Hampton Downs inaugural meeting of the then-new V8 SuperTourers category and decided to join forces as photographers with a Facebook page named VelocityNews.
“To be back with VelocityNews feels a little like returning home,” Hansen said. “Kicking off the project all those years ago was heavily fueled by a common recognition that Kiwi motorsport didn’t really get the media attention it deserved from the mainstream”.
“Getting the opportunity to go full-time at the NZ Herald to do what I could to improve the sport’s recognition was both a huge privilege and quite ironic. In the time since I’ve enjoyed watching VelocityNews thrive under Mark Petch and the New Zealand Autonews umbrella. With all the improvements and tweaks, and the enthusiasm that Zane’s brought to the table, to be back in the hot seat is a very exciting proposition.”
Under the guidance of PR guru Richard Gee, the pair became popular track-side photographers at North Island major motor racing events with their ability to update their Facebook page with news and photos several times a day. Richard Gee saw the potential to commercialise their enthusiasm and passion by offering to assist and fund the development of a website and the rest, as they say, is history.
Matthew will also have general responsibility for motoring news, road tests and classic car reviews at NZ Autocar Magazine, as part of New Zealand Autonews publishing interests.