chariot racing getting bikes that weigh twice as much as a 450 ‘ crosser to turn in the rutted sand . Next year , the tide will see a later start time , an afternoon / evening deal , so get there early as the crowd is likely to be huge .
The Weekend Yup , Saturday is track time . The world ’ s southernmost race circuit stages the E Hayes and Sons Teretonga Sprint Races . With the crowds noticeably larger even than the preplague events , things bode well for the whole Burt Munro Challenge moving forward . Again Tony Rees showed his class and a clean set of heels as he bagged more bronze ( as in cast bronze trophie ) taking a clean sheet of wins . At 55 years young , there are plenty of fast laps left in Whakatane ’ s hard man yet . With moderns , classics and everything in between representing on the track , you sense the crowd backing the bikes of their youth as well as the new rockets that were lapping the track in the 60-second range . For those who spun a few laps earlier in the week , they were blown away by the difference between riding fast and ‘ proper fast ’. Perspective is a marvellous thing . The vibe was fantastic , possibly magnified by being denied the event last year , but either way , with all the toil from the organisers , it was good to hear them so positive about everything . After all , without thousands of unpaid hours dedicated to such a huge , diverse undertaking ,
KIWI RIDER 85