A police programme targeting Christchurch's boy racers over the weekend found some drivers in the city travelling 60km/h faster than the legal limit.
Operation Control involved 34 officers and focused on the drivers and passengers of boy racer cars.
Police say one driver reached speeds of more than 160 km/h on the way to a race meeting in Halswell.
Senior Sergeant Dean Harker said officers failed to stop the driver because the car was travelling in the opposite direction.
Mr Harker said another concerning behaviour was the number of passengers drinking in cars as that can seriously distract drivers.