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Uncles Club returns to Hampton Downs National Circuit!

3 March, 2017

 

After a brief hiatus from the Hampton Downs National Circuit — instead using the Club Circuit — Uncles Club have announced that their twilight track nights will return to the National Circuit on Tuesday, March 28, 2017.

Regular supporters of the events questioned the move to the Club Circuit late last year, and the management team have recently addressed this in a statement. 

The statement said, “With the new ownership of Hampton Downs there has been a huge investment in the facilities to complete the dream that was founded by Tony Roberts and Chris Watson.

“No one can deny that the vision was bold and many people got behind the concept by investing in the apartment complex. As time progressed and the funding lines became exhausted, the development at this world-class facility came to an abrupt halt and so Hampton Downs was offered for sale — up stepped Tony Quinn and in record time he has transformed the facility.”

“Uncles Club was originally formed by a group of apartment owners wanting to enjoy the track on a casual basis in the twilight hours. After a period of time the number of people attending the track time grew and the need for better systems around the management of each group was required, and so we took over the management of the track activities. 

“Under the new track ownership the cost of track hire was increased to reflect the capital investment, and at the same time the availability of the National Circuit was reduced so the only option was to continue the Uncles Club track sessions on the newly formed Club Track. 

“Since that time we have seen a reduction in the support of Uncles Club and this has been due to a number of reasons, but by far the largest reason for the drop in numbers attending has been the size of the Club Track. We have been able to negotiate a return to the National Circuit as a one-off on [March 28], 2017 to see if there is still support for Uncles Club. It is quite simple: ‘use it or lose it’.”

With the announcement of the one-off move back to the National Circuit as a tester, and all other Uncles Club track dates cancelled, it will be important to show your support by attending the twilight track session to ensure future events can, and will, take place.

 

Event date:
Tuesday, March 28

Where:
Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.

Times:
Registration: 4pm
Drivers’ briefing: 4.45pm
Track time: 5–7pm

Cost:
$125 bank transfer, credit card, or cash on the day (subject to availability)

 

Reminders:

  • All drivers are to be over 18 years of age
  • All drivers need to hold a current full driver’s licence and not a probationary licence
  • Fire-retardant overalls are required (drivers and passengers)
  • Helmets required (drivers and passengers)
  • Enclosed footwear required
  • Cars must be to WOF standard
  • No drifting allowed
  • Passengers can only travel in caged cars
  • Base boards for jacking in the pits are required to prevent damage to tarmac

NZ Classic Car magazine, September/October 2026 issue 407, on sale now

16 August, 2026

We love bugs!
A bit of TLC that became a major restoration
The 1302S, or ‘Super Beetle’ as it became known, was built for two years before it, too, was replaced by a further-enhanced Beetle, the 1303, continuing an amazing 65-year lineage for one of the World’s best-known shapes.
The world’s best-selling single-model vehicle, the VW Beetle, possibly established another record for the amount of controversy it has created since the inception of the Type 1.
In a meeting with Hitler in June 1934, Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to build a ‘People’s Car’ that could accommodate two adults and three children, was air-cooled and simple to maintain, and could cruise economically at moderate speed along Germany’s proposed new Autobahns.
Our feature car, a 1972 1302S ‘Super Beetle’, was found by Dave and Michelle Dickie in Mosgiel a few years back. It was a runner, but like most VWs of this age, it needed a little TLC. They were looking for a daily driver for Michelle when they first came upon the VW being sold locally on behalf of its owner.
“The owner offered it to his grandchildren, and they didn’t want it, so he got the guy out at Mosgiel in the Mobil petrol station to sell it for him, and he put it on Trade Me for them. We never met the owner, and we were always dealing with the guy at the petrol station. We put a bid on it, and we were the only people that bid on it.”
Their bid was eventually successful, eight years ago. Not knowing much of the history, in situations like that, it’s always a risk buying a car, but they were in for a bit of a surprise.

The other Q car

12 August, 2026

Say the word ‘bond’ to anyone in the street and around 80 per cent straight away think of pop culture’s least-secret secret agent. The other 20 per cent may think of the wad of cash required to secure a flat or hire equipment that one gets back providing the fixtures and fittings stay much as they were.
However, mention ‘bond’ in specialist classic car circles and people will spin a very different yarn. If you dig deep enough, you will find an eccentric British carmaker that, throughout its 23 years in business, spawned some quirky and charming little cars.
The company was founded by Paul Sharp in 1922 under the name of Sharp’s Commercials Limited. However, the company did not start producing cars until 1948. The first car to carry the Bond name was the Bond Minicar. A three-wheeled, soft-top, two-cylinder eco car, the Minicar was a big hit at the time as the desire for an economical urban runabout that didn’t attract four-wheel car tax was strong in post-war Britain. All in all, 34,285 Minicars were produced over 26 years in a variety of variants.