Cycle News

FEATURE WANGANUI CEMETERY CIRCUIT P94 1000cc Superbikes (F1) and 600cc Supersport (F2) machines, but there's also the tinkerer's paradise that is the F3 category (picture home-built chassis, four-cylinder 600cc CBRs with one cylinder killed to turn it into a triple, Grand Prix 250s and Moto3 machines—you name it). On top of that you've got Classics for bikes like the Manx Norton and G50 Matchless, Pre-89 Post Classic for machines such as the Kawasaki ZXR750 and Suzuki GSX-R750, BEARS (British European American Racing Series) for Aprilia RSV4s, BMW S 1000 RRs and a plethora of Ducatis, Supermoto and Sidecars. The tight, fast, heavy braking nature of the course means the lap times across many of the classes are ultra close. Indeed, four F2 machines qualified for the Robert Holden Memorial feature race that is reserved for the top 20 fastest riders across every class. For event promoter Allan Wil- lacy, the Cemetery Circuit is the one that takes up "roughly 95 percent of my time." Willacy is the only full-time administrative professional in New Zealand racing, and while the Tri-Series is made up of three races (round one being Hampton Downs in Auckland, with round two a cou- ple of weeks later at Manfield near Fielding); the undertaking that is the Cemetery Circuit is nothing short of staggering. "It takes about a week to get the track up and running and it can't take any more than that because the locals need the road as well," Willacy begins. "We have a real community spirit behind the event as local businesses pitch in to help get the track constructed and pulled down—there's barriers, hay bales, fencing… and it all gets cleared before the sun comes up the day after the race. But the event is excellent for the town—it's by far the biggest sporting event we have and it brings in over $1.08 million to the local economy. "I think a lot of that has to do with clever marketing and having a company like Suzuki sponsoring us, and having someone like Guy Martin come over for a second year has lifted the profile of the event internationally, which has in turn seen more people locally turn up—it's a win-win for everyone." Martin agrees, having enjoyed his time at Wanganui in 2013 so much he came THE GREATS OF WANGANUI To win at Wanganui is to put your name up there with the best in New Zealand racing. Andrew Stroud, Ginger Molloy, Hugh Anderson, Aaron Slight, Bruce Anstey, they've all won the big one at Wanganui. For Americans, the man at Wanganui has always been Pat Hennen. A three-time winner at the track, Hennen is a firm Wanganui legend and made an emotional return to the venue to witness the 60-year anniversary of the track back in 2012. Australia has its own share of Cemetery Circuit history, with Daniel Stauffer being the first rookie in 40 years to take out the feature race when he did so in 2010—he also backed it up with another win in 2011. Other Aussies to win include the late Len Willing and the late Gregg Hansford. But the man at Wanganui has, and always will be, Robert Holden. The rider who was tragically killed at the Isle of Man TT in 1996 won at this venue no less than 47 times. He also took 22 sec- ond and 22 third places. You'll struggle to find any rider, on any circuit in the world, to match those kind of numbers. For this year's winner of the Robert Holden Memorial, Tony Rees, it was his fourth time over 24 years atop the Wanganui podium and his first win since 2001 on a Yamaha YZF-R1. The emotion of a man with huge respect for the name on the trophy was evident in the after- math of the feature race. "It's fantastic, I'm so wrapped! It has been a while and it means a lot. Robert [Holden] got all my rides in Europe for me. It was a year after he died the team rang me, so it was because of him I got those rides," Rees said. (Right) People line the street as the Superlite field head into the first turn. (Left) The Britten. This incredible piece of engineering is a New Zealand legend.

• Cover