Meremere 21 Speedway relaunch brings Waikato high‑bank track back to life

The legendary high-banked track at Meremere is poised for a relaunch under the name 21 Speedway. Photo / James Selwyn Photos

One of Waikato’s most iconic speedway venues is roaring back to life.

The legendary high-banked track at Meremere is poised for a long‑awaited relaunch under the name 21 Speedway.

In its heyday, the old Highbank Speedway was a place where cars went faster, the banks were steeper, and the racing rivalled anything seen in the United States.

Now, after years of sitting dormant, the track is being reborn thanks to veteran racer and speedway stalwart Kerry Brocas.

Brocas, who has spent more than 35 years in motorsport and raced on tracks throughout New Zealand, has taken on what he describes as a “massive project” to restore the circuit to its former state and future glory.

“At the beginning, people looked at the place and thought I was mad,” Brocas said.

“It looked like a bomb site, water-filled holes, no real shape to it at all.

“But I could still see the track. I’d raced here before, and I knew what it could be again.”

Inspired by American speedway

The original high-banked track drew inspiration from American speedways such as the famous Eldora Speedway, after New Zealand drivers, including the late Barry Butterworth, returned from the US in the mid‑1980s keen to replicate what they had experienced overseas.

Butterworth’s influence led to the creation of outlaw-style racing in New Zealand and some of the fastest, most spectacular speedway action the country had ever seen, Brocas said.

“That era was something special. What Barry and others did back then was outstanding.

“Bringing this track back is about honouring that history, but also creating something future-focused.”

A whopper track

The new 21 Speedway circuit measures roughly 600m around the outside, about 480m on the pole line, and a true third‑mile track down the centre.

The straights run 84m, with symmetrical 47m-radius turns at each end.

Banking starts at around 12-15 degrees on the straights and rises to 23-25 degrees through the turns.

“It doesn’t sound like much on paper, but when you’re on it, it’s steep.

“Back in the day, you could be up on the cushion looking down at a driver’s helmet below you,” Brocas said.

He said the track has been designed to cater for all classes.

The pole line has been flattened to suit junior categories, mini stocks, TQs and quarter midgets, while the higher banking provides spectacular racing lines for sprint cars, midgets and super saloons.

The Meremere high banked track is being reborn thanks to veteran racer and speedway stalwart Kerry Brocas. Photo / James Selwyn Photos

“There’s a line for everybody,” Brocas said.

“That’s how you build a venue that lasts.”

Safety has been a major priority throughout the rebuild, Brocas said.

He sourced FIA‑approved fencing and barrier systems, previously used at Pukekohe for Supercars and equivalent to those seen at Formula One circuits worldwide.

The original Highbank Speedway track builder, Lloyd Hodgett, has also returned to oversee the reconstruction of 21 Speedway, a move Brocas calls “pretty special”.

First laps already completed

During a recent working bee, Brocas rolled out his own sprint car and completed a series of laps to provide feedback on track shape and geometry.

“It was dusty, and we were pretty tame, but it was enough to prove it’s real. To feel it again, that was something else.”

Brocas sourced FIA‑approved fencing and barrier systems, previously used at Pukekohe for Supercars. Photo / James Selwyn Photos

The venue also hosted a practice and open day recently.

Interest had been so strong that entries had to be capped, with sprint cars, midgets, super saloons, stock cars and junior classes all set to attend.

The day was a “test and tune”, allowing teams to experiment with setups and gear ratios ahead of the season’s start in October.

“We’re making new history here,” Brocas said.

“Come October... they’ll know exactly what they’re working with.”

A venue for the future

While the track will be for daylight events only, plans are in motion for a fully lit stadium in the future.

“Under lights, this place would be something else,” Brocas said.

“We’ve got the timing systems and the foundation. It’ll happen, just step by step.”

For Brocas, the project is personal.

“This is the track I started on,” he said.

“It’s about giving back, about keeping venues alive instead of losing them. Speedway’s a family, and we want everyone, old fans, new fans, young drivers, to be part of it.”

Graeme “Mintie” Mead is a sports commentator, the host of the radio show Waikato All Sports Breakfast and a Newstalk ZB overnight host. He is also a councillor on the Hamilton City Council.