RallySport Magazine April 2017

5 MINUTES WITH ....
5
minutes with ...
NORMAN OAKLEY
Norm Oakley is known to many across the sport
in New Zealand, his name now synonymous
with the Otago Sports Car Club and the alwaysimpressive
Otago Rally.
Story: KATE GORDON-SMITH
How did you get started in motorsport?
What inspired/encouraged you to get involved
in the sport?
I had a family connection with the
sport with Dad having been heavily
involved with the early Dunedin Street
Races as long ago as 1953.
My first competitive experience was
in a Vintage Car Club hill climb driving a
1935 Speed 20 Alvis in the 1970s!
After spending some years in
Wellington and then overseas, I
returned to Dunedin in 1985, joined the
Otago Sports Car Club and bought my
first rally car.
I competed in a range of hill climbs,
trials, autocrosses and local rallies
as well as becoming involved with
club administration, serving as speed
convenor for a while and then President
for a couple of years.
What’s your current passion or
commitment?
I like all aspects of the sport, but my
main interest and passion has always
been rallying. I’ve been part of the
organising team for the Otago Rally for
about 25 years, acting as Clerk of the
Course (CoC) for about 20 of those, and
helped grow the event over that time.
I was chairman of the rally
commission for a number of years and
am currently a Board member of Motor
Sport New Zealand (MSNZ), Gold Rally
CoC and Steward.
What do you get out of volunteering in
motorsport? What do you like the most, and
what are the challenges?
Most of all, it’s the friends I’ve made
over the years and the camaraderie
that exists, whether stewarding or
running an event.
With the Otago Rally it’s been the
opportunity to work with a great group
of people, all volunteers, who have
been committed to making the event as
good as it can be.
There’s a good deal of satisfaction
in being part of a team that has run a
successful event, whether it be a rally,
Dunedin Street Race or the Race to the
The incredible success of the Otago Rally is down to the hard work and forward thinking of Norm Oakley and the Otago Sports Car Club team.
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