Motor sport in New Zealand

Motor sport in New Zealand can be traced back to a least 1901 when the Pioneer Cycle Club held a three-mile handicap race which included both motor bikes and cars. Since then it has developed and now almost all types of motor sport events are represented.

Initially motor sport in New Zealand was organised by cycle clubs with both motor bikes and cars taking part in the same events. The earliest recorded motorcar and motorbike race in New Zealand took place in Christchurch. On 8 November 1901 the Pioneer Cycle Club held a 3-mile automobile race at Hagley Park between a Brown motor quad driven by A Lowry, a Minerva engined Stella motor bicycle ridden by A Every, and a Star Motor Company Voiturette driven by Noel Oates. The motor bicycle won the race. Noel Oates was the proprietor of the Zealandia Cycling Works. A successful Christchurch based cycle manufacturer.

By 1903 motor cycles were competing in their own events. In 1905 motor sport events included hill climbs.

The first motor race meeting with multiple events was organized by the Canterbury Automobile Association on 26 December 1905 at the Metropolitan Trotting Grounds (now known as the Addington Raceway). The event included a gymkhana to test driver skills, several 5 mile long motor races for cars based horse power classes, and two motor bicycle races. Dr Thacker's Beeston-Humber driven by A Duncan won the main race for cars under 12 hp.

Reliability trials (now called Economy Runs) also started in this period. These were usually orgainsed by the local Automobile Association. These were followed by motor car and bike races on various beaches.

Motorcycle grass track racing at horse race tracks continued during the war period. As did beach racing at locations such as New Brighton. While these events were predominantly male drivers, there were events specifically for female motor cyclists.

Early motor cycle races took place at various horse race tracks throughout the country. Later races also took place on beaches. An example of these was the 100 mile race at New Brighton organized by the Pioneer Motorcycle Club and held on 13 January 1917. The race was won by Ernest F C Hinds on a 7 hp Harley-Davidson.

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