Michael Fowler: When Napier runway became a drag strip

Pete Lodge’s “Baloo” completing a pass over the quarter mile on Napier Airport’s runway in April 1973. Photo / Warwick Clayton

A crowd of some 7000 people gathered to watch a sporting fixture in Napier on Sunday, March 12, 1972 – and it was not at McLean Park. It wasn’t at a racecourse, it was at an airport – Napier Airport – and while hard to believe this could ever take place today, they were there to witness drag races on the airport’s runway.

Drag racing is where two vehicles accelerate from standing start and race over a quarter mile (.4km), the standard distance for this type of racing.

Dragsters and altereds – vehicles created especially for drag racing – and are the most spectacular, and fastest. Street hot rods – cars that can also be driven on normal roads, were popular. There were also production cars, modified by the addition of multiple carbs, hots cams, and exhaust pipes etc.

The organisers of the race meeting were the Hawke’s Bay Hot Rod and Custom Club, Marineland Street Rod and Kustom Club and the Napier Aero Club.

Napier Aero Club president John Travers said: “Both clubs approached us, I arranged a meeting with the presidents of those clubs, who assured us of full support, and having the experience in dealing through the proper Airport Authority Channels, we simply went ahead and did it …co-operation was the thing…wouldn’t get that at Māngere [airport] would you?”

There were no flights into Napier Airport on Sunday mornings, so the racing would start at 8am and finish at 11.30am on the dot so the runway could be checked for the Fokker friendships landing that afternoon.

Thunderpark at Roy’s Hill was then in the planning stage by members of the Hawke’s Bay Rod and Custom Club, and the airport races were to be a showpiece.

“Butch” Reid’s Dr Zhivago at Thunderpark in the 1970s. Photo / Warwick Clayton

During the day joy-ride flights were offered at $3 for 15 minutes by the Napier Aero Club, and a static display of the cars would take place after the racing had finished. If you wanted afternoon tea, the Napier Aero Club was offering this at 10c per person. Marching bands and the Napier City Caledonian Band also provided afternoon entertainment.

The Sunday meeting nearly didn’t take place, when many of the intending competitors from outside of Hawke’s Bay cancelled due to torrential rain experienced over the country.

However, the day in Hawke’s Bay dawned clear with 60mph (96km/h) winds challenging the drivers.

One entry to look out for was Hawke’s Bay man Malcolm “Butch” Reid, and his 1947 Ford Popular 1800cc Anglia he named Doctor Zhivago, which would become much-loved and legendary in the drag racing scene. His vehicle was powered by a five-litre Ford Thunderbird motor, capable of reaching 134mph (215km/h). Butch won his class in 15 seconds, battered by the strong crosswind.

The Hawke’s Bay Car Club provided the timing devices.

Other drivers who took part who would also become well-known were Chris Harris, Brett Wilson and Mike Burns.

There were also motorbikes competing, and L Plummer in a 500 cc Kawasaki went over the quarter mile track in 13.3 seconds, travelling at almost 130mph (209km/h). It was the fastest time of the day.

Such was the success, that another event was planned and took place in April 1973 at the Napier Airport – the last one before the legendary Thunderpark was operational in 1976.

More competitive racers were attracted to the April 1973 event, such as Pete Lodge, who was timed at 10.9 seconds over the quarter mile in his steel-bodied, fuel-altered Fiat Topolino named Baloo.

He was the first to run a 10-second pass in New Zealand over the quarter mile, but it wasn’t an official record, due to the absence of timing gear classification and certification – but it sure gave the large crowd something to remember and whet their appetite for Thunderpark.

Michael Fowler (mfhistory@gmail.com) is a Hawke’s Bay historian. He will be repeating his talk “Parawhenuamea: The Untamed Rivers of Hawke’s Bay” with new material on the Ngaruroro River, Pakowhai and Havelock North flooding events. Havelock North Function Centre, Wednesday, 27 September, 6.30pm. Book on eventfinda.co.nz