Ashburton Courier: May 14, 2021

NEWS
30 Ashburton Courier, May 13, 2021
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Fitting farewell for car club boss
TONI.WILLIAMS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Christchurchdriver Josh
Mitchell’sneedfor speed saw
him win the ShayneAdams
Memorial StreetSprints for the
secondtime at the weekend. He
alsowon in 2018.
Mitchell wasdriving a1997
SubaruWRX which hada2.5
litre Turbo boxer engine with
500hpand asix speed
sequential gearbox; all home
built from astandard road car.
Glenn Frew, of Mosgiel,
drivingaMitsubishi EVOtook
secondand Cody Scott,of
Geraldine, in aMazda RX7,
third.
Ashburton Car Club’s Daniel
Tew saiditwas abrilliant
weekend andafittingtribute to
late presidentShayne Adams
who died in March after a
health battle.
The sprints startedwith
drivers, pit crew and officials
gathering in foggy conditionsto
form aguard of honour as
Shayne’ ashes, accompanied by
Shayne’s son Corey, took one
final lap around the Shayne
AdamsMemorial Street Sprints
course withcompetitor and
friendPete Templeton.
It was followed by awarm up
lap for drivers and included
Shayne’s daughterKaitlyn
alongside driver Donn
McLaren in his customised
MazdaEscort.
The fog lifted by the start of
racing.
“I think we did 100 percent
justicetoShayneand everyone
else.
‘‘The team was awesome,”Mr
Tew said.
Former car club members
such as Neville Gibb, who had a
long association with the
Ashburton club, helped on the
course in tribute to Mr Adams.
Mr Gibbtook up his position
at the starting line in arolehe
did many years ago.
He wasequippedinthe early
part of racing withan imposing
rake. It was changed later in the
event.
Mr Tew,asclubvicepresident
took on the clerk of
the course role, which gave him
anew appreciation forthe work
Shaynehad done in thepast.
However there were no real
dramasfor anything, he said.
“Theraincausedalittle bit of
aproblemonthe Sunday
afternoon because that messed
up all resultsfor everybody.
“Thecross carswere doing a
2.23.92Ithink was the fastest
but …when therain hit in the
elimination,they gotthrown
straight out, they couldn’t
compete.”
Despite thefastpaced action
Above: Drivers, pit crew and officials gather in foggy conditions to
form aguard of honour as Shayne Adams’ ashes took one final lap
around the Shayne Adams Memorial Street Sprints course ahead
of the first race.
PHOTOS TONI WILLIAMS
which saw afirstrun with afew
prangs, abonnet fly open,a
frontwheel fall off and oil spill
there were no injuries over the
rest of the weekend and just
two decent crashes withdrivers
hitting the hay bale safety
barriers, he said.
One carneededits front
rebuilt after hitting the bales
frontonduringSaturday
racing, but it was done
overnightand the driver
continued racing the nextday.
Driver MarkHalliday, of
Ashburton, countedhislosses
after he lost thefront wheel off
his MitsubishiEVO 1inthe first
run andeventuallyswapped
out his vehicle for an RX7to
continue racing.
Shayne’s wife Kim was
thankful to everyone for making
the event the most memorable
send off possible.
‘‘This year's event wasthe
hardest thing for me and I
appreciate all of thekind
wishes, hugs andthoughts
everyone gavemeover the
weekend,’’ she said.
She congratulated the
winners forputting on an
excellent showandthanked the
competitors, volunteers,
community groups,
timekeepers, officials,
sponsors, spectators and
businesses who supported the
event.She paid special thanks
to driversDonn McLaren,
Gordon Beeby and Peter
Templeton for taking family
members including Shaynefor
aride duringthe event.
‘‘They all had afantastic
weekend andeveryone made
them all partofour motorsport
family,’’ she said.
Above right: Donn McLaren in
his customised Mazda Escort
takes Kaitlyn Adams for a
warm­up lap.
Right: Drivers in the Shayne
Adams memorial sprints warm
up their engines ahead of abig
day’s racing at the event on
Saturday.
Storey brothers (from left) Lachlan, 13, and Kinsey, 10, with
Zoe Bland, 12, from the Tinwald scouts and cubs help to
keep the crowd fed with sausages and burgers.
Crews in pit lane get ready for the business of racing.
Chief scrutineer Malcolm Lovett (from left), starting
volunteer Neville Gibb and clerk of the course
Daniel Tew.