You go, girl, Possum would say

Peggy Bourne is taking part in the Race to the Sky at Cardrona tomorrow as a tribute to her late husband Possum Bourne. Picture / Alastair Ritchie

Peggy Bourne knows exactly what her late husband Possum would say if he was watching her get behind the wheel of her rally car tomorrow.

"He'd say 'Spot on, you go, girl'. He'd absolutely be right behind it."

Entering the Silverstone Race to the Sky is Mrs Bourne's personal tribute to New Zealand rally legend Possum, who was fatally injured at the event two years ago.
This Easter she and her children have returned to Cardrona, near Queenstown, where she says they all have "overwhelmingly happy memories".

"The children are very aware obviously of what happened there and we have Possum's statue on the mountain and they're looking forward to going back and seeing that," Mrs Bourne said.

"I'm not going to lie and say they're not curious about what's going to happen and how it's going to go. But I've assured them that it's all about safety, it's all about just going up the hill and doing it for Possum.

"It's going to be emotional, of course, but what we want to do is turn it around and say we're not going down there to be morbid or sad. We're going down there to celebrate what Possum was all about."

Despite years of involvement in rallying with Possum, sliding in behind the wheel herself is a new experience for Mrs Bourne.

She took lessons at a rally drive school in the Maramarua Forest to get her competition licence and since then "I've been really just raring to go".

"It's really amazing to go from being a co-driver and sitting beside Possum to actually getting behind the wheel and figuring out how it all happens yourself.

"I am a novice, this is my debut event and so it's going to be a whole learning curve. All I want to do in the first day and first couple of runs is really learn the car, get the hang of it. Then on race day I'll have a go in my own way and just do it for Possum."

Mrs Bourne has the support of her family and friends and an experienced team behind her.

She will be driving a Subaru WRX Impreza, provided by Winger Subaru. Her co-driver is long-time family friend and renowned co-driver Mark Stacey.

"Everyone's just been so supportive. I've been quite humbled by how many people have got behind me and are really enthusiastic."

She says Race to the Sky was always a family event and this year will be no different.

"The kids used to go and get rocks and get Possum to sign them. Then they'd sell them so they could then get to go and do lots of the kids' activities over the weekend," she said.

"They think it's really cool that Mum is doing this and they're going to go back to a place where they have happy memories."

Possum Bourne

* Born in Pukekohe, began his rallying career in 1979.
* He was critically injured on Good Friday, 2003, in a collision with a car driven by fellow driver Mike Barltrop during preparations for the Race to the Sky hillclimb near Cardrona.
* Barltrop later pleaded guilty to aggravated careless use of a vehicle causing Bourne's death .