Laurie was brought up at Waiwakaiho Speedway with his father Johnny racing Midgets and TQ midgets in the 1950’s. In the mid 60’s he sold programs at the entrance gate and later became a pusher for one of the solo riders.
His first taste of competing was winning the kids Tyre Race on the Easter meeting at Waiwakaiho in 1963.
In 1975 Laurie purchased his first TQ which was powered by the same JAP engine his father had used in his TQ, number 62. This was run at Stratford Speedway, the first year of TQ racing in the 1975/76 season, as Waiwakaiho Speedway had closed.
In 1976 he built a new TQ designed by Max Rutherford, Ex F1 mechanic, which had independent suspension all around. The car was powered by a Suzuki T500 and ran on methanol which was set up by his father Johnny. The car was very successful winning various championships.
Due to family commitments, Laurie retired from racing but became a Scrutineer at Stratford in 1983 and then an Assistant Steward.
In 1987 Laurie moved to Auckland with the company he was working with and became an Assistant Referee at Western Springs working under Referee, Bill Clarkson Snr.
In 1988 he became the Referee and held this position for 8 seasons. He then became the Steward and worked under 3 different promoters in George Tervitt, Reece Facoory and Wille Kay.
Left to right: George Hazelton (Stipendiary Steward) Mal Parsons (Asst. Steward) Laurie Callender (Referee) Len Gardner (Asst. Referee) Bob Wells (Steward)
On returning home to New Plymouth in 2000, Laurie became a Stipendiary Steward for the Speedway Control Board and worked under Jake Pulman as his “apprentice”. This was the start of carrying out Official’s Training seminars and officiating at championships at many tracks around the Country.
In 2009 he became the Operations Manager for Speedway NZ, a full-time position working out of an Office in New Plymouth. The role involved the training of Officials, annual Track inspections and assisting with the day to day running of the sport. He attended Board meetings each month and was able to put across any issues or concerns from the Officials point of view.
Laurie retired from this position in 2017 and was awarded a Silver Tray from SNZ in recognition of Services to Speedway New Zealand. He continued as a Stipendiary Steward and then a Senior Official as well as being a Steward or Assistant Steward at Stratford Speedway, positions he still holds today.
Achievements:
2nd NZ TQ Champs at Meeanee 1977/78.
Unfortunately, Laurie had to push his car across the line in the 1st heat due to a small mechanical issue when the car jumped out of gear but managed to win the next two heats to secure 2nd place.
1st West Coast TQ Champs Stratford 1976/77
1st West Coast TQ Champs Stratford 1977/78
1st Taranaki TQ Champs Stratford 1977/78
Laurie has completed 40 years as an Official for Speedway in New Zealand.
Additional Information:
Laurie was a foundation member of the Taranaki Historic Speedway Association which was formed in 2002.
He has been the President of the Association since its inception and was made a Life member of the Association in 2022.
On retirement from Speedway NZ, he formed his own company, Motorsport Safety NZ as he saw the need for an independent company to assist with helping competitors with their safety gear. This involved keeping up with the current regulations and informing competitors on counterfeit equipment that has sometimes appeared. In 2017 Laurie attended the PRI Show in Indianapolis to attend the International Council of Motorsport Science annual Conference on Motorsport Safety related issues and is still a member of this organisation today.
Laurie has also freely run Safety Seminars for Speedway and other Motorsports around the country, on the correct use of safety equipment, seat and seat belt mountings and the wearing of correct helmets with Frontal Head Devices.