Road&Race > Cust Grand Prix

On-line magazine for classic motorbike sports in the North & South Islands New Zealand.
Send me any Classic Road Racing Kiwis at the Cust Grand Prix and any stories.

NZ Cust Grand Prix, 1936 saw the first NZ Grand Prix held at Cust, the famous road racing circuit near Christchurch.

It became a traditional Easter event when volunteers spent weeks sweeping and oiling the circuit before racing could begin. The event was held annually (excepting the war years) up to 1963, events were run over a 6.1 mile course and 25 laps changing in 1960 to 4.5 miles.
In 1983 and 1993 came the return to racing at Cust with a Reunion Meeting on the original Cust circuit, it would be great to see it on for 2013 or 2016. If any one's got bags of money and or any ideas contact me because we just cant lose this racing history.

Cust Grand Prix 1956 Lightweights Start.

No 19 P Phillips (Christchurch) BSA 250cc. No 20 TR McCleary (Tom Jnr) (Christchurch) Velocette 249cc. No 2????? No 21 KJ McCleary (Christchurch) Moto-Guzzi 248cc. No 23 M Backhouse (Christchurch) Triumph 250cc. No 28 KJ Davis (Fielding) Triumph 250cc.

New Zealand Grand Prix Cust 1937.

Last minute briefing just before the start of the race. No 10 Alby Smith (8th place, Christchurch) O.K.Supreme 250cc. No 11 O Williams (Christchurch). No 15 T King. No 29 A Richard. No 7 V Brown. No 2 M Mclury. No 3 V Etwell.

New Zealand Grand Prix Cust Start 1937.

Riders, same as above, the start of 1937 New Zealand Grand Prix Cust.
Thank you to the Smith family fo both photos.

Visit their motorcycle racing web site

Cust Grand Prix.

L Albrecht. Manxman Excelsior 349cc on the "Hairpin" bend at the 1936 Cust Grand Prix.

Cust Grand Prix 1958 Don McNeill (11) 350 Gold Star and Ray Anderson (32) 500 Gold Star

Cust Grand Prix 1948 Syd Jensen on his Triumph Tiger 100. Top of the S Bends

Cust Grand Prix 1961 Forrest Cardon on his Norton Manx 500cc. Senior Winner

Cust Grand Prix 1961 Forrest Cardon

Grand Prix Cust 1960 left to right- T McCleary 2nd Junior- B Benke 3rd Senior- B Newbrook 1st Junior and 1st Senior- S Burt 2nd Senior

The plauqe at the start finish line at the Cust Grand Prix road racing circuit on Terrace Road Cust New Zealand

Three AJS 7R's at the 1953 Cust Grand Prix.

NO 3 Syd Jensen. No 5 Tommy McCleary.
No 16 Bill Aislabie.

Burt Munro on his Velocette 500MSS, 2nd place N.Z. Grand Prix Cust 1938.

Cust GP 1963 Tommy McCleary

Cust GP 1963 Tommy McCleary wins NZ Grand Prix in the wet, riding a AJS 7R in the last NZGP held at Cust. His farther Tom McCleary (Senior) waves the chequered flag.

Ron Taggart on his AJS 250R braking for the "Hairpin" bend at the 1956 Cust Grand Prix.