Welcome Bay Lion Donald Prentice, event organiser Neville McKay and supporter Mick Deane-Freeman with the GT20 van and Mustang that will be at the 2021 Tauranga Auto Extravaganza.
Welcome Bay Lion Donald Prentice, event organiser Neville McKay and supporter Mick Deane-Freeman with the GT20 van and Mustang that will be at the 2021 Tauranga Auto Extravaganza.
Katikati's Auto Super Shoppe is getting behind a massive 2021 Tauranga Auto Extravaganza held in conjunction with Welcome Bay Lions, to raise money for the St John Ambulance Service.
This is a car, truck and bike show like no other.
In New Zealand, the St John Ambulance Service attends around 391,000 emergency incidents and treats and transports over 470,000 people every year.
Katikati firefighter Mick Deane-Freeman from Auto Super Shoppe met event co-organiser Neville McKay in October after a cow ended up on top of him in a freak accident at his Wright Rd property.
"Being a firefighter working alongside St John as co-responders we are keen to support the event."
Neville was also involved in a car crash on the highway which put him in a wheelchair for four years.
"St John helped me so much I want to give back to them."
Neville, car enthusiast Keith Sawyer and Lions Zone chairman Charles Harrison started the event last year and it was so popular they are hosting it again.
Held in February, the two-day event will showcase the best wheels in the region, with a Swap Meet on Saturday and Show 'n Shine on Sunday.
Graeme Parkes V8 Morris Marina racing at Baypark raceway in Mount Maunganui.
Four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, race car driver Greg Murphy will be there and special guest race car at the show will be a Morris Marina with a V8 motor, built by Graham Parks and raced at the original Baypark raceway.
A 1930 Model A 5 window coupe owned by Keith's wife Lisa, will be a star attraction. The hot rod won Best Car at Beach Hop 2020, Best Hot Rod & People's Choice All USA Day 2020 and Best Hot Rod, and the NZ Hot Rod Association Street Rod Nationals 2020.
Lisa Sawyer's multi award-winning hot rod will be a star attraction.
Neville's GT20 van will be alongside a line-up of vehicles from race cars, racing trucks, off-roaders, hot rods, motorbikes, vintage tractors, Hiab cranes, with Action Equipment doing demos of Polaris and e-motorbikes.
Blaze entertainers who were at the opening of Henry's Rod Shop in Katikati will play under a marquee outside the Phoenix Bar.
Neville said, "We take nothing out of it. We do it as a voluntary group and hope to have all the Lions clubs helping."
■ 2021 Tauranga Auto Extravaganza, February 27-28 on The Strand and surrounding streets in Tauranga. For more visit www.autoextravaganza.org
