Melbourne roofer and jetsprint commentator Tim [Caveman] Barrot attends 24 jetsprint events each year in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Slideshow: Jetsprint championships
He was guest commentator at Saturday's first test of the new course - next to the Clutha River on the far side of the Wanaka Airport - and judged it: ''absolutely brilliantly done.''
''I have been fortunate enough to commentate right around the world and this is by far the best facility that I've seen.''
Mr Barrot and co-commentator Mark Miller, of Dunedin, provided the uninitiated in the 7000-strong crowd with technical data about the 30 or so boats, including the the big horsepower ''superboats'' they described as ''methanol-sucking monsters''.
Driving one of those monsters was jetsprint ace Peter Caughey, who said he was enjoying the ''compact'' new track which was providing him and other competitors with ''heaps'' of challenges.
Competing at a higher altitude than normal had required some retuning of his methanol-powered boat, and his team had to ''lean the motor off a lot.''
Mr Caughey said the conditions favoured the supercharged or turbocharged boats and although he was not in the money on Saturday, he still leads the series with one event remaining in the New Zealand jetsprint championships.
Landowner Lloyd Ferguson said he was pleased with the way his course had performed and with the size of the crowd at its premiere.
''I would have been happy with 1000. I would have been happy if just my mates turned up.
''The racing's good; the track's good ... it's all good.''
Mr Ferguson already has plans for next Easter that should gladden the hearts of petrolheads everywhere.
He will run a jetsprint event to tie in with Warbirds Over Wanaka and with an event being planned by Cromwell's new Highlands Motorsport Park.
''So it will be huge,'' Mr Ferguson said, while thinking ahead to how much more seating he would have to provide.
Superboat results: Ray Ferguson (Lower Hutt) 1, Dave Hopkins (Milton) 2, Pat Dillon (Wanganui) 3.
Footnote: Caveman earned his nickname by surviving 44 days in a cave in Nepal eating nothing but peanut butter.
• The 2012-13 New Zealand Powerboat nationals were held in Cromwell over the weekend with more than 50 boats in more than 20 races.
