Buckets - the name origin

[Kendog]

So, I heard an interesting story today.

The origination of the name Buckets is from the Air force racing days. The track was marked out on the airstrip with buckets, with the bikes racing from bucket to bucket.

Hence the term, bucket racing.

What do you say about that?

[speedpro]

bullshit..

[James Deuce]

No, buckets of shit.

[325rocket]

dont know how true this is but could be.

[sels1]

So, I heard an interesting story today.

The origination of the name Buckets is from the Air force racing days. The track was marked out on the airstrip with buckets, with the bikes racing from bucket to bucket.

Hence the term, bucket racing.

What do you say about that?

True. Very popular around Woodburne Base I am told from some that worked there.Not so much on the airstrip, more around the large sealed areas in front of the hangers, which doubled as the parade ground. Old Vespa scooters and suchlike were commonly used.

[Skunk]

dont know how true this is but could be.

It must be right - I re-wrote a large portion of it. I'm with Speedpro - Pickle could come along with first hand info.

[Kendog]

True. Very popular around Woodburne Base I am told from some that worked there.Not so much on the airstrip, more around the large sealed areas in front of the hangers, which doubled as the parade ground. Old Vespa scooters and suchlike were commonly used.

Are you saying 'True' about the bucket term?

[Kendog]

It must be right - I re-wrote a large portion of it.

I was about to make some subtle changes to that page to support my story, but I will wait until it is proven.

[Skunk]

I got my info from an Airforce guy who was there at the time - and did the racing.

[R6_kid:Me]

Are there any people here from 'back in the day' at Whenuapai, or that were associated with any of the RNZAF 'bucket' scene from the 70's/80's?

I've heard FROSTY's name thrown around with that sort of period of bucket racing.

[speedpro]

I was in the Air Force at the time. My mates at Woodbourne started bucket racing there. It spread to Ohakea and Wigram then finally to Auckland. Meetings were run at Hobsonville(few) and Whenuapai(mostly). Later we also ran at the Wiri container terminal and later in my absence to a few other places before settling at the Mt Wgtn kart track venue. It was me that organised the first meetings here in Auckland.

[Kendog]

I got my info from an Airforce guy who was there at the time - and did the racing.

Same.

I was in the Air Force at the time. My mates at Woodbourne started bucket racing there. It spread to Ohakea and Wigram then finally to Auckland. Meetings were run at Hobsonville(few) and Whenuapai(mostly). Later we also ran at the Wiri container terminal and later in my absence to a few other places before settling at the Mt Wgtn kart track venue. It was me that organised the first meetings here in Auckland.

So what do you think the name bucket means?

[speedpro]

bucket of shit or bucket of bolts. We've been over this before.

[Kendog]

We've been over this before.

We sure have, that's why i was interested in this new concept of the bucket name.
Next time I talk to my uncle I will ask him if he was sure it was due to buckets marking the course. Apparently he was one of the guys at the air force base, raced motorbikes at the time and was involved in setting up bucket racing and it's early rules.

He may be wrong however.

[F5 Dave]

They were using tyres by the time I came along in the late 80s at Ohakea, but it makes most sense, the tyres would be left over from service vehicles + they don't move with the wind & airforce bases would always have enough wind to make plastic buckets a waste of time. Where would you get that many buckets from?

Tyres on big tracks were always interesting, it made the track hard to work out where it was going as they were spread out quite a ways so the first few laps were trying to sort the track in your mind while a few others got it wrong.

Maybe we should call the class F6.