Central Motor Speedway

Central Motor Speedway was the brainchild of Ron Spriggs, an Invercargill resident who holidayed in Central Otago during the 1970s. Recognising the region lacked entertainment for young people, he identified a Council-owned property on Sandflat Road that featured a natural embankment and amphitheatre — perfect for spectator viewing. The opening in December 1980 was dramatic — cars backed up well into the Kawarau Gorge as crowds flocked, but a howling gale forced cancellation of the inaugural race. Today, Central Motor Speedway is ranked within the top ten speedway tracks in New Zealand and is considered by many sprintcar drivers to be the best sprintcar track in the country — fast yet technical, with speeds often exceeding 160 kph. It is one of only three Division 1 speedway tracks in the southern region. Daniel Thomas won the NZ Sprint Car Title here in January 2026.

This track was active from 1980–present. SpeedwayHub preserves the history and records of all New Zealand speedway venues, past and present.