1966 Street Circuit ban, how come they managed to race at Paritutu 1967

[jellywrestler]

My understanding is that Street circuits were deemed to risky and stopped in 1966 with a one off exemption for the Timaru street Circuit in Feb 1967 as the local club was almost finished building Levels and the meeting was to provide vital funds. So on labour weekend 1967 there was a meeting at Paritutu.

How come this one slipped through?

[Roger Dowding]

Yes it did slip through.

I have the programme for the meeting - kindly sent to me some years ago by Spgeti.

The Ban may have been instituted by Local Bodies, rather that a " National " - make that Central Government initiative.

Happened again in the 1990's after a bad incident at Queenstown.

72686

A couple of the Race Entry details -

72688
even Motor Cycles and Sidecars raced there -on that day !!

72689

Kevin Green Chev GMC and others - the start line.

72687

Map of the Track - from the 1967 programme;

72685

[Oldfart]

There was also Whangarei after that. Also meetings in Hamilton in the 70s. Of course also the Hamilton rounds of the V8 series.
Was it really a Nationwide ban?
I know for fact that it wasn't a ban that stopped Matamata.

[jellywrestler]

it was i believe from the Car racing body, not local. It was a very very long time before proper current racing cars took to the streets again, there were classic car meetings that came along. Was there a ban after Queenstown or was everyone to gunshy to host one? The issue was they let the racing continue with people in a prohibited area there, there's enough risks involved without adding to them

[jellywrestler]

There was also Whangarei after that. Also meetings in Hamilton in the 70s. Of course also the Hamilton rounds of the V8 series.
Was it really a Nationwide ban?
I know for fact that it wasn't a ban that stopped Matamata.

the hamilton V8's and wellington street races were a bit differnt, multi million dollar events with wall to wall armco, not your average street race scenario

[928]

then of course there was "PORT ROAD" sprint in Gracefeild. The longest running street race in NZ

[jellywrestler]

then of course there was "PORT ROAD" sprint in Gracefeild. The longest running street race in NZ
Talking street races here, not straight line drags, also when they were discontinued the current quickest circuit cars in the country were competing, since then the quickest still haven't returned to the streets.
Cemetery Circuit has run since 1951, port road is only a newbie....

[Oldfart]

it was i believe from the Car racing body, not local. It was a very very long time before proper current racing cars took to the streets again, there were classic car meetings that came along. Was there a ban after Queenstown or was everyone to gunshy to host one? The issue was they let the racing continue with people in a prohibited area there, there's enough risks involved without adding to them

I was involved as a Club Secretary and getting permits and such for all sorts, that was late 60s and into the mid 70s. If there as a ban from MANZ as it was known at the time, I was never aware of it. You may be right, I think it more likely that as there were more circuits than before, Baypark, Manfeild etc in the North Island, Ruapuna, Timaru etc, the need for what was a much bigger undertaking to run street events just evaporated.

[ERC]

The Whangarei street races January 2000 was scuppered two days before the event, by MANZ banning faster cars (sic).

Although the council were very supportive, the event ran at a hefty loss which was eventually paid off from the profits at Pukekohe meetings.

Not all of that loss was because of the cancelled entries.

I loaned my car to 'Racing Ray' Williams as he was one of those banned.



72774