WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’

DRAG racing in NZ got off the ground in the mid-60s at an open-cut mine at Kopuku, about an hour south of Auckland, with the mine tailings doused in an oil mixture to keep the dust down. In 1967, NZ’S first ever National Drags event was held there. A few events also took place on airfield runways in provincial towns, and some still do. From there, Pukekohe Hot Rod Club ran five meetings on Kerrs Road in an emerging industrial area of south Auckland. A few members of the club went on a drag racing tour to Australia and came back with the goal of building a new NZ track. Meremere Dragway opened in 1973 and was NZ’S first purpose-built dragstrip. Owned by a hot rod club and manned by volunteers, Meremere has been instrumental in growing the sport in NZ. Recently a second purpose-built track was opened in Masterton on the lower North Island, while on the South Island, drag racing co-exists alongside circuit racers at Rupauna and Teretonga, while in Nelson they still use the local airfield runway. The four biggest meetings on the Kiwi drag racing calendar are all held at Meremere: the Four & Rotary Drags, the Fathers’ Day Drags, the Nostalgia Drags and the IHRA National Drags. Unfortunately NZ has had the same political maladies that have afflicted Aussie drag racing, and now has two governing/ sanctioning bodies, the IHRA and the NZDRA. Despite mediation and negotiation, both parties have agreed on a permanent divorce. The majority of drag racing activity in NZ occurs under the IHRA’S umbrella.