Clyde McGrory was there the day speedway started in Gisborne and 53 years later he still has a leadership role with the club he cherishes.
The 71-year-old epitomises the loyal club man. He has filled just about every role - from promoter and president to treasurer and secretary to water truck and tractor driver.
As a driver, he has won a multitude of titles, including a New Zealand Superstocks Grand Prix crown, and is a former Speedway New Zealand head referee.
McGrory stepped aside as Gisborne Speedway Club president in 2023 and moved on to the committee as vice-president. Sam Hughes has been at the steering wheel since then.
“It was time for me to move aside and let the young blood come through,” McGrory said. “Sam and his team have proven since 2023 that the club is in really good hands.”
For 25 years, McGrory was a senior official of Speedway NZ and two years ago, he received a special award from the national body recognising his long service as a referee and head referee.
He is also a three-time winner of Speedway NZ’s official of the year at its annual awards.
“I used to travel all over the country refereeing at the major national and international championship meetings,” said McGrory, who has also been a life member of Gisborne Speedway Club for many years.
McGrory was there when the track started more than 50 years ago.
Work started on the Awapuni Rd site for what is now known as MTF Awapuni Speedway in 1971 and was completed that same year.
An estimated 12,000 people attended the first meeting.
McGrory started with Gisborne Car Club in the early 70s before getting into speedway.
“A friend of mine and I operated the first roly-poly car when the speedway started in 1971, and a few months after that I bought my first stockcar,” he said.
His racing achievements included victory in the New Zealand Superstocks Grand Prix at the Baypark track in the 1988-89 season.
“No other national titles, but I got on the podium a few times as well in stockcars and superstocks.”
He also raced sprint cars and, in one memorable night at the Gisborne track, spectacularly flipped end over end.
“I remember it exactly. I went into turn 1 a little bit quick and halfway round the corner I spotted the straight, started to accelerate and did a wheelstand and then the car went over.
“I only hurt my pride, but it was one those things that happens in speedway sometimes.”
The crash epitomises the philosophy McGrory has brought to his many roles in the sport: “Go hard or go home”.
Gisborne Speedway Club has welcomed some awesome out-of-town speedway talent in the past 10 years, notably the Rees family in stockcars and superstocks.
Despite living over 430km away (near Foxton), Rees and sons Ethan and Asher call Gisborne their home track.
Rees senior has said on several occasions they wear the “G” of Gisborne on their cars because of the style of the club.
Over summer, he was asked why they kept coming to the Gisborne club.
“You get met and welcomed at the gates and told ‘thanks for coming’. As far as we are concerned, as a family, it’s good old-fashioned speedway.”
“This is a great club,” said Asher. “Like Dad said, it’s so welcoming.”
Other outside-based drivers have followed.
“I think we have really focused on the competitors to make sure they enjoy the sport,” McGrory said.
“The essential ingredient will always be that the competitors come first with us. While a lot of other clubs focus on themselves, we focus on our competitors.
“We pay it forward and we get rewarded as a club by drivers wanting to come here.”
McGrory has put a lot of time into training youngsters in the youth ministocks class.
“There’s been a lot of feedback from parents around the help their kids have been given.”
He said the club has always been a shining example in Gisborne of the value of volunteers.
“We really put a lot of time and effort into our volunteers and we reward them for coming to working bees by making it fun.”
So why has McGrory devoted 53 years of his life to speedway?
“I am absolutely passionate about motorsport and over the last 15 years I have seen the benefits of helping youngsters become good speedway drivers and achieve national results.”
For many of those years wife Sharon has given him “enduring support”, which he appreciates immensely.
“She has never complained about the countless hours I have put into the club and the sport.”
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