Meremere, Waikato, New Zealand4.7 (788 Google reviews)
Meremere Dragway, now NAPA Auto Parts Dragway, is a quarter mile drag strip on Dragway Road in Meremere, just off State Highway 1 in north Waikato. It hosts the NAPA Auto Parts Competition Series, the NZPC Magazine Night Speed Drag Wars and the NZ IHRA Nationals.
There is no camping at the dragway listed by the venue. Its accommodation guide points to Mercer, Pokeno, Tuakau, Ohinewai, Huntly, Ramarama, Drury and Port Waikato, plus the apartments at Hampton Downs circuit next door.
The facility rules are no alcohol, no drugs, no pets, no gang patches and no fireworks. A live track camera on the dragway's website refreshes every 5 minutes.
Plan your day
Getting there
Dragway Road, Meremere, just off State Highway 1 between Mercer and Hampton Downs. The dragway puts Pukekohe, the nearest major town, fifteen minutes to the north.
Good to know
Good to know
A drag strip owned by a hot rod club
Volunteers opened Meremere Dragway at Easter 1973, after drag racing in the area had moved between Ardmore, Kerr's Road, Manurewa and Kopuku. The Pukekohe Hot Rod Club owns and runs it, and says it is the only hot rod club in the world that owns its own drag strip. The first Junior Dragster was built here in 1988.
The track
A quarter mile drag strip, run under IHRA rules. The quickest cars cover the quarter mile in under 6 seconds, which the track puts at over 200 mph. There is a separate burnout pad. The same complex holds the Meremere Drift Track, the Meremere Dirt Track, the Auckland Vintage Speedway and the Auckland Jet Sprint track, each run by its own club.
