Great day, great venue
I awoke to a fine day and with keen anticipation for my favourite Mercedes Club event of the year – the grass gymkhana.
The family were all away but it did not matter, as it was gymkhana day. Picnic hamper packed, fine warm day, top down and with the help of google maps I was on my way to the day’s venue, the North Shore Vintage Car Club.
I arrived to a well-supported event with all shapes and models of Merc proudly lined up like soldiers on parade. As usual the event was well organised, to a level that even a drill sergeant would be proud of.
Starters gate
The first course was ‘the slalom’, which was a simple course of weaving between poles. No problem for those who regularly use this technique to make their way through Auckland’s peak-time traffic, or to dodge free range pedestrians.
The next up was what I call ‘the drunken sailor course’, which is a series of gates placed to the left and right, and supposedly in some sort of order that looks like the driver has no idea of where they are going. I naturally turned that perception into reality.
And then, finally, it was my favourite, ‘the clover leaf course’, where the effect of doing multiple 360 degree turns resembled a fair ground ride.
Chris being a boy again
There were 26 drivers entered in the gymkhana. Drivers who’d like to check out their personal scores can do so by emailing Alison [email protected]. Congratulations to the top six placings over the three courses:
Place Name Driving
1st Daryl Jefferies SLK55
2nd Ken Williams CE230
3rd Brian Hood CE230
4th Carl Hanson 280CE
5th Rob Hanson 280CE
6th Gerrit Kutschmann C280
1st 4WD Bill Bray ML350CDI
Sadly the fun was over for another year all too soon, but for the briefest of moments I was a boy again playing in a field with my prized toy.
A big shout out to all that were involved in making a middle age man a boy again.
Christopher Haliday
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