There was plenty of laughter amid the tears as Rotorua stock car driver Raymond Channing was farewelled yesterday.
The life of the popular driver, who died in a crash last Saturday night while competing at the Huntly Speedway track at the Waikato Stockcar Championship King of the Dirt event, was celebrated by a huge number of friends and family at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.
Six stock cars followed a make-shift hearse - a Ford Falcon GT (grand touring) ute - to the Paradise Valley Raceway yesterday where about 250 people broke the silence with applause and cheers as Mr Channing, 52, was taken around the track.
His family and Rotorua's close stock car community then escorted him to the Energy Events Centre for his funeral, attended by about 500 people.
Family friend Jon Olphert led the ceremony, taking the audience through a fast track of Mr Channing's life as a musician, local businessman and motor head.