Street races "old farts memories"

[sidecar bob]

Errrr you're asking ME what year it was???? But yeah - the mists of - time, we'll call it - clear, and that sounds about right... Actually, wasn't it the same year you guys took out the TV camera?

Don't suppose you can scan the photo and email it to me?

We took the tv guys out in '87 on the sidecar, i ran the GSXR11 senior prod in 88 through till '90 & only did wangi once on two wheels so it must be '88.
Re the photo, i'll see what can be done, but bear in mind i need to get help just to change my profile pic, so not very good with these things.
If i can, ill post it here along with a few others.

[codgyoleracer]

Thats a perfect round up of exactly how it happened.
Rob is a close mate & has related that story to me on several occasions almost exactly as told.

Caught up with Robbie at Taupo a couple of weeks ago, & he's still got that twinkle in his eye for everything that is bikes.

[roogazza]

Caught up with Robbie at Taupo a couple of weeks ago, & he's still got that twinkle in his eye for everything that is bikes.

Bet he'd give a few a hurry up, if he came out again, He's not a considerate gentleman like me ? Gaz.

[steveb64]

Manukau City - Dec 1980 - only ran once too - badly hurt a few people at the chicane where it crossed through a median strip on Wiri Station road.

Whangarei was quite fun on a 125. the trip home was even better....

I raced at Whangarei in '83 - on an IT465, with Cheng Shin road tyres (21" rib pattern front, 17" something on the back) - in the wet! A memorable day for me - my first road race, pissing with rain, blew up the old ladies HQ Holden (dropped top off piston) on the way to the track - but managed to get a mate to pick me and the bike up, and get us to the race. Didn't crash - but couldn't get any traction either... - though the front tyre was remarkably good! Just the back that was waving around every time I hit the gas. Then, to top it all off, on the way home, one tie-down cut through on the edge of the trailer, launching the bike into the air in a short arc - straight upside down, in the RH lane! The only real bit of luck was that we'd slowed down, due to some surface flooding, AND there was a gap in the oncoming traffic! Hate to think what could've happened - if another car had been in the wrong place, the bike would've gone through the windscreen... The only highlight was I got my picture in the paper! A guy on an RM465 crashed behind/into me, and the photographer got it all...

Got to race there again the next year (my 2nd road race) - on my GSX11. 1st and 2nd gears, with ONE spot on the track where I could click 3rd, just long enough to move my foot, so I could change back to 2nd... Got 3rd in F1 though! Then crashed in the warmup lap for the 4th (non points) race... That was when I learned what a warmup lap was for...

[jellywrestler]

some interesting old shit here.

[roogazza]

Gaz I've had a look through my photos and sadly I can't find any of 111 before Aaron Slight claimed that number.

Onekawa left and Porirua right. about 1971 ? Merv. Jeeezus 50 years ago !!!!

[merv]

Onekawa left and Porirua right. about 1971 ? Merv. Jeeezus 50 years ago !!!!

Great pics.

[jellywrestler]

i'm currently compiling a guide to circuits throughout newzealand including streets hill climbs buckets (not carparks or tarmac, fixed road circuits ) so looking for old programs, happy to buy them as it will add to my regularly used archives or get photos particularly circuit maps folks, let me know if you have any and we'll take it from there, pm will be good or post on here, thanks
spyda

[jellywrestler]

Dont know about that, But Bill became famous for doing a lap of Manfield wearing no more than his helmet during practice, at every Shell Two Wheeler they ran.

with dalls rankine on the back, XJ650 one year

[jellywrestler]

I was a track marshall at a "round the houses" in Porirua once.

Before there was racing at Paritutu, there was racing around a road circuit at Tikorangi near Waitara. That was followed by the use of a track around the roads of the old Airport at Bell Block. This latter was one of those quaint arrangements that were almost completely sealed...

anyone know where the bell block circuit was exactly?

[sidecar bob]

Anyone that rode at Baypark in the '80's will know exactly what these tyres once spelt.
They haven't been seen for around 25 years, but turned up in gateway in Welcome bay road near Tauranga a few weeks ago.
The "A" & "O" are on the ends around the wrong way, leaving three tyres missing.

[jato]

I've been intimate with those tyres twice - the most frightening occasion was when my (bucket sidecar) swinger took it upon himself to decide we were going too fast to make the corner (we weren't) and so he thought it wasn't worth swinging... (the f...er). it was an eyewatering experience - weren't they filled with concrete?

[FROSTY:Me]

A couple of "tracks" I haven't seen mentioned (too lazy to look properly) Is the Whangarei street races. Manukau shopping centre street races and a few years later (quite a few) The Manukau shopping centre Bucket street race. I know Beaumont street in Auckland central ran for a couple of years.
Nowaays the like of osh whould have a field day

[scott411]

Anyone that rode at Baypark in the '80's will know exactly what these tyres once spelt.
They haven't been seen for around 25 years, but turned up in gateway in Welcome bay road near Tauranga a few weeks ago.
The "A" & "O" are on the ends around the wrong way, leaving three tyres missing.

i saw those the other day and thought the same, cool piece of history

[jellywrestler]

Anyone that rode at Baypark in the '80's will know exactly what these tyres once spelt.
They haven't been seen for around 25 years, but turned up in gateway in Welcome bay road near Tauranga a few weeks ago.
The "A" & "O" are on the ends around the wrong way, leaving three tyres missing.

it' is interesting that these stayed pretty much together all these years later., some of the old hamilton car street race barriers are on the main road north of new plymouth.