PHOTO: DAVE LOUDONAndrew Rudd, of Ashburton, leads the field in the 2026 Burt Munro Challenge E Hayes & Sons Beach Racing and New Zealand Championships at Oreti Beach yesterday. The event began on Wednesday with the Southland Honda Track Day, followed by the Star Insure New Zealand Hill Climb Championship and Indian Motorcycle Twilight Drag Racing on Thursday, and will continue today with the Super Seller Shelley Speedway at 3pm, and the Teretonga Sprint Races and Superbike Championships today and tomorrow. The event celebrates the life of Southland motorcyclist Burt Munro, who modified his 1920 Indian Scout and set a land speed record of 288.02kmh at the Utah Salt Flats in 1962. He travelled there a further eight times and set two more world records. His 1967 record of 295.44kmh still stands today

Source: Otago Daily Times February 06, 2026 15:35 UTC