Eastern Southland Car Club Annual Prizegiving

MEDIA RELEASE
11 JULY 2008

Eastern Southland Car Club Annual Prizegiving

Gore competitor Kevin Laird extended his grip on the Eastern Southland Car Club's Annual Club Championship to a fifth consecutive season when the club held it's 52nd Annual Dinner and Prizegiving at the Rosebank Lodge in Balclutha on Saturday night.

Laird retained the Overall Club Championship after recording a string of impressive results throughout the club's many events. He recorded 7 wins over the course of the 2007/2008 season backed up with 4 second placings plus a third and a fourth. In doing so he again captured the club's Clubsport Championship, also for the fifth year in succession. The Clubsport Championship was extremely close, Laird winning by just 3 points from Errol Hewlett with Glenn Howden just 1 point further back. Laird also won the award for the Club's most consistent competitor for the year. Changing cars mid-season did not hamper the Gore driver as he maintained his success right throughout the season.

The Laird family name was very prominent during the prizegiving as Kevin's father Roger won the Motorkhana Trophy and his mother Karen, the Ladies Club Championship.

Several other club members were recognised at the conclusion of another hugely successful year. Kaitangata driver Duncan McCrostie took home plenty of silverware, winning the Mt Misery Gravel Sprint title, the Teretonga Sprint and the Teretonga Flying Lap plus both the Sealed Hillclimb and Sealed Events Trophy. Meanwhile Gore driver Andrew Graves secured the Tokanui Sprint, the Wairuna Sprint and the Gravel Events Trophy, taking thirty-five of a possible thirty-six points in that championship.

Another Gore driver, Paul Cross, won the Rally Challenge Trophy while Glenn Howden won the Autocross Trophy and Glenn Frew of Outram the Teretonga Standing 1/4.

After all events were taken into consideration Kevin Laird won the Overall Club Championship from Errol Hewlett and Craig Jessop with Phil Terry fourth. Jessop had actually loaned his car to Hewlett to complete the final event of the championship after Hewlett had mechanical troubles with his own. That gesture allowed Hewlett stay ahead of Jessop in the championship. Jessop also won the McLaren Cup, a newly instigated award for the South Otago member with the highest points in the club championship.

Craig Hewlett won the Junior Trophy, contested by competitors under 18 years of age at the beginnning of the season. The highlight for the Gore youngster during the past twelve months was a sixth place at the New Zealand Junior Clubsport Championships.

Warner Reid of Clydevale won the Trophy for the Best New Competitor but also won the Hard Luck Trophy ahead of several other worthy candidates. After purchasing a car off Trade Me to contest the Kaitangata Hillclimb Reid went on to have three major off-road excursions at other events - Mt Misery, Bluff and Tokanui to earn the award.

Peter McFadzien was awarded the Member Of The Year Trophy and Life Member Roger Laird made Special Presentations to Beth Hewlett and Colleen Terry for their time and commitment to club activities while also praising the behind the scenes involvement of many of the ladies who support the male members of the club.

Laird Motorsport also made awards to acknowledge Ismay Wilson for her efforts in Autocross events and young drivers Ben Cannon and Tyler Titchmarsh for their commendable performances in the club's Autocross car.

Later in the evening guest speaker Haydon Paddon, the current leader of the New Zealand Rally Championship, gave the audience an insight into the effort required to reach his current position in the sport.

The next major event for the Eastern Southland Car Club is the Gore Rally which will take place on Saturday 2 August. The audience was given a preview of the event on Saturday night. Similar to the route used for the 2006 Gore Rally there will be some minor changes this year including the Beaumont Stage, last used fourteen year's ago. Support for the rally again comes from the Scenic Circle Croydon Hotel, SouthRoads, MWH and Ernslaw 1 Limited.

Lindsay Beer
021 351 499

Attached photograph depicts five-time Eastern Southland Car Club Champion Kevin Laird of Gore during Saturday evening's prizegiving.

EASTERN SOUTHLAND CAR CLUB AWARDS

Motorkhana Trophy - Roger Laird

Gravel Sprint Trophy
Mt Misery - Duncan McCrostie
Tokanui - Andrew Graves
Wairuna - Andrew Graves

Teretonga
Standing 1/4 - Glenn Frew
Sprint - Duncan McCrostie
Flying Lap - Duncan McCrostie

Sealed Hillclimb Trophy - Duncan McCrostie

Gravel Events Trophy - Andrew Graves

Sealed Events Trophy - Duncan McCrostie

Autocross Trophy - Glenn Howden

Rally Challenge Trophy - Paul Cross

Hard Luck Trophy - Warner Reid

Most Consistent Competitor - Kevin Laird

Kaitangata Hillclimb
Class A - David Scoles
Class B - Dean Bond
Class C - Chris Hey
3rd - Glenn Frew
2nd - Duncan McCrostie
1st - Andrew Graves

Bluff Hillclimb
Class A - Roger Laird
Class B - Errol Hewlett
Class C - Chris Hey
Class D - Duncan McCrostie
3rd - Chris Hey
2nd - Glenn Frew
1st - Duncan McCrostie

Clubsport Championship
3rd - Glenn Howden
2nd - Errol Hewlett
1st - Kevin Laird

Club Championship
Junior - Craig Hewlett
South Otago Trophy - Craig Jessop
New Competitor - Warner Reid
Ladies - Karen Laird
4th - Phil Terry
3rd - Craig Jessop
2nd - Errol Hewlett
1st - Kevin Laird

Member Of The Year
Peter McFadzien

Special Awards
Beth Hewlett
Colleen Terry

Laird Motorsport Awards
Ismay Wilson
Ben Cannon
Tyler Titchmarsh

ENDS

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