Tragedy hits father-daughter sidecar team

Alan Satherley and his daughter Shona at the Paeroa races on Sunday. Photo / Supplied

They were the dream father-daughter sidecar racing team.

Alan Satherley was thrilled when he and his 28-year-old "sweetie" Shona discovered a shared passion for the motorsport a couple of years back.

"He just loved the fact that they'd found something they could do together," said close family friend Alastair Ritchie.

But at the Yamaha Battle of the Streets meet in Paeroa on Sunday it all went horribly wrong.

Coming to a 90 degree turn in the course, the "Satherley Racing" sidecar was toward the back of a bunch with Shona hanging out over her father as the swinger, when the pair got hit from behind. Mr Satherley, 58, suffered a fractured hip and was airlifted to Waikato Hospital.

A team of 15 surgeons worked on him for more than two hours but were unable to stop the bleeding. His daughter walked away with a couple of bruised ribs and a broken toenail.

Yesterday, Mr Ritchie said Mr Satherley's family and racing buddies were devastated by the death. Yesterday his daughter was asleep, exhausted, and too upset to talk.

Next month she was due to marry her fiance Luke Johnston in Pukehina, whom she met through sidecar racing, and her dad was to give her away.

"She was his little sweetie, just his little darling," Mr Ritchie said.

Mr Satherley, a painter and maintenance man, was particularly vigilant about safety with his daughter riding on the back.

"It wasn't like he was the sort of guy who would live on the ragged edge and hang on for dear life, it was the total opposite," Mr Ritchie said.

"He bought a machine that had a bit of horsepower and speed on the straights, but he was always very cautious when it came to cornering or braking, never wanting to slide the machine [take at full speed round corner]."

No one could understand how Shona walked away virtually unscathed, yet her father lost his life, he said.

"She would have been in that position when they got hit from behind so we can't fathom how she walked away with a couple of bruised ribs and a broken toenail," he said.

Mr Ritchie said Mr Satherley was liked by everyone in the sidecar community, wandering round the car pits "chewing people's ear for information".

He loved helping out and thrived on the sporting fraternity because it was "just a great family".

Mr Satherley is survived by wife Judy and son Scott, who is an artist in Auckland.

A notice in the Herald said Mr Satherley "died doing what he loved with those he loved".

His funeral service will be held at the Morrison Funeral Home in Henderson on Friday. In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations to the Helicopter Rescue Trust.