The Roaring Season

In Part 1 of the Allan Porter Collection, we featured an amazing mix of early New Zealand drag racing photos from the early years of the sport, when organizing groups set up events at the unpaved Kopuku Dragway, on closed roads, or at circuit racing tracks.

In 1973, New Zealands first purpose built drag strip opened for business. Champion Dragway at Meremere is situated roughly halfway between Auckland and Hamilton, and just up the road from the relatively new Hampton Downs circuit racing venue.

With the opening of Meremere, the sport of drag racing enjoyed a sharp rise in popularity, with New Zealands second purpose built facility, Thunderpark, near Napier, hosting its first event three years later.

The images from Part 2 of the Allan Porter Collection center around the early years of Meremere. The professionalism of the sport also increases greatly in this part, along with speeds, and competition. As in Part 1, many of the cars and drivers racing during this time are likely familiar to many of you. You may even see yourselves in some of them, if this was your scene during the 1970s.

This is Guy Lim's mad little T Bucket Altered. Guy appeared in Part 1, racing his V8 powered Prefect.

Great shot of Meremere from the hill.

And from the staging lanes.

Phil Hirst.

Warren Anderson.

Geoff Larsen.

Ray Peterson.

Some of the cars in the background are pretty cool too.

Dave Turner.

I believe this bus was owned by the great Louie "The Leopard" Antonievich. His son Tony owns a cool car and plane collection, which includes the Joe Chamberlain/Dennis Marwood Camaro. Louie was a fearsome Stockcar competitor.

Allan Porter did his bit to promote the new facility. This was Allan's Falcon wagon.

Paton and Black Ford Maverick Funnycar.

Another shot of the track. Not sure who owns the Falcon coupe with the radiused rear fenders, but its pretty cool!

Absolutely gorgeous slingshot dragster of Robin Unkovich.

This is one of a few Capri bodied Funnycars built by Graham Berry.

Ray Peterson.

Guy Lim's T Bucket, pictured earlier in the thread, now sporting a nice custom paint job and a little more chrome.

Ron James.