Motorcycle racing around Heads Road Cemetery in Wanganui has been going on for over 50 years. Its popularity has reached such a level that it attracts riders from all over Austral Asia and the US (even a few Brits) and is streamed live on to the internet. It is a true street circuits as the images show which makes the backgrounds cluttered but at the same time adds something.
A few of the shooting points had me confused – The organisers had double stacked the straw at the apex of the corners to prevent us from working there but has single stacked them at the exit points, which is where the riders and their bikes would hit if they lost it getting on the power. After a few minutes at one such place self preservation kicked in.
1. Local hero and winner of the Formula Wanganui Craig Shirriffs on his Haldane sponsored Suzuki GSXR 1000
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2. This was from one of the exit points mentioned above. At 420mm it is as shot no crop and I was having to back away to get it all in. Unsworth/Steur – Honda 1000Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE
3. Seller/Minell Suzuki LCR K6 – I did wonder who the guy in the back in the hi-Viz jacket was. It wasn’t one of the issued media jackets. I wish he had checked his shooting line before getting on his steps. He must be in the back of 100s of shots.
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4. Who needs all this fancy equipment? Stick a Moto Guzzi engine in a frame and lets go racing. Don’t knock it they beat more than a couple of fancy outfits to 5th place. Blaymires/Bilby – Moto Guzzi 950Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE
5. Read and Prentis on their Kawasaki ZX10 1000 K3 (I’m assuming all the letters and numbers make sense to someone)
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6. I got myself set up for the start shot and they were okay but nothing special. Then Allan Wilacy did the decent think and tucked the front wheel of his Honda RS 125 underneath going hard on the brakes up the inside of one of the larger bike (he was flying until this moment) and slide right down the lens. Nothing but a few scratches and Allan was back out later in the day.Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE
7. Dwayne Bishop Aprilia RSV1000 – I just like this shot – looks more Mediterranean than NZ – Shame about the straw in the bottom of the shot - oops
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8. My Bike ! Well not quite. A life time ago I had one of these. Mine also had the fork brace and steering damper to try and make it handle. Proving that sit up and beg Moriwaki Kawasaki’s are alive and well – if you are old enough to remember them that is. Listed in the programme as a Z1900 I think someone forgot the space even I know it is a Z1 900
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Part 2 after breakfast ...
