ABOUT WAIMATE 50 AND THE 60 PROUD YEARS ON THE STREET
Hall of Fame the years - 1959 - 1964 -
Above, Bruce Mclaren takes the flag in 1959
60 years on
The symbolic Shield has been redesign this year to represent Bruce Mclarens 1959 win.
It utilizes the Cooper T45 Climax Mclaren in the main logo with a redesigned shield that reflects Bruces original logo.
You can find out more here about Bruce Mclaren and is amazing feats:
We are pleased to announce that this year’s McKeown Petroleum Waimate 50 Motorsport Festival will feature a celebration of 60 Years - Being NZ's longest stadning street race as worn by Bruce Mclaren in 1959 below.
The weekend will be all about the street with the best drivers from around NZ- The North VS South, and all the entertainment on and off the track - A rich proud History this year will be the one not to miss.
This is going to be the best Waimate 50 there has ever been.
"
The bucket list event for any motorsport person in NZ to attend
#W19 PARTY
OF THE
YEAR! "
Festival goer
"
If you are looking for a Challenging track that tests your limits as a driver mentally this is it!
THE
RIGHT
TRACK!
Rob Aikman - Event Director
"
a stable growth platform for NZ Motorsport with the most iconic street race is a privilege to be apart of
ROCKING
THE STREETS SIDEWAYS! "
Brendon White - D1NZ Director
ABOUT
#W19
HISTORY
The ‘Waimate 50’ was born 1959 with the inaugural street race held on the 31st of January that year. With
wide streets, central location and a council fully behind the event that Waimate was the perfect place to host the New Zealand Championship event. Thousands of people packed the Waimate streets looking for the best vantage points possible.
The feature race was the ‘Waimate 50’ being 50 laps of the 1.3 mile circuit that navigates its way through the central business area of the small South Canterbury town. Many renowned drivers of the day featured in this race most notably a young Bruce McLaren who would go on to win the first ever Waimate 50.
Waimate 50 Motorsport Inc. was formed in 1992 following a very successful 25th anniversary Waimate 50
street race in 1991 – the committee at that time consisted of approximately 20 members. An estimated
15,000 people attended that 1991 event and as such it was decided to host the “Waimate 50′ every second
year.
Our principal aim is to restore the famous street race the ‘Waimate 50’ and the Ellis-Lea Farms Invitational
goes a long way in achieving this very important goal. We are very grateful for all the tremendous support
from sponsors, businesses and the people of Waimate to be currently the only street race left in New
Zealand.
HISTORY
1966
Famous moment in Waimate 50's history when Ernie Sprague whilst trying to achieve the fastest lap for pole position in 1966 crashes his Mk3 Zephyr into the wall on turn one - the mural that we commissioned in 2011 is on this very wall and celebrates the Sprague Zephyr, Silvester Coup, Paul Fahey Lotus Cortina, Ray Archibald Jaguar and Rod Coppins V8 MK2 Zephyr - all famous names who have raced here.
hall of
fame
1959-1966
Waimate 50 - 50 laps
1959 - 1st - Bruce McLaren - Cooper Climax no. 47
2nd - Ross Jensen - Maseratti
3rd - Syd. Jensen - Cooper
Words from Bruce McLaren - "I arrived at a right hander to find the blue Maseratti (Ross Jansen) parked backwards on the pavement , with Ross trying frantically to get back on the street...."
The Waimate 50 would be McLaren's first major win
fastest lap 1m.13.7
Race time 70 minutes
1960 - 1st Johnny Mansel - Maserati
2nd Pat Hoare - Ferrari
3rd Syd Jensen - Cooper
1961 - 1st Pat Hoare - Ferrari
2nd A. Hyslop - Cooper
3rd T. Shelly - Cooper
1962 - 1st - Jim Palmer - Lotus Ford
2nd - Pat Hoare - Ferrari
3rd - T. Shelly - Cooper
1963 - 1st - Jim Palmer - Lotus Ford
2nd - T. Shelly - Cooper
3rd - R. Lewis - Cooper
1964 - 1st - A. Buchanan - Brabham Ford
2nd - T.Shelly Lotus
3rd - K. Sager - Lotus Ford
1965 - 1st J. Riley - Lotus
2nd - W. Thomasen - Brabham
3rd - A. Buchanan - Brabham Ford
1966 - 1st - I.W Dawson - Brabham
2nd - D Hollier - Lotus Ford
3rd - J. Boyd - Lycoming
To the side Bruce McLaren takes the chequered flag in 1959
