Get yourself trackside at the Barry Butterworth Classic

17 February, 2016

 

If you’re a lover of speedway, then you’ll want to make sure you’re sitting trackside at the upcoming Barry Butterworth Classic at Western Springs on Saturday, February 20 (rain date February 21), with racing kicking off at 6.15pm.

Image: supplied

The event is a tribute to one of the greatest drivers at the venue of all time, and the race is designed to be just like it was back in the good old days. The fastest qualifier starts at the rear of the field, and selects the person he/she wants to have start beside them. This ensures all the fast guys end up at the tail, and they all have to fight to get to the front — just like Barry did. 

The night will also see the sidecars back, running round three of their series, and it will also be another round of the Champion of Champions Series.

For more info and tickets, visit springsspeedway.com.

Lunch with … Rodger Anderson

At first, I wondered if I’d driven up the wrong driveway. The car in the garage was an early Mustang resplendent in royal blue with two broad gold stripes, which was not what I was expecting. I knew that Rodger Anderson, who made his name in Minis and a BMW 2002, was a Porsche man these days — the other end of the spectrum from American muscle. I had no idea of his affection for Detroit iron. It didn’t take long to discover just how passionate this former Saloon Car Champion is about cars, as long as they’re interesting.

Back from the brink – 1968 MGB GT

Auckland classic car enthusiast Kerry Bowman soon realised he had a massive job on his hands in restoring his classic 1968 MGB GT. When Kerry and his MGB first appeared in New Zealand Classic Car in March 2021, in “Behind The Garage Door”, the stripped-out shell had revealed some nasty surprises. Once the true extent of the hidden damage was discovered, the work would normally have been handed over to a professional fabricator. However, with the assistance of experts such as MG specialist restorer, Paul Walbran, Kerry has completed an impressive restoration and saved this car from the scrapheap.