Members of Ashburton Car Club are hosting the MotorSport New Zealand ClubSport Championship in Mid Canterbury this weekend.
There are motorkhana, autocross and bent sprint events national titles up for grabs.
Thirty-seven drivers from throughout New Zealand will compete in the three events of the championships over two days.
Club secretary Kim Adams said nine of those drivers were Ashburton club members who were competing across the categories; two juniors, one female and six males.
It is an individual event with first, second, third placings for the whole weekend, as well as placings for those entered in ladies and juniors sections, she said.
‘‘It will be good for the club.
‘‘There’s a lot of people from the North Island coming, it’s a national event.’’
Titles include the overall MotorSport New Zealand Gold Star for ClubSport with The Molesworth Trophy; Junior ClubSport Championship Trophy; and Women in MotorSport Ladies’ Cup and event champions.
‘‘We haven’t held it for a very long time,’’ she said.
Ashburton club member Tim Cook was a former junior championship winner in his youth back in the early 2000s.
He won twice, Adams said.
Scrutineering for the event starts tonight at Canterbury Vehicle Compliance on South St from 5pm.
The grass motorkhana & autocross is Saturday at 526 Frasers Rd, in Tinwald from 8.30am, while the sealed bent sprint on Sunday at Seaside Rd, Wakanui from 8.30am. Entry is via Bonningtons Rd.
‘‘Anyone can come and watch,’’ she said.
Both days, Lions Club members will be set up selling food, and coffee.
Prizegiving will be from the car club’s clubrooms at 47 Wakelins Rd, Winchmore, (off the Methven Highway) from Sunday afternoon.
The club, led by president Bryce Mitchell, is no stranger to hosting national-level events. For more than 35 years, they have run the annual Ashburton Street Sprints each May around the Riverside Industrial Estate.
Adams said entries for this year’s event on May 9 and 10 opened last week and 48 drivers had already registered.
Rally driver Hayden Paddon has confirmed he will demonstrate again, she said.
Events: The MotorSport New Zealand ClubSport Championship grass motorkhana & autocross is on Saturday at 526 Frasers Rd, in Tinwald from 8.30am. The sealed bent sprint on Sunday at Seaside Rd, Wakanui from 8.30am. Entry is via Bonningtons Rd. Spectators to both days are welcome.
