2009 New Zealand Champions of World Motorsport

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       Kiwis are known for their adventurousness, so it’s no surprise that we’ve produced some of the world’s fastest racing car drivers and motorcyclists. Motorsport has been part of our lifeblood since cars first arrived on our shores, with fans turning out in their thousands to watch – spellbound by the vehicles, the speed and the battle for glory.
        New Zealand Post produced this issue of five gummed stamps and two adhesives. Also included in the issue were a miniature sheet, miniature sheet first day cover, and for the first time since 2005, a series of five postage-included souvenir cards (maximum cards). The maximum cards featured the champion's portrait, their stamps and an action shot. 


The Stamps.


50c 'Scott Dixon' gummed stamp.
Kiwis nationwide leapt from their armchairs when Scott Dixon clinched the United States’ premier motor racing championship in 2008. It was the culmination of 15 years’ hard work – a career that we’ve been following ever since we first saw him, aged 13, with a pillow strapped to his waist to help him see over the wheel.

$1.00 'Bruce McLaren' gummed stamp.
Bruce McLaren’s legendary rise to superstardom has inspired us all – from his first competitive hill-climb in a highly tweaked Austin 7 Ulster at the age of just 14 to international fame and a string of Formula One successes. A talented, innovative race car designer, driver, engineer and inventor, his name lives on in Team McLaren today.

$1.50 'Ivan Mauger' gummed stamp.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, every speedway night at Western Springs was packed with crowds following the New Zealand motorcycle team, headed by Ivan Mauger. Mauger was a true legend in his lifetime – so you can imagine our pride when he was voted Speedway magazine’s ‘Millennium Man’: the greatest speedway rider of the 20th century.

$2.00 'Denny Hulme' gummed stamp.
Born and raised on a tobacco farm in Motueka, Denny Hulme left school to work in a garage and immediately started saving for an MG TF, in which he promptly entered a hill-climbing event. This guy lived to race – whether it was in a small sports car, a huge truck or a race car on the Formula One circuit. We like it that he loved driving barefoot – until 1960, when he was persuaded to start racing with shoes on.

$2.50 'Hugh Anderson' gummed stamp.
He may be our least-known motorcycle racing success story, but Hugh Anderson well and truly deserves his place in this motorsport hall of fame. Hugh Anderson was the king of the Grand Prix motorcycle world, succeeding where others failed – especially on bikes with lower cc ratings.

50c 'Scott Dixon' self-adhesive stamp.
$1.00 'Bruce McLaren' self-adhesive stamp.


Collectable Items.

Miniature Sheet with one 50 cent, one $1, one $1.50, one $2 and one $2.50 stamp.

Miniature Sheet First Day Cover - 4 February 2009.

First Day Cover - 4 February 2009.


Self Adhesive Booklets.

       
Self Adhesive Booklet Covers.

Self Adhesive Booklet of ten 50 cent stamps.

Self Adhesive Booklet of ten $1 stamps.


Maximum Cards.
Set of five pre-paid postcards featuring a stamp on the front and artwork from the stamp issue.

50c 'Scott Dixon' Maxi Card.

$1.00 'Bruce McLaren' Maxi Card.

$1.50 'Ivan Mauger' Maxi Card.

$2.00 'Denny Hulme' Maxi Card.

$2.50 'Hugh Anderson' Maxi Card.


Technical information


Date of issue: 4 February 2009
Number of stamps: Five gummed stamps and two self-adhesive stamps
Denominations: 50c (gummed and self-adhesive), $1.00 (gummed and self-adhesive), $1.50, $2.00, $2.50
Stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers designed by:                       Communication Arts, Wellington
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by offset lithography
Number of colours: Four process colours plus clear over gloss; Self-adhesive stamps: as per gummed plus red phosphor tagging
Stamp size and format: Gummed: 40mm x 30mm; Self-adhesive: 30mmx 25mm (horizontal)
Paper type: Gummed: Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor gummed stamp paper; Self-adhesive booklets: Avery Dennison B100 PS1 Adhesive Gloss-back stamp paper; Self-adhesive coils: Avery Dennison B90 PS1 Adhesive Kraft-back stamp paper
Number of stamps per sheet: 25; Number of stamps per booklet 10 (50c and $1.00); Number of stamps per coil: 100 (50c)
Perforation gauge: Gummed:14; Self-adhesive: die cut
Special blocks: Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B formats.
Period of sale: These stamps remained on sale until 3 February 2010.


Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their website and Online Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/

Information for this post came from.