The annual event showed no signs of slowing as biking enthusiasts poured into Invercargill, Southland Motorcycle Club vice-president Garry Jamieson said.
"We’re breaking records left, right and centre. We’ve got more motorbikes than we’ve ever had before racing. We’ve got more people registered at the rally sites than we’ve ever had before. You almost get sick of saying we’ve got record things."
He said organisers had sold about 1000 weekend passes. Most people usually bought tickets on the day to each of the individual events staged over the four days.
Mr Jamieson said organisers even had to turn people away from certain events because they could not cope with all the bikes.
At the race being staged at the Teretonga Park race track there were almost 200 bikes entered, which was 70 more than last year. The street race would have 150 bikes racing compared with 130 last year, while 78 bikes were entered in the the hill climb race compared with 60 last year. Mr Jamieson said the speedway race had had to stop taking entries.
The number of entries for the drag racing, which featured for the first time last year, had doubled to 60.
"It’s a lovely problem to have. It just means that people need to be really organised in future years if that’s what’s happening. Numbers wise . . . it’s just fallen off the charts."
Entries had come not only from New Zealand, but also Ireland, the United States and England. The increased number had created a challenge catering for all the bikers and spectators, such as providing extra toilets, he said.
Burt Munro’s great nephew would be doing demonstration runs on the Spirit of Munro Indian Scout bike on Oreti Beach.
"To see the Spirit of Munro in action on the same ground that Burt Munro trained on over 50 years ago will be something very special for all Indian riders and Burt Munro supporters and enthusiasts."
Mr Jamieson said there would be two Britten motorcycles on display and demonstration runs of the iconic bikes built by New Zealander John Britten would be held at the Street Races.
Mr Jamieson said he was not sure how many people would be attending the event this year, but last year "well over 20,000 tickets were sold over the weekend".
The Southland Motorcycle Club created the Burt Munro Challenge in 2006 to honour Munro and it is now one of New Zealand’s major motorsport events. It will get under way on Thursday.
Mr Jamieson said the weather forecast was good, but the event would go ahead irrespective of the weather.
"We are all ready to go. The town’s ready for it. There’s a lot for bike nuts."
