A group of friends sharing a beer has sparked the comeback of one of the country’s staple motorcycle racing events, with the Nelson Street Race set to return in January.
A new committee of six, led by president Ryan Elley, has taken over from former organisers to get the high–octane event back on track. Ryan, along with Daniel Penney, Emma Cornish, Heath Botica, Jethro Bowman and Paul Jameson, are all passionate local riders eager to bring the event back with a bang.
Ryan says the idea was born out of a casual catch up.
“We don’t have a racetrack in Nelson, we were just having a beer and decided let’s be the ones to bring this back,” he says.
While the organisers have no affiliation to the previous Port Nelson Street Race, some aspects remain unchanged, including the Facebook page and the event’s Port Nelson location.
“We’ve been working closely with Port Nelson and they’ve granted us access to some of their land, so it will be a similar layout to past circuit. We are very close to releasing our circuit map.”
Ryan says the team has been overwhelmed by the support of both the community and riders from across New Zealand.
A major drawcard will be the appearance of the Britten V1000, often described as the greatest motorcycle ever built, with Motueka rider Jock Woodley taking it to the track.
“Jock has a cool history with Nelson. He was a big rider in the 80s and 90s. He had 20–odd years off and his return to racing was at Port Nelson Street Race. He has won four years in a row.
“It’s pretty special. From an organisation point of view we want to bring it back and bring it back with a spark.”
While still focused on race day excitement, the committee is taking a fresh approach to broaden the event’s appeal.
“We want this to be part of the community. We are working closely with other collectable motorcycle owners and trying to get quite a display that you might not otherwise see. We’re expecting a pretty amazing museum of bikes on show.”
The club is operating as a not–for–profit and relies heavily on business sponsorship, which Ryan says has already been overwhelming.
Anyone keen to support the event can contact committee@nelsonstreetrace.co.nz
