Racing on Sunday's in NZ

[Terry S]

I recall that in the sixties with the Tasman races that the racing was on Saturdays as it was not allowed on Sunday's.

Probably rules driven by some religious influence.

I remember on this side of the ditch we listened to our transistor radios (no internet in those days) on Saturday afternoons to hear the results.

There was so much interest in the Tasman Series in those days.

When did NZ open the gates for Sunday racing?

We're there other restrictions on what you could do on Sundays?

[rf84]

I believe it was illegal to charge people admission to events on a Sunday. Hence there were few entertainments (including movies at the cinema). I do not know when the legislation governing this was altered to allow charging for Sunday events.

[Jac Mac]

Could not buy fuel or food/vegetables/alcohol etc on sundays [ well you could buy alcohol by sneaking around to the back door of the country pubs and using a 'special' knock on the door while keeping an eye out for the local bobby:)], only corner store stuff like cigarettes, sweets, newspapers. basicly anything you needed for sunday had to be bought by Friday before....... WE were a lot more organised back then and actually spoke to people.

[Terry S]

I am really surprised that no one can recall the date of changing to Sunday racing.

With Saturday racing it must have meant practice on Friday. which must have impacted working people.

[GD66]

At a guess I would have thought 1969/70. And not all that many meetings were two-day affairs, practice was on race day morning in some cases. Chance of a bit of a sleep-in Sunday morning, then slip down and buy the 8 O'clock to see if there was a writeup on the meeting. A few quiet ones and a debrief Sunday afternoon, roast that night with the family...all pretty casual.

[Roger Dowding]

Also remember the mad dash on Saturday afternoon from Pukekohe track to the Tavern at Drury, quick beers or so before 6;00 o'clock closing was abolished in about 1967

[Rod Grimwood]

yep, 1 practice Saturday Morning then what they called heat races and then main race (class's), mostly with the same cars as ran in the 'Heats'

And as above the fastest time was from the track to the Jolly Farmer for a quick sandwich and pick up take-aways and onto Great South Rd to about Penrose and then the mighty 2 lane motorway. Was about a good 2 and a bit hour drive from the North Shore so you needed a few sandwichs. If you did not do the Jolly then mostly we would grab some sandwichs and head straight to Western Springs for speedway.

[Allan]

The last day of 6 o'clock closing was Saturday 7th October 1967.

[rf84]

It wasn't a case of motor racing being banned on Sundays. The law stipulated that admission charges to any event (even the movies) was illegal. The organisers/promoters of an event could ask for a donation but not charge an admission price. As a consequence there were few(if any) commercial activities on Sundays.
I have made a cursory study on the 'Net but cannot find out what year this legislation was repealed.

[GeebeeNZ]

Perhaps one of our historians with 1970s NZIGP programs could help. The 72 GP was held on 8/1/72 a Saturday and the 75 GP was held on 12/1/75 a Sunday. I have a date of 9/1/73 for the 73 GP but that was a Tuesday so cant be right and I cant find a date for the 1974 GP which was held at Wigram because of the Commonwealth Games.
Graeme

[GD66]

The 1974 NZGP was on a Saturday, January 19th. 1975 was the first NZGP held on a Sunday.

[stubuchanan]

Looking back through my smallish collection of race programmes, the first Sunday National meeting I find is the BayPark Rothmans Gold Star meeting on Sunday 17 November 1968, followed by an Auckland Car Club Pukekohe meeting on Sunday 8 December, same year. Programme covershows Saturday 7 Dec, but I have amended it to Sunday 8, so guess there was a reason - maybe Motorman will tell me. In 1969, Auckland Car Club ran 2 Pukekohe meetings on Sundays : 30 March and 21 September, and the Baypark International was on Sunday 28 December 1969.

Possibly BayPark were pioneers in Sunday racing - they were shut out of the mainstream international meetings for a long while.

It looks as if some change happened in 1968, and I have a recollection of a 12 noon start being required, and also the movie theatre in Puke showing Indian movies on Sunday afternoons for the local Indian market gardening Community.

Stu

[GD66]

Nice work, Wen, now that you mention it I can recall the radio advertising for that Bay Park meeting on "Sunday, November 17th !"
It is quite possible Bay Park tried it on early, they tended to think outside the NZGP/Ron Frost box, by necessity rather than choice usually.
Did you mean Cowboy and Indian movies...?

[Rod Grimwood]

My dear mum has discovered another box full of old magazines and bits and pieces I gathered up years back. So I will go through and find interesting bits.

1st magazine I look at is 'Wide Wheels' July 1969 and right on the topic.

This is interesting read:- I have split it into 3 parts so you can hopefully read it.

Under title 'Editorial' on first page.

[Rod Grimwood]

While on this, does any one have a copy of 'wide wheels' August 1969 there is a great article on the 'Problems' of NZ Motorsport in the July 1969 copy with 2nd part in August copy. (I do not have August) Under heading 'Suggested Racing Formulae Bryan Faloon'. Very interesting read and would love to see final part.

[Terry S]

When I raised this question I thought it would be a very simple common date fixed by the Government.

Now I realize from Rod Grimwood's post #14 that it was up to local councils, so it varied all over the country.

Using the Tasman Series as example, from Sergent's website I can get the date of each NZ race and using the "what day" site I can ascertain the day of the week. So in summary:

- from 1964 to 1971 all 4 NZ Tasman races were on Saturday
- in 1972, 73 & 74 Teretonga was on Sunday, the other three on Saturday
- in 1975 Levin was on Saturday, the other three on Sunday
- in 1976 all four races were on Sunday

No wonder there was no simple answer......

[stubuchanan]

Nice work, Wen, now that you mention it I can recall the radio advertising for that Bay Park meeting on "Sunday, November 17th !"
It is quite possible Bay Park tried it on early, they tended to think outside the NZGP/Ron Frost box, by necessity rather than choice usually.
Did you mean Cowboy and Indian movies...?

Nope! Genuine Indian films made in India, forerunners of present "Bollywood" films. Likewise lots of Chinese films too.
(In the current climate it's interesting to note that we're all immigrants here, go back 1100 years and there was no-one here at all.)

Back to real topic, now, there were plenty of Sunday event held in the 50's and 60's - club races, hillclimbs and sprints, sometimes clubs ran Saturday/Sunday sprint and hillclimb weekends. But no gate takings etc.

Stu (from wenoopy)

[Noo Noo]

When I was a member of the Wellington Car Club (1968-1974) the club ran it's speed events on saturdays and non-speed (gymkhanas, trials etc on sundays).

First sunday race meeting I went to was a club one at Levin on the afternoon of 15 Feb. 1970. Grady Thomson was there in his Monaro in it's Cambridge livery. I've still got the photo I took of it in the paddock.


I have a strong memory of reading that permission had been given to run a meeting at Levin on a sunday starting at 10:00 am but on condition an interdenominational church service was put on before hand at the circuit. I'm guessing that was about 1972.
David Hunter
David Hunter

[Roger Dowding]

Could not buy fuel or food/vegetables/alcohol etc on sundays [ well you could buy alcohol by sneaking around to the back door of the country pubs and using a 'special' knock on the door while keeping an eye out for the local bobby:)], only corner store stuff like cigarettes, sweets, newspapers. basicly anything you needed for sunday had to be bought by Friday before....... WE were a lot more organised back then and actually spoke to people.

Jac Mac, not just country pubs, had one in Auckland on Fanshawe Street, corner of Hobson, - secret knock, pay twice the price for a crate of cold beer, no choice, just whatever the publican wanted to get rid of DB Green, or Tui, probably..

[RogerH]

………….had one in Auckland on Fanshawe Street, corner of Hobson, - secret knock, pay twice the price for a crate of cold beer, no choice, just whatever the publican wanted to get rid of DB Green, or Tui, probably..

Gleeson's Hotel

[John McKechnie]

When I was a member of the Wellington Car Club (1968-1974) the club ran it's speed events on saturdays and non-speed (gymkhanas, trials etc on sundays).

First sunday race meeting I went to was a club one at Levin on the afternoon of 15 Feb. 1970. Grady Thomson was there in his Monaro in it's Cambridge livery. I've still got the photo I took of it in the paddock.


I have a strong memory of reading that permission had been given to run a meeting at Levin on a sunday starting at 10:00 am but on condition an interdenominational church service was put on before hand at the circuit. I'm guessing that was about 1972.
David Hunter
David Hunter
Hi David- could you please dig this pic out and post it please- have also pm you- any other memories of this car.
Rick Rimmer won a race in it that day.They both drove the car.

[Roger Dowding]

Gleeson's Hotel

That would be right, think A guy called Wally Gower was the publican at the time ..