Track brings new life to Drag racing in New Zealand

Like so many gures in the drag racing fraternity, Tony van Helmond rst started following the sport when he was a teenager, going to meetings when he was a teenager in the late 1970s.

A racer back in the day, these days Tony is one of the Masterton Motorplex board members which he joined about 15 years ago. He started at MMP helping with scrutineering when meetings were held at the air eld. Tony is also an NZDRA Tech Inspector, doing safety inspections on all competition cars. His job on race day is the NZDRA Area Steward whose duties include overseeing, scrutineering, observing licence runs, ensuring all rules and safety procedures are followed, carrying out all accident and incident investigations and

IT IS TONY’S JOB TO INVESTIGATE ANY ON-TRACK INCIDENTS reports, and generally helping where needed, including track preparation. Tony is also involved in the governance and growth of the sport of drag racing and has been a NZDRA board member for the past four years. Tony says drag racing is going through a renaissance in New Zealand and believes Masterton Motorplex has a lot to do with this. “After Thunder Park in Hastings closed, and before MMP, there was nowhere to race. “MMP has started to draw crowds because of the quality of the new track which is getting better all the time, and has brought more competitors into the sport. The National Drag Racing Championship is coming along really well, Tony says.

“MMP has started to draw crowds because of the quality of the new track which is getting better all the time, and has brought more competitors into the sport.”

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ANDREW NEIMAN IN CAR WITH TONY WITH ARMS FOLDED

The Championship is supported by both New Zealand’s drag racing bodies – NZDRA and IHRA New Zealand.

The organisations went their own ways back in the early 1990s but there was a desire within the sport for racers from the two bodies to compete in combined national classes. After a successful trial run with Group 1 cars, the series now includes all classes. Notwithstanding the interruptions of Covid, the series has been going really well, Tony says. While the NZDRA and IHRA continue as separate entities, drivers from both organisations compete together over nine rounds, with Masterton hosting the Central Nationals Round 3 and 55th New Zealand Nationals Round 8. “The joint series is the best of both NZDRA AREA STEWARD AND TECH INSPECTOR TONY VAN HELMOND

worlds, with everyone getting to race everyone.” Tony’s own taste is for the nostalgia cars, particularly the front engine cars that used to race from the 1950s to the 1970s. Tony owns a supercharged front engine dragster with his son Andrew Neiman who drives the car.

“I don’t know why. They just appeal to me. It’s just personal taste.”

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Kurt Schwitzer formed Gateway Autobody over 19 years ago, specializing in full restoration. Kurt, along with Jason McMillian, carry out custom builds, fabrication and repair certification.