Scheduled for October 28, the Cromwell Street Sprints will involve drivers competing one at a time against the clock, on single-lap runs around an about 1.5km track in the town's industrial area.
Club vice-president Errol Steentjes said getting the approval last week from MNZ's circuit safety commission member Roger Laird was greeted with delight.
"We are quite excited as a club to have approval and bring it back to Cromwell."
Laird confirmed that because the sprints were to be held in a built-up area, safety guidelines were set down to protect public property such as signs, lampposts and landscaping. The club's set-up plan includes supplying wool fadges packed with water-filled, plastic milk bottles as buffers around them. The circuit is predominantly lined with chain link fencing, 4m back from the gutter, which will be utilised to contain spectators.
Only three permanent residents live within the event's confines and the plan states that "preliminary casual discussion suggests they will be agreeable".
The sprints' layout includes a pit area on Gair Ave. Competitors will turn left on to Hughes Cres to cross the start line, then hard right on to Pinot Noir Dr, sharp left on to Chardonnay St, followed by left on to Cemetery Rd, then right back into Hughes Cres and around Wolter Cres to the finish line. Laird, who was a steward for the event when it was originally run by the Queenstown Car Club more than 15 years ago, was impressed by the circuit.
"It looks like a good course and it should attract some good entries."
