ag-30mar2013 by Ashburton Guardian

ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Saturday, March 30, 2013

Weekend

SPORT

Streets reverberate with thunder The sun set in Methven on a peaceful town centre, but rose on a high-speed raceway and hive of activity. Reporter GABRIELLE STUART investigated the transformation of the town.

members to be there to help with fencing, and said they were more +()#$,-#.#/'0 than happy to help out. “We’ll+,%&-.'. turn up before 7am and there’ll be a lot of fences to be put up, then in the afternoon it’s a rush to get the road back in action. “We just want to make sure the job’s done as fast as possible.” When the last race finishes the deployment of volunteers will spring back into action, clearing the streets of debris, fencing, bales and the last of the motorcycles. After a kilometre of road is swept and the area is given a polish, traffic will resume on the streets at more conservative speeds. By 6pm the only traces left of the motorcycles roaring through the town should be the lingering scent of fuel and burnt rubber. Charles Whitehead of the Methven Lions Club said the last weeks of preparation had been hectic. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of preparation. The planning is ongoing, and as soon as the races finish we start getting ready for another one.”

Planning the event required consent from the council, but Ashburton District Council communications officer Sharin Shaik said the event had been successful and well run in previous years and the council was not expecting problems this year. “We accept that there will be additional noise on the day, but with all the publicity around the event it’s likely that most residents are aware of the event,” said Council Regulatory Manager Richard Wade. Traffic management plans had to be provided and a community consultation held before the council could grant permission to close the road on the day, and community planning manager Gavin Thomas said the plans had been approved by both the council and NZTA. Organiser Rachel Moore said that the Methven Lions Club estimated more than $100,000 of extra revenue would be generated for businesses in the area from people visiting for the racing. “We gen-

erally have around 3000 spectators each year, and around 71% last year came from outside of Mid Canterbury. “If you count food and accommodation costs that’s a lot of business for the district, and with 20 per cent of those business owners or managers it’s raising Methven’s profile in the South Island too.” And it’s not just in New Zealand that people are interested in the ride. Spectators David and Tina Brown travelled from Australia to watch the racing, after hearing good things about it from a friend in Methven. “She told us how good Mountain Thunder was last year, so when we were planning our trip to New Zealand we managed to coincide it with the street races this year,” Mr Brown said. “We don’t have anything like that in Australia.” "

It may look like magic, but prelocal clubs, Michelle Brown of the paring for the Methven Mountain Methven Scouts club said it was a $%&'()*% Thunder ride involves far more win/win situation for everyone. than a wave of a wand. “It helps us with our fundraising Before the first rays of dawn and it brings a lot of people in the begin to show this morning memarea so it’s good for the parents, bers of the Methven Lions Club good for the district, and it’s good will have been up and about, setfor the local communities since ting up by the light of torches, all the profits come back into the streetlights and vehicle headlights. district.” With just a few hours to transAround 600 bales of straw form the town, organiser Rachel are used as extra safety fencing Moore said that an army of helparound the track each year, and as ers were needed to get everything drought and other factors affected ready in time. supply finding enough bales had As soon as the road closed at often been difficult. 6am volunteers from local clubs, Lions Club member Ron Smith several Methven farmers and said all 600 bales had been lent to the local pride of Methven Lions the club this year. descended, along with 600 bales of “Watson Contracting have let straw and metres of security fencus borrow them for the race, and ing. Methven Trucking is giving a hand With plenty of hands and some with hauling. farm machinery, they had only “Sometimes I’ve had to do the 7&4.%(-&3:(4%&3,--+,2602/&1'%& a couple of hours to create order whole lot of hauling myself, but +&03&GMI8&GMI&03&%N,(.&1+&1'%&'%0/'1&+*& before the gates opened at 9am. the farmers from the Lions are More than 50 members of local always there with their trucks and clubs and sports groups were up tractors to help set the bales out.” before dawn to help out on the John Fulton of the Methven & day. With a portion of the Rugby Football Club proceeds expected more than donated 20 each 8&& year to the

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