Thus encouraged by the prospects for amusement afforded by the Gypsy Fair, we proceeded on into the heart of the downtown...
Noticing oldie cars cruising about, generally in the direction of the growing crowds and automotive noise |
Motorcycle side-car racing? Might be unusual anywhere but NZ |
Obviously we're on to something |
Selling T-shirts, caps, and other goodies by the truckload |
No, we've wandered into the annual New Zealand Superstock Championship: basically, heavily souped-up and armored stock cars that race around a dirt track, knocking each other off the track, into the infield, off the wall, whatever...sort of a motorized rugby but without a ball (read the linked article and be amazed); "bang racing," which we'd encountered near Canterbury, England, is sort of a poor-man's version, except it's more combat than a race...anyhow, the gents to the left, above, are the races' "scrutineers," who examine each contestant vehicle for issues related to safety (people get killed in these races...)(not surprisingly...) |
The cars race in city teams, with some designated as racers, some as chasers, some as blockers... |
Here's a team lining up to be scrutineered |
Note the subtle differences in powertrain, armor, etc. |
I think this might be the racing car |
Another team massing to be scrutineered |
And another |
This would be fun to drive, although not in countries where drivers are armed and spoiling for a shoot-out |
And you thought NASCAR was barbarian... |
1 comment:
Wes loved these photos. He said you had had a real cultural experience! Of course, we have county-wide demolition derby competitions in Arkansas, but the cars are not this fancy.
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