Clark crowned inaugural ‘King’

Marlborough rally driver Jason Clark has taken the inaugural ‘‘King of Kohatu’’ crown after winning a new motorsport competition over the weekend at Kohatu Park, south of Nelson.

Clark won the Mitre 10 MEGA Nelson Bowater Hyundai King of Kohatu event after racing his Mitsubishi Lancer over two days in changeable conditions on the Nelson Car Club track at the park, near Tapawera.

Fellow Marlborough driver Tane Malcolm, in his Subaru Impreza, was third. Nelson Car Club committee member Mark Kibble prevented a clean sweep by Marlborough competitors, coming second in his Subaru Omega.

‘‘I was leading up to the last two to three runs and I choked,’’ Kibble said. ‘‘I’m more than happy not to win an event I helped organise – but I still tried.’’

National Rally Champion Hayden Paddon delighted spectators with demonstration runs in his Hyundai i20 AP4 rally car.

Anita Campbell, of Christchurch, was part of the action after winning an online auction for a ride with Paddon around the track. The auction raised $2410 for the Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter Trust.

Fellow auction winner, Ray Edwards, of Christchurch, also got a spin around the track with driver Stuart Weeber in his exPossum Bourne Subaru. The auction won by Edwards raised another $250.

Kibble said the weekend event ‘‘went off without a hitch’’.

‘‘It was better than I expected.’’

The weather was hot and sunny on Saturday, and the Cross Cars came into their own, recording the top qualifying times.

Lightweight, powered by a motorcycle engine and revving up to 15,000rpm, the single-seater

Cross Cars were tipped to be a spectator favourite, and they did not disappoint.

‘‘Cross Cars were the stars on Saturday,’’ Kibble said, singling out Cross Car driver and rising rally star Ari Pettigrew, of Cromwell, as a favourite to win after the first day of competition.

However, a change in the weather on Sunday that brought rain altered the conditions making them less favourable for the Cross Cars.

‘‘You have to drive to the conditions,’’ Kibble said. ‘‘I am less bad in those [wet] conditions.’’

The format of the competition, with elimination runs, made it ‘‘really exciting’’.

‘‘All they [drivers] have to do is make a small mistake, and they’re out.’’

Kibble said he was unsure of spectator numbers because it was such a ‘‘massive space’’ but over a day and half, members of the Tapawera Area School community collected about $900 in gold-coin donations for entry. All donations for entry would be kept by the school, Kibble said.

The plan was to make the King of Kohatu event an annual fixture, and it was hoped Clark would be back to defend his title.

Paddon also said he would return, Kibble said.