New Brighton street races - What happend?

[Schematica]

Hey Team,

Was speaking to my father in-law who made mention that there used to be street racing in Christchurch (New Brighton and Avondale?) looking into it further we even had Joey Dunlop doing a demo lap on the Britten back in 94, can anyone remember why they canned the event? I know it would be rough trying to push for it now with all the earthquake damage and noise restrictions etc. just want to know why they stopped it.

Thanks guys

[jellywrestler]

Hey Team,

Was speaking to my father in-law who made mention that there used to be street racing in Christchurch (New Brighton and Avondale?) looking into it further we even had Joey Dunlop doing a demo lap on the Britten back in 94, can anyone remember why they canned the event? I know it would be rough trying to push for it now with all the earthquake damage and noise restrictions etc. just want to know why they stopped it.

Thanks guys

there's a perfectly good track that needs supporting a few minutes away, all set up ready to go too.

[Paul in NZ]

Safety and of course the locals were effectively locked into their houses while it was on..

We always went - there were a lot of spots where I always thought 'I wouldn't want to be standing there if the worst happened' and was just saying the same to my mate when some poor beggars bike went flying through the air and smacked into a house... erm.... Yeah no - it wasn't the best

[Kickaha]

Safety and of course the locals were effectively locked into their houses while it was on..

We always went - there were a lot of spots where I always thought 'I wouldn't want to be standing there if the worst happened' and was just saying the same to my mate when some poor beggars bike went flying through the air and smacked into a house... erm.... Yeah no - it wasn't the best

I think that was Michael Tall, went through a fence as well

Only ran 2 years I think?

[Grumph]

I think that was Michael Tall, went through a fence as well

Only ran 2 years I think?

Michael's younger brother put his RS125 into a house after losing it at speed when he went over the crown of the road on the long left past the council yard.
Yes, 2 years. Brighton business assn were main drivers of the event and were disappointed at the lower than anticipated return.

It was always a hard circuit to arrange due to being solid housing all the way round. Year 2 when we had the Irish there, the surface started breaking up badly.
Hepburn had a GSXR1100 for that meeting and he was digging trenches in a couple of places. Mark Taylor borrowed my F3 500 kawa for the day and it's still got visible stone damage...

Young Tall's 125 is still in one piece - someone pointed it out to me recently - could be Neil's one ?

[Kickaha]

Michael's younger brother put his RS125 into a house after losing it at speed when he went over the crown of the road on the long left past the council yard.
Yes, 2 years. Brighton business assn were main drivers of the event and were disappointed at the lower than anticipated return.

Young Tall's 125 is still in one piece - someone pointed it out to me recently - could be Neil's one ?

I knew it was one of them

Only RS thingy Neil has is a Bucket

[Grumph]

there's a perfectly good track that needs supporting a few minutes away, all set up ready to go too.

Tell me more...do you mean the beach ?

[Grumph]

I knew it was one of them

Only RS thingy Neil has is a Bucket

Not sure if it's one of Russell's collection or Neil's chassis.

[gsxr]

Many of the street races have now gone. From memory New Brighton was the year after Sydenham races stopped.
I raced at both Gracefeild Wellington and Hawkesbury Renwick way back when.Neither exist anymore.
Both were great fun and more challenging than circuit racing at the time.
Coming ito the right angled left hander at Hawkesbury and onto the wooden bridge in the wet made for some arse clenching moments with the tyre technology we had at the time and on a budget.

[Grumph]

Sydenham was a one-off in the eighties when Ruapuna was being resurfaced. The two Brighton events were early nineties.

Last lap of practise at Hawkesbury I had a go and got the bike airborne eight times in the lap....
I saw a sidecar spin on that bridge coming onto the start/finish straight...how it didn't finish up in the creek I don't know.
The worst were the bridges on the eastern side straight where you were faced with no runoff - and a barbed wire fence.....

[gsxr]

Hawkesbury wasnt the safest of street tracks but sure as hell was a lot of fun.
In todays world the whole track would have to be wrapped in cotton wool.

[Kickaha]

Sydenham was a one-off in the eighties when Ruapuna was being resurfaced.
It was the 84/85 season and NZGP meeting


Last lap of practise at Hawkesbury I had a go and got the bike airborne eight times in the lap...
I went to the last one they held as a spectator and still drive the circuit when I go up there

[T.W.R]

Tell me more...do you mean the beach ?

Aranui Speedway :laugh:
Think the last beach races held at South New Brighton were in the 60s same with Aranui too :msn-wink:

[far queue]

Tell me more...do you mean the beach ?

Perhaps he does - Beach Racing at New Brighton tomorrow from 11-2pm - Story here (https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/bikes/98457911/bureaucrats-help-bring-bogans-back-to-brighton)

There's also the annual Smash Palace bike show in the ramp car park from 10am.

https://scontent.fchc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22853376_1917799075150652_8242139180398544931_n.jp g?oh=b73bc9eb9315040bec1605f83dd90212&oe=5AAFDD97

[T.W.R]

Perhaps he does - Beach Racing at New Brighton tomorrow from 11-2pm

That's just glorified flat track racing on the sand, half them wouldn't have the beans to do it if they weren't allowed to use MX bikes :msn-wink:

[ellipsis]

That's just glorified flat track racing on the sand, half them wouldn't have the beans to do it if they weren't allowed to use MX bikes :msn-wink:


...it's just girder forks and a scooter throwing comp, and a bit more...sounds a hoot...just more Canterbury energy going off...

[T.W.R]

...it's just girder forks and a scooter throwing comp, and a bit more...sounds a hoot...just more Canterbury energy going off...

No doubt it'll be a hoot, a bit of fun for all involved :yes: though it's more akin to a grasskana on sand these days.
Doubt there'll be any riders using a race bike they'd been punting around Ruapuna the week before though there'll be a few who will still have dirt on their bikes from the last MX round they participated in ;) and there wont be many machines lining up on the start grind sporting clip-ons etc either :rolleyes:


https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22748&d=1135736155

[ellipsis]

...Pete Jones is doing it on his Dunhelt, (1929), that he was racing at Manfield last weekend...it's more an event than any form of competition...I like the energy that the people involved in running it are bringing into bike stuff in Chch...good fun is even gooder when bikes and scooters and crazies are involved...nice hot day to go down and cook yer brain and get sand in yer eyes...I'm working on my T20 so will only hear the reports from the crazies...:love: