Riverside Speedway, Invercargill Return to NZ Speedways
Photo below supplied by Shelly Corbett the track photographer. Thanks Shelley. The history below is from their web site.
Riverside Speedway started its humble beginnings back in 1977.
A group of avid race drivers and fans
were racing at the neighbouring Oreti Park track back in 1975, it was decided in
1976 to build a new track at Sandy Point and create the Southland Stock Car
Drivers Association.
Local company AG
Hoffmans donated machinery and operator Allan Shuttleworth to the cause and with
alot of blood sweat and tears from drivers, family members and race fans the
track was ready and being raced on in 1977, with John Hawke the president.
Local radio station 4ZA got in behind the club for the opening of the circuit,
they held a competition on air to name the track and it was Christine and Barry
Palmenter that came up with the name Riverside Raceway which the club chose as
the official name until recently when Riverside Speedway was adopted by the
club.
The early meetings at Riverside
Raceway saw locals flock to the circuit in droves to watch their heroes, the
likes of Peter Woods, "Stormin" Norman Butler and Don Black just to name a few
entertained the masses and really put the club on the map at a national level as
well, Riverside Raceway was alive and well and here to stay.
Over the years the club has turned out multiple South Island and New Zealand
Champions, in recent years the breeding ground for up and coming drivers has
grown and strengthened the club with the introduction of Youth Saloons giving
drivers from the age of 12 a gateway to Speedway.
The club is now seeing the fruits of this with a number of drivers moving into
other classes within the club.
Each season the fans keep coming back to Sandy Point, lining up at the entry
to the circuit well before the green flag drops to see the new generation of
racer and a handful of drivers who put Riverside on the map in the early days do
battle, putting on a show which leaves fans young and old spellbound and wanting
more.
The club's family focus has made
Riverside Speedway a welcoming place that race fans congregate on, young fans
looking up to their heroes racing around the track, just like these drivers
would have done when they were kids back in the 70's and 80's making Riverside
Speedway a club that has more than stood the test of time.
This year the club celebrates 15 years of title sponsor The Rock FM being on
board, a feat that both parties are proud to have been a part of. The Rock
Riverside Speedway has a number of great initiatives in place over the coming
seasons and this is only made possible with the support of our loyal sponsors,
club members and volunteer who commit to the club each season.