ROAD NEWS
ANNUAL CLASSIC CELEBRATION A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
by Andy McGechan
Hastings rider Gian Louie ( Yamaha 1000 ), sure to be a contender after winning the NZCMRR F1 class last year and the Post Classic class in the just-completed Suzuki International Series
I t ’ s that time of year again when all the best from motorcycling yesteryear come together in one massive celebration . We ’ re counting down the days for New Zealand ’ s biggest and most famous classic motorcycle racing event – The Pukekohe Classic Festival – this year set for the weekend of February 6-7 . The New Zealand Classic Motorcycle Racing Register ’ s ( NZCMRR ) annual Classic Festival , always a highlight of the year , will this year celebrate its 42nd anniversary at Pukekohe Park Raceway and it promises to be an occasion to remember . It all kicks off on the Friday ( February 5 ) with the Pukekohe Park Raceway organising a separate Motorcycle Track Day ( through motott . co . nz ), as well as a “ Ride Into Pukekohe Township ”, a tradition started when Italian 15-times world champion Giacomo Agostini came to the festival in 1999 . In addition to the always-popular static displays at the Pukekohe circuit over the weekend , proper race action will be out on the twisty tarmac course with a wide variety of categories catered for . Then , if the close-fought on-track action was not already enough , there will be so many former NZ racing greats in attendance and it will be a great chance for bike racing enthusiasts to mix and mingle with their heroes – legendary racers such as Hugh Anderson , Ginger Molloy , Graeme Crosby , Gary Goodfellow , Richard Scott , Aaron Slight and Andrew Stroud , among many others . A few of the currently active “ big name ” riders in attendance will include Christchurch ’ s multitime former national motorcycle champion
( and current sidecars championship contender ) Dennis Charlett , Pukekohe ’ s multi-time New Zealand and NZCMRR champion Paul ‘ Superman ’ Pavletich , Auckland ’ s multi-time national champion Dave Cole and Auckland ’ s former New Zealand champion Brendon Coad , Christchurch ’ s James Hoogenboezem and Wellington ’ s Jay Lawrence , to name just a few . More than 300 Classic , Post Classic and Vintage bike will be on display and the world-famous Daytona-winning Kiwi-built Britten bike will also be on display , as well as being taken out on demonstration laps . The bikes range from the early 1920s through to 1995 and include some of the world ’ s most valuable motorcycles , machines normally only seen sitting silently in museums . These include such famous bikes as the 1927 Brough Superior “ SS100 ”, the 1949 1000cc Vincent “ Black Lightning ”, one of only 29 made and which is officially the most expensive model motorcycle ever sold at auction , as well as Grand Prix racing bikes such as “ Manx ” Nortons , AJS “ 7Rs ” and Velocette “ KTTs ”, European machinery from BMW , Ducati , Moto Guzzi , and Laverda , Japanese Suzuki , Honda , Yamaha and Kawasaki racing bikes from the 1960s to 1995 and racing sidecars from the 60 ’ s to the 90s . The festival boasts a family atmosphere , seriously fast racing , free pit access , displays of machines never normally seen by the public and it will even include a lunchtime display on Sunday of a WWII Spitfire , so maybe this is one weekend that bike fans really need to set aside on their calendars .
24 KIWI RIDER