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FIM World Long Track Championship Grand Prix


FIM World Long Track Championship Grand Prix

THE fastest motorcyclists in the world are coming to New Plymouth on November 1.

Ivan Mauger, the most decorated New Zealand track racer of them all, today (April 30, 2003) announced he had signed and sealed the rights to stage a world long track championship grand prix at the city for the next three years.

The New Zealand Longtrack Grand Prix at Pukekura Raceway on Saturday, November 1 will be the first LTGP held outside of Europe, UK and Scandinavia. It will also be the final GP of the year so the World Champion will be crowned in New Plymouth.

The long track championship is one of the longest-running in the calendar of the Federation Internationale des Motorcyclistes (FIM) which controls all the two-wheeled world championships.

Mr Mauger, a former New Zealand sportsman of the year and recipient of both the OBE and MBE for his services to motorcycle sport, won the world long track title in 1971, 1972 and 1976 and was runner-up in 1974 and 1975. He also won six world speedway titles (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977 and 1979) and led New Zealand to victory in the World Team Cup and World Best Pairs.

The GP in New Plymouth is a direct result of Ivan Mauger’s friendship with local businessman Ian Riley. Ian initiated discussions with New Plymouth District Councillor Phil Quinney who took the idea to Mayor Peter Tennent. Peter contacted Ivan and after he met with New Plymouth District Council the Council decided to support and fund the GP over three separate rounds.

The GP will showcase New Plymouth and Taranaki in a TV special on television one and to over 550 million homes world wide on Sky Television. The print media covers magazines and news papers in 32 countries

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