Motorsport fans listen to warning

Police were pleased at the low number of offences clocked. Photo / Thinkstock

Motoring enthusiasts have toned it down away from the track after a police promise to come down hard on speeding and drunk drivers.

Police say they are pleased at the response to their zero tolerance for speed since officers in the Waikato nabbed a number of motorists driving faster than 150km/h earlier this month after a drag race meeting.

Waikato police communications manager Andrew McAlley said police issued just eight speeding tickets between the Counties Manukau and Waikato police districts after the "Night Speeds" drag racing meet at Meremere on Friday night.

He said police clocked two 18-year-olds driving at 135km/h and 132km/h respectively while speed cameras caught a further eight drivers exceeding the limit in 100km/h zones.

Mr McAlley said police were very pleased as the total of 26 offences that night was "very low" and just a third of those were likely to have come from the drag racing in Meremere.

Meanwhile, Senior Sergeant Thane Troy of Taupo police said the on-road behaviour of hundreds of motorsport fans headed there over the weekend for the three-day Powercruise event was very pleasing.

Mr Troy said police worked with NZ Transport Agency representatives, who promised to target modified vehicles at compliance checkpoints, in issuing 60 cars with defective notices. The offending drivers have 28 days to fix their vehicles.

Mr Troy said just one driver was arrested for drink-driving and very few speeding tickets were issued.