Weekender, January 2, 2021
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 BIG CROWDS: The track drew 12,000 people to its fi rst meeting and this shot from a 1972 meeting shows the crowds kept coming back, a s t h e y d o t o d a y . The Gisborne Herald Speedway clocks up half ton fi le pictures It was 50 years ago today that what became the Gisborne Speedway Club raced for the fi rst time on the Awapuni Road track that has provided so much entertainment for Gisborne fans over the years. Speedway reporter and commentator Murray Robertson takes us back to look at the history of the club, ahead of a special race meeting planned for next Wednesday night to mark the 50th anniversary. t is 50 years ago on Saturday that the not large, some exciting dicing developed. Gisborne Speedway Club at its Awapuni “ e meeting also featured speedway Road raceway fi rst opened its gates to a motorcycles and TQ midgets. Napier’s Freddy Irace meeting. Timmo made ‘breakfast’ of the rest of the A special meeting has been organised for fi eld in the motor-cycle races.” next Wednesday night (January 6) to mark e sport of speedway in Gisborne had the occasion. previously operated from a track at Patutahi, e Eastland Group Speedway, aka Awapuni and before that at Showgrounds Park. Speedway, was opened on January 2, 1971, “Bill Northe organised an initial meeting at before a crowd estimated at 12,000, who the Sandown Park Hotel to gather support paid an admission fee of $1 for adults and 40 for the formation of the Gisborne Speedway cents for children.
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