Track auction gets wheels

The fund-raising dinner to be held at Copthorne Solway Park on October 29 for Wairarapa's all-weather athletics track has been given a huge boost.
Up for auction thanks to the generosity of Masterton company Southey's Auto World-Honda and Nissan will be a brand new Nissan Micra.
The vehicle has a retail value of $25,500 and it is guaranteed to be a popular attraction during an auction that will also feature several other items of note, including attire from Kenyan world 800m record holder Wilson Kipketer, Commonwealth Games 800m silver medallist Nikki Hamblin, ace Kiwi motor racer Greg Murphy and Black Cap Ross Taylor.
Wairarapa Regional All-Weather Track trustee Mark Harris described the Nissan Micra as the "icing on the cake".
"When you compare the reserve price with the actual price you'd have to think there would be interest from all over the place," he said. " Everybody likes the chance of getting themselves a bargain, don't they?"
Former Commonwealth Games 5000m gold medallist Dick Tayler will be master of ceremonies at the fund-raising dinner and guest speakers will be two other notable sporting personalities, Stu Wilson and Alison Roe.
Russian-born singer Yulia Mclean, now living in Masterton, will entertain and has also donated a 90-minute house concert for the auction.