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