Burt Munro street races set for city

Hundreds of motorcycles will tear around Invercargill streets in November, with the Burt Munro Street Races southern shift all but set in stone.

The street races, which had been running at a loss, were scratched from the annual event in April after the Burt Munro Challenge committee revealed it could have lost up to $10,000 running the event last year, on top of a $2000 loss in 2013.

Burt Munro Challenge committee member Andy Underhay said a proposal to shift the street races to Invercargill on November 29 had received verbal approval from the Invercargill City Council.

The council’s infrastructure and services committee yesterday approved temporary road closures for the street races.

The Burt Munro committee was ‘‘more than overjoyed’’ and was hoping for more than 400 entrants to tackle the new track this year, Underhay said.

‘‘It is 100 per cent going ahead – we’re just waiting for approval now at a full council meeting, and approval from Motorcycling New Zealand.’’

The street race will take competitors around a circuit through Bill Richardson Dr, Fox St, Beatrice St, Phillip St, Victoria Ave and Arena Ave.

Underhay, who is also president of the Southland Motorcycle Club, said excitement was already starting to build among the racing community.

‘‘Word is starting to get around and there’s already a lot of interest,’’ he said.

‘‘We’re hoping we’ll get more than 400 entrants, which is slightly up on last year, but with the interest in the new track and being the 10th anniversary I’m confident we’ll attract more people down here.’’

The Gore District Council had put forward an impressive bid to host the event but the preference had always been to stage it in Invercargill, Underhay said.

Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks said while it was disappointing that Gore had missed out, there had been ‘‘a huge groundswell of support’’ for the idea and the council would now look at staging a motorsport event in the district.

Registrations to compete in the annual Burt Munro Challenge open on July 1.