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Motor sport in New Zealand can be traced back to a least 1901 when the Pioneer Cycle Club held a three-mile handicap race which included both motor bikes and cars. Since then it has developed and now almost all types of motor sport events are represented.
Contents
History
Initially motor sport in New Zealand was organised by cycle clubs with both motor bikes and cars taking part in the same events. The earliest recorded motorcar and motorbike race in New Zealand took place in Christchurch. On 8 November 1901 the Pioneer Cycle Club held a 3-mile automobile race at Hagley Park between a Brown motor quad driven by A Lowry, a Minerva engined Stella motor bicycle ridden by A Every, and a Star Motor Company Voiturette driven by Noel Oates. The motor bicycle won the race. Noel Oates was the proprietor of the Zealandia Cycling Works. A successful Christchurch based cycle manufacturer.
By 1903 motor cycles were competing in their own events. In 1905 motor sport events included hill climbs.
The first motor race meeting with multiple events was organized by the Canterbury Automobile Association on 26 December 1905 at the Metropolitan Trotting Grounds (now known as the Addington Raceway). The event included a gymkhana to test driver skills, several 5 mile long motor races for cars based horse power classes, and two motor bicycle races. Dr Thacker's Beeston-Humber driven by A Duncan won the main race for cars under 12 hp.
Reliability trials (now called Economy Runs) also started in this period. These were usually orgainsed by the local Automobile Association. These were followed by motor car and bike races on various beaches.
Motorcycle grass track racing at horse race tracks continued during the war period. As did beach racing at locations such as New Brighton. While these events were predominantly male drivers, there were events specifically for female motor cyclists.
Motorbike racing
Early motor cycle races took place at various horse race tracks throughout the country. Later races also took place on beaches. An example of these was the 100 mile race at New Brighton organized by the Pioneer Motorcycle Club and held on 13 January 1917. The race was won by Ernest F C Hinds on a 7 hp Harley-Davidson.
The first New Zealand rider on the international scene was Alan Woodman. He raced in the 1910 Isle of Man TT race, crashed, and lost his leg as a result of the incident. Despite this disability Woodman continued to successfully race motor cycles.
Another early New Zealand motorcycle champion was Rod Coleman's father, Percy Coleman. Percy begun racing in 1912 on a 3.5 horsepower Humber at Ashhurst race course. In 1913 riding a Douglas, he won the New Zealand 5 mile light weight championship. By 1914, on an Indian, he was the top New Zealand rider. By 1914 he held the Australasian 1, 5, and 10 mile speed records. In 1915 he switched for a season to the Big X Excelsior, returning to an 8 valve Indian the following. In 1919 he went to the United States and competed in the Ascot 200 at Ascot Park, Los Angeles. He finished 8th on an Indian. He then returned to New Zealand to continue his Australasian racing career. Percy raced unsuccessfully in the 1930 Isle of Man TT race.
By 1917 motor cycle racing had been divided into different classes: light, medium, heavy-weight; open; and ladies. Light weight machines were up to 350 or 600cc if no medium weight class was run. Medium weight was from over 350cc to 600cc, and heavy weight over 600cc. Ladies were restricted to up to 350cc. Sidecar motorcycles were also raced at some events.
Track racing
Speedway
Hill Climb
Open wheelers
Single make
Production and touring cars
Drifting
Drag racing
Drag racing in New Zealand started in the 1960s. The New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA) sanctioned what is believed to have been the first drag meeting at an open cut coal mine at Kopuku, south of Auckland, sometime in 1966. In 1973, the first and only purpose built drag strip opened in Meremere by the Pukekohe Hot Rod Club. In April 1993 the governance of drag racing was separated from the NZHRA and the New Zealand Drag Racing Association (NZDRA) was formed. In 2014, New Zealand's second purpose built drag strip - Masterton Motorplex - opened.
The first New Zealand Drag Racing Nationals was held in the 1966/67 season at Kopuku, near Auckland.
There are now two governing bodies operating drag racing in New Zealand with the IHRA sanctioning both of New Zealands major tracks at Ruapuna (Pegasus Bay Drag Racing Association) in the South Island and Meremere Dragway Inc in the North Island. NZDRA being the other organisation now run the Street car races on old airstrips and closed roads. IHRA NZ are the predominant governing body.
Hill Climb
Rallying
Stockcar (dirt track racing)
Stockcar racing began in New Zealand during the 1950s, first race was at Aranui Speedway on November 27, 1954. It was brought to New Zealand after New Zealand Speedway riders witnessed the huge crowds that watched the races in Britain earlier that year. As with the UK, Stockcar racing in New Zealand is a very different form of racing than that of the USA. Stockcar racing is a full contact sport in New Zealand: as the rule book states, "contact is not only permitted, it is encouraged". Cars are built to an extremely rigid design and feature strong steel guards around almost the entire car. "Stockcars" are divided into three classes: Superstocks, Stockcars, Ministocks (Ministocks predominantly being a non-contact youth class). Superstocks are the top class and are typically powered by V8 engines up to 248 cubic inch which can produce over 500 bhp. The majority of races are of an individual nature however, unique to New Zealand stockcar racing is the team racing format. Typically teams racing consists of two teams of four cars each that work together to win the race. Teams normally protect their "runners" while attempting to eliminate the opposing team, the races can be decided by a points format or first across the finish line.
The class most resembling the North American form of stockcar racing are known as Saloon cars. Super Saloons are similar to dirt late models with the main differences being the bodies closer resemble production cars, use iron engines up to 434 cubic inch with no rear offset and run much larger sprintcar tyres on the rear.
Speedway
Off-road racing
Off-road racing runs its own class structure and has a multiple-round national championship. Its flagship event, the two-day, 1000 km Taupo 1000, is a stand-alone international endurance race which is currently held every other year. The event started life in 1992, as the "made for television" Bridgestone 1000 and was the first Offroad Endurance Race in New Zealand to include teams from Australia, New Zealand and the USA. That event was won outright by Les Siviour of Australia driving a Class 6 Nissan Patrol, for Team Nissan. The most successful and popular racer in the sport's history in New Zealand is multiple outright and class national champion Ian Foster of Henderson, Auckland. At the height of his career he had amassed 21 back to back wins, driving for Team Tamiya in an Unlimited Class 1 race car built by Cougar Race Cars. Ian was one of the co-founders of the sports national organising body, known as ORANZ. The sport is about to enter its 30th year.
Historic vehicles
Speed boats
Motor boat racing took place as early as 1917. Racing was held in various classes and included handicap races.
Venues
Notable people
Manufacturers
Clubs and Organisations
Publications
Illegal motor sport
New Zealand also has strict rules on vehicle modifications and a registered engineer must audit any major modification and certify road-worthiness within a system known as the Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association. The LVVTA exists to service legal motorsport and responsible modifications only. Unofficial street racing remains illegal and police are well endowed with equipment to use, such as 'sustained loss of traction' which carries a minimum sentence of licence disqualification and maximum sentence of imprisonment. Street racing is common in New Zealand and there are many small clubs offering street racing in remote rural roads. Despite its popularity, rates of incident due to street racing in New Zealand are relatively low.