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Saturday, June 23rd, will see the running of the 24th Annual “TARAWERA 100”, the longest continuously run Off-Road motorcycle event in New Zealand, now known as the: “IRC Tyres TARAWERA 100”.
The 200 plus entries come from riders at all levels of motorcycling, from five times winner Kawerau’s Wayne Jennings to first timers, local riders Sam McNeil and Scott Whyte, both of whom have just reached the age required before entering, 15 years.
Another local rider, Richard Underwood is the only rider to have entered the race every year and is looking forward to this 24th time.
Others to have only missed a few events over the past 24 years are Kawasaki’s Mike Wilkins original from Whakatane and newly elected Motorcycling New Zealand board member Te Puke’s John Gibbon.
This year’s track is quite different from 1978’s original Tarawera 100, held deep in the Tarawera valley, which had notoriously deep swamps.
“I remember aiming for some spectators, knowing they would be standing on the only firm ground in one of the swampy areas,” said John Gibbons
For Motorcycling New Zealand www.motorcyclingnz.co.nz
