Ute driver will be mate's pall bearer

A man at the centre of a pursuit that ended in tragedy with the death of his best friend is to be interviewed by police today.

He is also expected to be among the pall bearers at his mate's funeral.

Former motorbike champion Paul Brown, 38, was killed on Sunday when his Kawasaki collided with a police patrol car that made a three-point turn to chase a speeding ute near Te Kauwhata, in the Waikato.

His close friend Carl Jackson yesterday contacted police to confirm that he was driving the ute.

The 43-year-old told the Herald he was to have a formal interview with Huntly police this morning, where he expects to be charged with speeding.

Police said the patrol car had clocked his ute travelling at 154km/h but Mr Jackson doubted he was driving that fast.

"I don't think I was ... I don't think my ute could do that. I was just coming up a hill and I've got a 5-year-old diesel ute," he said.

Mr Jackson accepted his mistake but has reiterated that police needed to look at their own high-speed pursuit procedures.

"I'll put my hand up and say I was speeding ... but we think that guy should stand up and say he mucked up and take responsibility as well," he said. "It could get rid of a lot of animosity."

Mr Jackson had been best mates with Mr Brown for about eight years although the pair had known each other since childhood.

He collected his friend's body from the undertaker last night before taking him to their workplace, Jackson Engineering in Te Kauwhata, for a quiet beer with close friends and family.