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Legends of Speed: Celebrating New Zealand’s greatest drivers

24 October, 2016

 

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“Ever wanted to rub shoulders with some of the greatest names across the Kiwi motorsport spectrum? The Legends of Speed gala dinner is the place to be”

Kiwis’ involvement with motorsport goes back to the dawn of the combustion engine, and the international rapport that we have earned stretches back to a golden era of famous Kiwis who took the motorsport world by storm, playing a key part in many disciplines of racing to develop them into the global events by today’s standards.

There has never been a time that so many of our current racing legends have had an opportunity to come together in one place, and the Legends of Speed event is taking advantage of that chance to celebrate New Zealand’s greatest drivers — both past and present — at the Giltrap Group–presented gala dinner at Vector Arena on Friday, November 25.

At the forefront of Kiwi motorsport triumphs is four-time IndyCar champion, and Indianapolis 500 race winner, Scott Dixon, who is set to headline the event as one of New Zealand’s most-successful and recognized racing drivers.

The event will allow you to rub shoulders with Dixon and a contingent of Kiwi greats, and features a showcase of never-seen-before footage and interviews with our legendary drivers. A display of the world’s rarest and most-exclusive supercars from private New Zealand collections will also be featured — some of which are very rarely seen in the light of day — and will complement the evening alongside a motorsport memorabilia auction that includes historic racing treasures and one-off experiences.

Dixon will be joined on the night by Hyundai World Rally Championship (WRC) crew and Argentinian Rally winners Hayden Paddon and co-driver John Kennard, who recently became the first Kiwis to win a WRC round, and surpassed the late Possum Bourne’s stage win record.

“Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Howden Ganley, and Mike Thackwell all reached the pinnacle of the sport by competing in Formula One and they helped to lay the foundations for future generations who aspire to the highest levels,” explained event organizer Peter Johnston.

“We’ll honour the past and present, and we will tell the stories and reflect on some of their greatest moments through live interviews and exciting video production,” said Johnston.

Also tagging along for the fun will be World Endurance Champion and factory Porsche driver Brendon Hartley, and Le Mans 24 Hour winner and Porsche factory driver Earl Bamber.

For the [V8] Supercar lovers, our contingency will be well represented by Scott McLaughlin [Wilson Security Racing], Fabian Coulthard [Team Penske], and Shane van Gisbergen [Red Bull Racing Australia]. Four-time Bathurst winner and ‘lap of the gods’ setter Greg Murphy will also attend as one of the country’s most successful exports to the Australian series.

Other attending drivers include GT and Porsche racing icon Craig Baird, Asia Porsche Carrera Cup champion Chris van der Drift, and Japanese Lexus Super GT driver and current Japanese Formula 3 champion Nick Cassidy.
 
Proceeds raised from the event will be donated to the New Zealand Elite Motorsport Academy, and to support the Bring Back WRC New Zealand campaign.
 
For ticket details and more information, jump onto the Legends of Speed website: legendsofspeed.co.nz.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2026 issue 405, on sale now

26 April, 2026

Reincarnation of the snake
We are captivated by a top-quality sports car
The Shelby NZ build team at Matamata Panelworks has endured a long and challenging journey, culminating with the highly anticipated public unveiling of the 427SC and firing up of its sonorous V8 at the 2026 Ayrburn Classic Festival of Motoring in Queenstown on February 20. This is a New Zealand-built car with loads of character and potential.
The car is now back in Matamata, and I finally have an opportunity to get up close and personal with it. But before then, the question that must be asked is, “Why would ya?”
The first answer is easy, as mentioned in the last issue of New Zealand Classic Car (#404). It was a great way to use up all the surplus Mustang parts acquired while converting brand-new Mustangs into Shelbys. The unused new Mustang parts would be great in any kit car, but the 427SC in front of me cannot be classified as one.
This is not a kit car. The reality is that it is a high-quality, factory-made production car.
Possibly the second answer is because the CEO of Matamata Panelworks, Malcolm Sankey, wanted to build a replica of the car that is a distant relation to the Shelby Mustangs scattered around his showroom floor, a car created long before the first Mustang was even thought of, and the brainchild of Carroll Shelby back in the early ‘60s.