Right from the beginning, Manfeild was a lightning rod for New Zealand’s motorcycling community.

Within just a few years of the circuit being built on October 1973, the track on the outskirts of Feilding had become a Mecca for motorcycling, racers, riders and spectators alike making a pilgrimage each year to watch either the now-defunct Castrol Six-Hour endurance races (run annually between 1974 and 1988) or national championship events.

They were spellbound as they witnessed young men with names such as Ginger Molloy, Roger Freeth, Richard Scott, Bob Toomey, Paul ‘Superman’ Pavletich, Graeme Crosby, Robert Holden and Jason McEwen and the Hiscock brothers, Dave and Neville, took on Australian greats such as Wayne Clarke, Rob Doran, Mike Dowson, Malcolm Campbell, Neil Chivas, Rob Phillis, Scott Doohan and Troy Corser on Kiwi turf.

And the fans were enthralled watching teenagers such as Simon Crafar, Andrew Stroud, Chris Haldane and Aaron Slight as they battled it out around Manfeild before embarking on their successful international careers.

Then, in May 1988 the venue went global as news was broken in the Manawatu Standard newspaper that Manfeild was to host a round of the fledgling World Superbike World Championships (WSBK) at the end of that year.

The WSBK series comprised just nine rounds in that inaugural season, but geographically remote (as far as the big European teams were concerned anyway) New Zealand, and more particularly, the quiet rural town of Feilding was going to host the all-important final round.

The wooden bleachers packed to overflowing as the international superstars arrived to wrap up the world series that foundation year, their multi-million dollar race teams incongruously setting up in the pig pens and cattle stalls behind the then rudimentary grandstands.

But the Rothmans-sponsored event was a resounding success, broad grins etched on the faces of the sport’s superstars from the United States, Belgium, France, Italy, Sweden and Great Britain who had uncertainly braved the long hauls flights and language barriers to contest a world series in its infancy.

On the strength of that, Manfeild was set to again host the WSBK final round the following year, although the now 14-round series had seemed a little wobbly at that time as the government kicked tobacco and alcohol sponsorship to the kerb.

But it all worked out in the end and not only did Manfeild go on to host the final round of the WSBK series in 1989, and again in 1990 and 1992, but the American rider who won the inaugural world superbike championships crown, Californian “Flying” Fred Merkel, so fell in love with the country that he was drawn back a few years later to set up his home here.

He now lives on the outskirts of Taupo and his son, Travis, is now a regular feature on the Kiwi race scene, the father-and-son pairing often seen at Manfeild as racer and mechanic/mentor.

The World Superbike Championships are today one of the two premier motorcycling world championships, the other being a little thing called MotoGP, and it is a credit that this competition can trace its roots to Manfeild, and the endeavours of the staff at Motorcycling New Zealand and the Manfeild boss at the time, Palmerston North’s Robbie Lester.

Although Manfeild has never again seen a motorcycling event of world championship status, the memories linger and, of course, the venue still hosts major national and provincial motorcycle events.

Of course, Manfeild spectators were also mesmerised during the 1990s by the frequent appearances of inventor John Britten and his fabulous world-beating fluorescent pink and blue V1000 bike.

Every season Manfeild is venue for the Wellington-based Victoria Motorcycle Club’s popular Winter Road-race Series and, coming up, Manfeild will run a three-day meeting on March 27, 28, 29, the fourth and final round of the 2014 New Zealand Superbike Championships.

© Words and photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

Castrol Six-Hour Winners:

1974: Ginger Molloy (solo) – Kawasaki Z1-A

1975: Graeme Crosby (solo) – Kawasaki Z1-B

1976: Graeme Crosby (solo) – Kawasaki Z1000

1977: Graeme Crosby and Tony Hatton – Kawasaki Z1000

1978: Dave Hiscock and Neil Chivas – Suzuki GS1000

1979: Dave Hiscock and Neil Chivas – Suzuki GSX1100 (first model)

1980: Dave Hiscock and Neil Chivas – Suzuki GSX1100 Black piper

1981: Malcolm Campbell and Mick Cole – Honda CB1100R

1982: Dave Hiscock and Neville Hiscock – Suzuki GSX1100 Katana

1983: Bill Biber and Phil Payne – Honda VFR750

1984: Alan DeLatour and Dave Martin – Honda VF1000F

1985: Dave Hiscock and Neil Chivas – Suzuki GSX-750

1986: Aaron Slight and Rob Doran – Yamaha FZ750

1987: Aaron Slight and Wayne Clark – Yamaha FZR1000

1988: Tony Rees and Dave Hicks – Yamaha FZR1000