Southland Sports Car Club releases acclaimed DVD

MEDIA RELEASE

6 OCTOBER 2009

Rare, previously unseen footage has seen the Southland Sports Car Club's newly released DVD rated as one of the very best of its kind.

World renown motorsport journalist Eoin Young has described the DVD, featuring much of the early history of the club, as one of the best historic motorsport DVD's that he has ever seen.

The DVD, entitled Competitive Spirit, was launched last night at the Southland Sports Car Clubs Teretonga Park Clubrooms in Invercargill.

The DVD features footage of early beach racing, road racing at the old Ryal Bush circuit, the construction of Teretonga Park and modifications to the circuit plus highlights of the early years of racing at the track. There is also a segment on hillclimbs and rallying plus some in-car camera footage from a Classic SpeedFest meeting. The coverage ends at the conclusion of the 1970's and there is plenty of previously unseen footage within.

Southland Sports Car Club President Noel Atley says, "we are possibly the first circuit owning club to complete such a project. As well as having the oldest permanent FIA approved circuit in New Zealand we are now the first club to do this. It is a tribute to people such as Neville Hayes' father and grandfather Norman and Irving Hayes plus Kit Blackley who shot much of the material that it is of very high quality. It is fitting that we have been able to create such a superb archive."

The DVD also contains some fantastic footage of many of the world's great drivers who came to Teretonga to race regularly in those early years. "In the season that will see New Zealand motor racing pay tribute to Bruce McLaren with meetings at Pukekohe and Hampton Downs in the North Island, it is fitting that we have some great footage of the McLaren family at Teretonga where their involvement was massive," says Atley.

The content of the DVD is world class and so too is the quality of the product. David Beck of Beck Industries has compiled the DVD, which is glass mastered - the best quality available. Much of the input came from Southland Sports Car Club Life Member, Jack Johnstone who worked with Beck and a small committee of the club to complete the project. Narration is provided by Peter Richardson of Invercargill.

'Competitive Spirit' has a running time of 95 minutes and is available through several outlets. Copies can be purchased at a cost of $35 inclusive of GST plus postage and packaging via the Southland Sports Car Club. For more information visit the following website http://http://www.teretonga.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media