Old Race Tracks

[khyndart in CA]

The Saltwater Creek track at the southern end of Timaru was the original airport and was used for racing once the new airport at Levels was constructed.

RA Vanguard information;
" First racing appearance of wires seems to have been with Les Moore in 1960

Moore's fatal accident in the car was at the Saltwater Creek track, Timaru, on Labour Weekend the same year." (David McKinney. April 2013.)


The conditions seemed a bit rough as shown in these photos. Similar to Tahuna Beach, Nelson.

(Doug Algie )


(Fred McLean in his Buckler..)

Info from previous TRS posts.

(Ken H..)

[Roger Dowding]

The Saltwater Creek track at the southern end of Timaru was the original airport and was used for racing once the new airport at Levels was constructed.

RA Vanguard information;
" First racing appearance of wires seems to have been with Les Moore in 1960

Moore's fatal accident in the car was at the Saltwater Creek track, Timaru, on Labour Weekend the same year." (David McKinney. April 2013.)


The conditions seemed a bit rough as shown in these photos. Similar to Tahuna Beach, Nelson.

(Doug Algie )


(Fred McLean in his Buckler..)

Info from previous TRS posts.

(Ken H..)

Ken H, you have been busy - think I have a couple of Allan Dick photos of the events there too !! Cheers

[jellywrestler]

there was a one off street circuit in downtown Timaru in febuaray 1967, odd that this happened after waimate and only just before levels was opened instead of just keeping going with waimate.
Anyone got any ideas as to why the change please?

[jellywrestler]

anyone got any old programs from Mariehau in chch, found three a couple of weeks ago and keen on more to find out how long it ran for etc please

[jellywrestler]

there was a one off street circuit in downtown Timaru in febuaray 1967, odd that this happened after waimate and only just before levels was opened instead of just keeping going with waimate.
Anyone got any ideas as to why the change please?

appears that the governing body anzcc (motorsport nz) banned street racing at the time but allowed this one off meet in timaru to run in the interim as it was deemed safer until levels was opened later that year.

[stubuchanan]

appears that the governing body anzcc (motorsport nz) banned street racing at the time but allowed this one off meet in timaru to run in the interim as it was deemed safer until levels was opened later that year.

By all accounts it was a pretty rough circuit and the mechanical carnage and accident rate was quite high. I remember hearing at the time that the organisers ran the circuit in the opposite direction to that approved originally by ANZCC. Can't vouch for the truth of this.

Stu