Motorcycle racing heroes of the past will be out in force as the sport’s governing body in New Zealand celebrates its centenary this weekend.

With this year marking 100 years since Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ) was formed in 1916, it is appropriate that some of the champions who brought national and international attention to motorcycling activities in this part of the world should be keen to come to the party.

MNZ will celebrate its centenary during its annual conference and the New Zealand Motorcycle Awards, to be held at the Te Papa Museum, in Wellington, over the weekend (May 20-22) and it will be during the official welcome function this Friday evening that the legends will feature.

The welcome function will be an informal “meet and greet”, featuring some of New Zealand’s most famous and successful racers, MNZ Hall of Fame legends Ginger Molloy, Hugh Anderson and Graeme Crosby (Croz, pictured above).

Friday night’s function will be hosted by well-respected motorcycling commentator Neil Ritchie, who will interview these legends of the sport, and there will also be plenty of opportunities to mix and mingle with them.

Ritchie will entice Molloy, Anderson and Crosby to open up about some of the most memorable and mad-cap experiences of their racing careers, learn about how they achieved the successes they did and perhaps find out from them what traits they think they might had or needed to have had to enable them to become champions.

The welcome function will be the perfect lead-in to festivities on Saturday night which will include the induction of new members into the MNZ Hall of Fame.

As a country, New Zealand has boxed well above its weight on the world stage and, although motorcycling is perhaps considered a minority sport in this small part of the world, literally dozens of Kiwi riders have won at the ultimate level of their chosen codes and command enormous respect internationally.

At an occasion not to be missed, some of the current crop of intrepid Kiwi riders will be recognised and honoured by their peers this weekend.

Details of all Hall of Fame Members can be found at this LINK

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

Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here