Speedway fireworks big hit

The speedway was punctuated with a fireworks display on Saturday night. Photo/Rae Cliffe

A crowd of between 2000 and 2500 ate the caterers out of house and home at a Wanganui Stockcar and Speedway Club meet on Saturday night.

Club president Alan Luoni said the meet combined with a fireworks display was a great success and will probably be repeated at Guy Fawkes this year.

"You can tell it was a success because of the amount of rubbish we're cleaning up today." he said yesterday.

"There were so many people the caterers ran out of food toward the end."

The fireworks were combined with a 24-race programme at the Landguard Bluff track, just in time for Mr Luoni's 50th birthday.

It was organised by Marcus Musson of Feilding-based Forest Owner Marketing Services, which offered to sponsor the displayas there was no Guy Fawkes night show at Cooks Gardens last year.

Mr Luoni said crowd numbers were "way up" on other meets this season.

"We ran the fireworks about three-quarters of the way through the programme so families could enjoy them and some races and then get the kids home. The crowd loved it and so did we".

Mr Luoni said if it was approved by the directors of Forest Owners Marketing Services the fireworks would become an annual feature of a club meet on Guy Fawkes night.