SUPERB FIELD FOR KAITANGATA HILLCLIMB

A quality list of entries has been received for this Saturday's Kaitangata Promotions Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb due to start at 11.00am at Whites Road, City Forests in Kaitangata.

This will be the third time the event has been held since it was resurrected in 2007 at the scene of several Gold Star national hilllcimbs in the 1960s and 70s. The gravel road is a testing 1.2 kilometres in length. The hillclimb pays tribute to the late Bob Scott, a former Mayor Of Kaitangata and a successful motorsport competitor and businessman. Those who competed against Scott remember him fondly. Amongst his motorsport achievements were three South Island Grass Track titles and the Kaitangata Hillclimb title in 1967. He also owned Scott's Garage in the town during the 1960's and 70's.

Both winners of the revived event will be on the startline on Saturday. Defending champion Duncan McCrostie will return at the wheel of his ex-Emma Gilmour Mitsubishi EVO, a car built especially for the Race To The Sky Hillclimbs at Cardrona. McCrostie, from Kaitangata, was the runner-up in the events inaugural year when he finished a whisker behind Gore driver Andrew Graves in the Mitsubishi EVO 3 he has used to great effect in southern rallies. Graves was third last year while the other major competitor in the past two editions of the event is Outram's Glenn Frew in another, very potent EVO. Frew, a former Ashley Forest Rallysprint winner, was third in his first year at the event and second last time.

Several other top contenders will line up for the event. Current Laird Motorsport Southern Rally Series Champion Dean Bond of Balclutha will be at the wheel of his Mitsubishi EVO 6.5. Bond won the Catlins Coast Rally last season in the car and knows the road well. Former NZ Rally Xtreme Champion and two-time Mainland Rally Series Champion Derek Ayson of Clinton will drive the menacing, black Mitsubishi EVO 5 of Steve Morris.

All three of Bob Scott's sons will compete. Robert Scott has driven his father Bob's Cortina engined Special at this event for the last two years. Last year he also drove a CAE Special, a midget car fitted with a 283 Chevy V8. This year brother Greg will drive the Cortina Special while Robert will again drive two cars - the CAE Special and a V8 Special, another of his fathers old cars which has just been restored. The car is powered by a flathead Ford V8 and will be seen in action for the first time since the 1970's.

Brian Scott has competed in the event for the last two years and finished 6th in his Mitsubishi EVO in 2007, also winning his class in the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge. Last time he had a troubled run with turbo problems. Brian has a successful Speedway background but in the last two years he has moved into circuit racing, driving a 289 XP Falcon in Pre-65 Saloon racing. Currently in his first full Pre-65 Saloon Championship he is third in class and 4th overall. He recently celebrated his first race win at Teretonga.

The third of Brian's sons, Greg, is contesting the hillclimb for the first time this year. For many years Greg was a passionate Formula 1 and A1-GP supporter, travelling to many races around the globe. Only recently has he begun competing, driving a 1967 open top Mistral sports car in last years Southern Festival Of Speed. He will drive his fathers Scott Special this year, the car seen in the hands of his brother Robert at this event in 2007 and 2008. He has previously driven the special in a grass track event.

All three of Bob's sons support the event through their respective businesses.

Several Kaitangata drivers will take part. Murray Marshall will be at the wheel of his familiar Nissan Bluebird turbo and will be a frontrunner in his class while Chris Thompson will share a Ford Escort with Paul Goatley. Mike Bardsley has been a worker at the Kaitangata event for the past two years. That involvement has inspired him to have a go and he will make his motorsport debut this weekend at the wheel of a Datsun 1600. Meanwhile Ross Peterson is now based in Mosgiel but is originally from Kaitangata. He is another competitor who became involved after assisting at the event. He will drive a Toyota Corolla.

Drivers from the Balclutha area include Warner Reid, Steve Morris, Paul Goatley, Michael Gunn, Paul Gouman, Steve Cleverley and Craig Barclay.

Competitors will receive four official runs throughout the day with the fastest counting towards a drivers overall placing in the event. There will be five classes with 2-wheel-drive classes for 0-1300cc, 1301cc-1600cc and 1601cc and over. There is also a class for 4-wheel-drive cars and a sports and racing car category.

The Kaitangata Promotions Bob Scott Memorial Hillclimb is a joint promotion between the Kaitangata Promotions Group and the Eastern Southland Car Club. Scrutineering will take place from 9.00am on Saturday with the first run expected at 11.00am. The event is also the first leg of the Southern Twin Peaks Challenge which offers a $500 prize to the competitor with the fastest elapsed time from their fastest run at this event plus at the Bluff Promotions Bay View Hotel Pub Charity Bluff "where the journey begins" Sealed Hillclimb on Bluff Hill the following Saturday.

There are also prizes for the Southern Twin Peaks Champion in each class.

Lindsay Beer

on behalf of the Eastern Southland Car Club

021 351 499