New Zealand Tourist Trophy and other NZ Motorcycle Races

[bry3500]

This man raced at an incredible 26 circuits in new zealand and won many an NZTT and NZGP as well as NZ Championships, approx ten of them. racing career starts at 59 minutes https://www.youtube.com/live/2RQu8U1d4K ... 7NvX430lAU

The man himself

[Roger Dowding]

The last events on Waiheke Island were held on 31st December 1949 and 2nd January 1950 - New Years Day must have been a lay day ..

Poster from the Last Event - posted on the Waiheke Historic Facebook page.

The event moved to Seagrove Airfield for 1951 then Mangere until 1958 as seen the results - and again for 1959, 1960 and 1961.

There were Motorcycle Races at Ardmore in 1960 and 1961, which were noted as the Ardmore Motorcycle Classic - a Race of 12 laps = 24 miles.

For 1962 both the Junior and Senior New Zealand Tourist Trophy [ NZ TT ] events were held in conjunction with the New Zealand International Grand Prix at Ardmore Saturday January 6th.
The Senior TT was 25 laps = 50 miles and the Junior TT 12 laps = 24 Miles - same as the previous two years Ardmore Classic.
Junior TT was for machines up to 350cc and Senior TT machines up to 500cc
Thanks to Milan Fistonic for the image .. [ posted before ].

[Milan Fistonic]

Quote - The last events on Waiheke Island were held on 31st December 1949 and 2nd January 1950 - New Years Day must have been a lay day ..

January 1, 1950 was a Sunday, which could be why there was no racing that day.

[jellywrestler]

Quote - The last events on Waiheke Island were held on 31st December 1949 and 2nd January 1950 - New Years Day must have been a lay day ..

January 1, 1950 was a Sunday, which could be why there was no racing that day.

i think traditionally they didn't race on the island on New Years Day as a rule anyway. As for racing on a sunday it was quite OK to do so, but for many years you could not pay prize money. Quite a few of the cemetery circuit races were the day after boxing day as riders wanted prize monies.

[Roger Dowding]

Programme Covers from a couple of the early events 1932 and 1936.

From Graeme " jellywrestler " Staples collection.

Graeme is looking for any programmes and other items on the TT Races held originally on Waiheke Island from 1931 ..

[Roger Dowding]

Very confused now - these two images .. should have read closely **
posted on page one. a very poor quality image which has been enlarged.

Image from " jellywrestler ", posted on the " Historic Waiheke - Facebook page.

If the events started in 1931 - should be the Fourth TT, not the Fifth,
Did they hold two events in the same year ?? .

**
.- yes they did the Fourth on 29th January 1934 and he Fifth on 29th December 1934.
Later they ran a Senior and Junior TT over two different days ..

[jellywrestler]

The minute size of the piccies needed o here is a headache, I should find a quick easy way to resize as right now i seem to have to do it in several steps. Must try harder.

The first race was june 1931, emulating the IOMTT on an island etc. It ws very creditable but apart from some races at hennings speedway loosely under the road racing format there had been no other road races in nz and certainly no lead up to either test the endurance and abilities of the competitors, or the popularity. All this in winter, in a depression.
By 1932 it was in January, in summer so common sense prevailed.

later, post war as Roger had said they ran two races, a Junior for up to 350cc macines usually new years eve, and a Senior for 500cc early in the new year, jan 1 or 2nd, they mondayised meetings where possible as it wasn't against the law to race but it was against the law to pay prize money. I have many duplicate NZTT programmes from Waiheke Island, Seagrove, Mangere and pukekohe park available and many CUT NZGP spares too if anyone is after copies

[jellywrestler]

January 1, 1950 was a Sunday, which could be why there was no racing that day.

it was fine to race on a sunday, but they couldn't pay prize money hence mondayising it a few cemetery circuits were 27th dec not boxing day

[bry3500]

[video=youtube;gAJsSmpUn7I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAJsSmpUn7I&list=WL&index=4&ab_channel=McLarenArchive[/video]

[Roger Dowding]

Bry3500,
- They can't claim the " First North Island Road Race " unless they mean Mainland North Island NZ ..
maybe they meant " First North Inland Road Race "

Just thinking.

[jellywrestler]

Bry3500,
- They can't claim the " First North Island Road Race " unless they mean Mainland North Island NZ ..
maybe they meant " First North Inland Road Race "

Just thinking.

there was a motorcycle class at the 1933 Orakei street races too, to be fair magazines were spasmodic in those days and people didn't now what had gone on elsewhere often, we didn't have these forums to discuss things, There was also road races held at Seagrove prior to this meeting too.
There was a race in Brunswick near wanganui labour weekend 1948, I scored a programme for that meeting two weeks ago, but that followed the 1948 hamilton 100 too.

[Oldfart]

It does say in the commentary that "it's the first road race in the North Island where the roads have been specially closed for the race".
100 miles, 100 entrants!!!!!

[bry3500]

It does say in the commentary that "it's the first road race in the North Island where the roads have been specially closed for the race".
100 miles, 100 entrants!!!!!

The plot thickens

[jellywrestler]

It does say in the commentary that "it's the first road race in the North Island where the roads have been specially closed for the race".
100 miles, 100 entrants!!!!!

1st motorcycle only event 1933 Orakei was car and bike

[Roger Dowding]

A Montage of photos from the archives of Hec Cole - posted in the November 2022 NZ Memories Magazine.

They show Hec and a fellow Motorcycle Courier in 1940 - in WW2, Photo A

Events around Auckland in the 1920's including Motorcycle Football at Blandford Park in Grafton - now part of the Grafton Motorway section.

Photo B is the start of a run to Beachlands from Greenlane in 1925,
Photo C - middle Top - A Days outing from Remuera
Photos D -set of 3 - middle Motorcycle Football at Blandford Park top and bottom and Hennings in 1926
Photos E Len Coulthard at a Hill Climb in Mt Roskill 1926 and on a track
Photos F - a pair Racing at Takapuna 1920's and in 1935.

[jellywrestler]

fantastic set of piccies, not sure whther D hennings speedway 1926 is correct, The facility wasn't opened till 1929. I recently was given 5 late 1920's early 30's grasstrack programmes from takapuna and kensington park and Len Coulthards name is there a few times

[Roger Dowding]

fantastic set of piccies, not sure whether D hennings speedway 1926 is correct, The facility wasn't opened till 1929. I recently was given 5 late 1920's early 30's grasstrack programmes from takapuna and kensington park and Len Coulthards name is there a few times

" jw ", I do not know, just what was in the article - well the notes with the photos ;

- Blandford Park, however I do remember as used to be taken there as a Youngster to watch the Soccer Matches, especially if Grafton was playing, as my Dad had played Senior Team Soccer for them in the late 1930's into the 1940 Season.
This was before he left to join the " Fleet Air Arm " on the ill-fated " Rangitane " Voyage in November 1940 - sunk by a German Raider the " Orion " off the Coast of New Zealand.

Had read about Motorcycle Racing at Takapuna, but never seen pictures

[jellywrestler]

seeing things that may not be correct on a forum and noting them often either brings out the correct details, or disproves the person who says something, they are great things for searching further. I'd love to post more piccies here but i have not eaily mastered dropping picture quality so low, must spend some time on that as i have so much stuff to post. Busy busy these days too
I travelled south a couple of months ago and spent $2k on programmes, that was what i offered, i now have 27 odd page list of what i have and there's oodles of stuff in them.
great info about blanford park, i have read a bit on it

[Oldfart]

JW, a quote from you 14th Oct "There was also road races held at Seagrove prior to this meeting too." Were these held on the roads at Seagrove, or on the airfield? What qualifies as "Road Races", I visited a number of the Northern Ireland road venues apart from being insane, they have to be on roads, not constructed circuits

[GregT]

In the motorcycling world a roadrace circuit has a formed surface and has both left and right hand turns. Historically the surface can be almost anything from rolled and oiled dirt to modern hotmix. But it's as smooth as possible.
It's quite distict from a motocross cicuit which should have a "natural" surface - albeit often roughly graded.Usually including jumps.
The Irish "real roads" circuits these days are an anomaly. I think Ireland and NZ probably have more surviving than anywhere else. sadly I suspect their days are numbered.
Spyda knows more about the Seagrove setup than me,