The Waimate 50 motorsport event drew a crowd of more than 15,000 people over two days, organisers said.
It was the third time the annual event had been held in Waimate since the original Waimate 50 event was scrapped in 1966, and hotels in the town were fully booked for the weekend.
Waimate 50 chairman Rob Aikman said he estimated the crowd for the time trial through the town's streets yesterday to be more than 10,000, and the Saturday evening standing quarter mile event on Queen St drew at least another 5000.
The Waimate Hotel was full to capacity at the weekend, and hotel manager Kevin Hayns said the event provided a welcome boost for the town.
"It has been a big weekend. It is absolutely chock-a-block."
Waimate Mayor John Coles said although hotels and eating houses had done well from the influx of people, the event's real impact lay in its ability to put the town in the "shop window".
"These sort of events bring people into the town that have probably never been here. The number of people I have talked to today from Central Otago, Dunedin, Motueka, some have never been here before. But they have got to know where Waimate is now. They have been to an event here, and they will come back.
Race convener Bert Murray said 500 competitors and pit crew members took part this year and the Waimate 50 GT sprint series, hill climb, rally sprint and standing quarter-mile events all had full fields.
Christchurch-based driver Grant Silvester brought his father's 1938 Chevrolet out of retirement for the meeting.
"My father raced in every Waimate 50 in the 1960s, and I have done them all every year while I have been racing.
