NZV8 No 202 March 2022

Some of my very earliest memories are heading along to the Port Road Drags — in Whangarei, that is — to watch the racing as my uncle ran there. It was the late ’80s early ’90s, and I always had a great time; there always seemed to be tons of interesting cars, and a ton of people packing the roadsides. Thinking back on it now, the road/eighth-mile track was kind of sketchy, with huge ditches on each side, and the odd power pole or culvert dotted along the way. I can remember hating it when it descended into big smokey burnouts that blanketed the crowd — I was about five at the time, so gimme a break. Those Eager smoke clouds were always so thick. Some of you older Northlanders would…

CHECK THEMOTORHOOD.COM FOR REGULAR NEWS UPDATES It’s been a long road, but Greg Murphy’s ‘69 Charger — first featured in bare metal back in issue 73, and dubbed ‘CAPTIV’ due to the lockdowns that greatly slowed its progress — has finally been completed at USA big gun, Ringbrothers. The project began at Auckland workshop Moselle Panel and Paint. In 2019, it was shipped to the US, where an estimated 4000 man-hours went into completing the build. The Ring brothers were extremely complimentary about the work Moselle’s did, stating they didn’t need to touch any of it. As with all Ringbrothers projects, the list of custom parts is extensive, from small touches likethe one-off indicators and extended sills to the custom CNC’d supercharger top on the Hellcat-sourced 707hp 6.2-litre Hemi to ensure…

Anyone who doubts car collecting is a serious sport for millionaires must not read the news; every month we seem to be reporting on eye-watering amounts being paid for classic and rare machines. Last month an insane milestone was reached, with the first auction ever to net more than US$200 million. Yip, you read that right! Mecum’s Kissimmee auction reached a total of US$217 million in sales, surpassing the previous record of $176 million. Of the 2954 cars sold over the course of the high-profile event, 13 cracked the seven-figure mark. The single highest price netted was US$3.75 million for the ‘Flying Mustang’ Shelby. However, the car that had everyone talking — in our circles, anyway — was the iconic Bob Hirohata ’51 Merc custom, which was built in ’52 by Barris…

Kiwi driver Liam Lawson has put to rest any doubts that the Rodin-built FZED single-seater is the fastest race-car in New-Zealand following a demonstration run during a lunchtime break at Highlands Motorsport Park. Liam, who holds the official lap record there of 1:29.910, which he set during his TRS debut back in 2019, absolutely smashed it, going five seconds quicker, at 1:23.75, in the Rodin — although his achievement will not enter the record books, as lap records can be set only in official races. This is the second time the car has been seen on a public track in New Zealand and it certainly did not disappoint those in attendance, including Liam. “Turn three — the massive sort of sweeper with the wall around the outside — in there I was…

Aucklanders with a love for cars and, err, coffee were left shocked when the hugely popular Protecta Insurance Caffeine and Classics was permanently cancelled, with ongoing challenges regarding Covid-19 being cited as the main factor. Regular attendees of the event will be delighted to know that a replacement has been created, and will be known as Meguiar’s Coffee & ars. The gathering will take place on the last Sunday of every month at Lilyworld, located inside Mt Smart Stadium. Lilyworld is a new development boasting an event space, a cafe, and a garden bar. Those young — or old — enough to remember the Big Day Out will recognise the name ‘Lillyworld’, as the space has been named after the stage that was situated in the same spot. Car events at Mt…

Two-time Halberg Sportsman of the Year, Scott Dixon, has again been announced as a finalist for the accolade, with results set to be announced later this month. The 59th running of the prestigious awards was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, so the criteria for the 2021 awards were altered to cover the two previous seasons instead of the usual one. This means Dixon’s 2020 championship will count towards the final decision. “Scott has been at that pinnacle for two decades now. Very few athletes have had such a long and successful career as Scott has. He won his first championship in 2003 at the start of his professional career, and 17 years later he notched up number six. He is very deserving of this finalist selection, and I know the…