Transport Minister Chris Bishop (centre) promised significant penalties, including vehicle forfeiture, for street racing offences. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Transport Minister Chris Bishop (centre) promised significant penalties, including vehicle forfeiture, for street racing offences. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
They’ve been labelled cowardly try-hard idiots, menaces and morons.
And it’s talk like that, as well as a promised crackdown on boy racers, that spurred two of the organisers of this year’s King’s Birthday so-called invasion of Levin.
A crowd of1000 people and 200 cars filled the Horowhenua town just over three weeks ago, doing burnouts and other antisocial activity that caused a public outcry and large police response.
The mother of a woman killed during illegal street racing has a simple plea for those involved in such activities: stop, now.
But two of the “Levin invasion” organisers have their backs up at the Government’s promise to pass harsher boy racer laws.
“This year was trying to prove a point that the new laws are not really up to what they’re made to be, really. We’ve got a lot of car enthusiasts who aren’t really into drags, but they’re still going to get pinged for doing convoys,” said one, from Horowhenua.
The other, from Kāpiti, said the Government tied different types of car enthusiasts together under the boy racer banner.
“Convoys – they’re just car enthusiasts out to see each other’s cars. They’re not intimidating the public.
“Us, we have more or less loud cars, not road-legal cars. Those are two completely different scenes. We go to a spot where we go and do skids. They go to a spot where they go and take photos.”
The men, who RNZ agreed not to name, said they were frustrated authorities sought to crack down on them, but gave them nowhere affordable to go.
“They’re not going to see it as a sport. Pads are quite expensive. One day at Manfeild is probably just underneath a grand. It’s not cheap or accessible for those of us who like to do it on the daily, or at weekends,” said the Horowhenua-based organiser.
“Why do skaters have skateparks? Why do footballers have football fields? Why do rugby players have rugby fields?
Two organisers criticised the Government's plan for harsher boy racer laws, arguing car enthusiasts need affordable, designated spaces. Photo / NZME
“Those are all publicly funded. Those are free. There’s obviously a big trend coming through New Zealand right now where skidders are getting out there on the streets. You’re going to need somewhere to put them,” said the Kāpiti-based organiser.
But the Levin invasion wasn’t a quiet demonstration.
A flick through court documents shows multiple charges of dangerous driving, wheel spinning, possessing weapons and unlawful assembly stemming from the night.
Police officers were attacked with fireworks, something the two organisers said they didn’t condone, and four bystanders were injured by the cars.
The Horowhenua-based organiser said he didn’t like to see people hurt at his events.
“We endorse for people to stay off the road, stay clear of our skidders. But, they still like to get close to get that 10-second video.”
Hawke’s Bay woman Coreen Schafer was angry when she saw images of the Levin event on TV.
“It pisses me off. My stomach churned. I just think, ‘Who’s going to get killed? Is it going to be a driver or a passenger? Is it somebody stupid taking a video, egging them on?’
“I really hate it.”
Twelve years ago Schafer’s 18-year-old daughter Maree was killed when three cars were racing near Napier.
The car Maree was in reached 180km/h before crashing.
“If I could go back and tell Maree [something] that night, I would have told her not to get into that car. Don’t, just don’t. My daughter trusted the driver and it didn’t work for her.
“Drivers, get your s*** together. You don’t have to waste all your money. Get a job. Show off by buying a house. Buy a nice car. Don’t take somebody’s life.”
Schafer agreed car enthusiasts needed somewhere off-street to gather, and said she was disappointed nothing changed through the years despite lots of tough talk from officials.
“I don’t think it matters what I say. Nothing gets done. Judith Collins brought in the crushing law. That worked for how many cars and it deterred some maybe?
“It’s an issue that’s going to keep going on and on. Something needs to be done before more lives are lost.”
Police Minister Mark Mitchell called the Levin invaders “cowardly, try-hard idiots”. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers labelled them “menaces and morons”.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said he would introduce harsher boy racer legislation in the coming months and he expected it to become law during this term of government.
Boy racers have clashed with the Government over the police crackdown at the Levin event. Photo / Getty Images
“The measures we are bringing in will in most cases see fleeing drivers, street racers and people participating in intimidating convoys have their vehicle forfeited or destroyed on conviction,” he said.
“If you commit an anti-social road use offence, such as street racing or burnouts, you will face significant penalties.”
Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden said the debris and rubbish from last month was cleaned up but marks on the road remained.
“Well, I wouldn’t believe that it’s because of Government crackdowns and police activity that they’re doing this.
“They’re seeking attention to create as much mayhem as they can and impact communities like ours.”
Levin now waits to see if they’ll be back for a third year, after the first invasion in 2024.
“I’m thinking we’ll see what the police have in store for every car enthusiast. Putting a target, say, not on the boy racers’ backs but on everyone else is a bit unfair,” said the Kāpiti-based organiser.
“Pretty much what the bro says. I’m just going with the flow. There’s no big meets planned in my head at the moment,” said the Horowhenua-based organiser.
