Speedsters chasing records this weekend

Almost six kilometres of surveyed flat and straight road along with TAG Heuer precision timing equipment provide the opportunity for multiple New Zealand land speed records to be set this weekend.

Landspeed New Zealand Inc — an organisation established in 2016 to promote land speed racing and record breaking — will stage its inaugural speed trials at Goudies Rd near Reporoa on Saturday.

About 30 teams are expected to chase records for cars and motorcycles across a number of engine displacement classes. The line-up has a strong motorcycle representation with machines as diverse as a 50cc Puch moped to turbocharged, supercharged and nitrous oxide- boosted superbikes capable of speeds well in excess of 300km/h.

Multi-time national drag racing champion Alan Thoresen (Hamilton) is one of the most experienced land speed racers competing at Goudies Rd. He has achieved 198.702mph (319.8km/h) on his nitrous-injected Kawasaki ZX14 at the Bonneville Salt Flats and is aiming for a 200mph certificate this weekend.

Among the four-wheel entries are the electric drag car of Tom Cook, the 5.2-litre Corvette sports sedan of Grant Brennan and the 900-horsepower Porsche 911 of Carl Hannaford.

The closure for the Goudies Rd venue junctions runs from 7am-5pm on Saturday with runs planned to start at 9am.

The course will be timed in both directions over a quarter-mile (402-metre) speed trap with 2.6km of acceleration and braking area at each end of the course.

Public entry to the venue is from the Broadlands Rd, using either Strathmore Rd or East Rd to join Plateau Rd and reach the western end of the course. There is no access via the forestry to the eastern end.

Initial familiarisation rounds on Saturday morning will be restricted to 200km/h and 250km/h after which competitors will be permitted to attempt full-speed runs.

The outright New Zealand Land Speed Record was set in 2012 at the Ohakea Air Force Base by Aucklander Eddie Freeman who clocked 355.485km/h with his specially modified Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.